Interview: Precinct Phantom

Leeds based emcee Precinct Phantom has been active within the UK underground rap scene since at least 2009, making a name from initially interviewing former battle rapper, Professor Green over MSN. When Precinct moved to Leeds University in 2015, he began to write for Wordplay Magazine, as well as various other now defunct blog pages before deciding to focus primarily on his own music career. Forever working, Precinct Phantom returned from his day-job last Friday and prepared for his first written interview, revealing insights into his decade of making it as a rapper, as well as details concerning his forthcoming exclusives.

It may interest the readers to know that I, Evo, was introduced to Wordplay Magazine through Precinct Phantom around 2015. Whilst I studied Music Journalism in Huddersfield, Precinct studied Music Production in Leeds. However at the time, Precinct was more busy reporting, promoting his favourite artists rather than focussing on his own rap prospects. “I have always kind of dabbled in both though, really,” began Precinct, reminiscing his own introduction to music journalism. “This is going to sound mad, but I interviewed Professor Green over MSN, way back in the day, in 2009.” Inspired by multiple now defunct blog spots, Precinct began to take journalism and music creation more seriously when he moved to Leeds University, a world apart from Lincolnshire where he grew up.  “Well, my Mum is from Lincoln and my Dad is from Doncaster,” added Precinct. “But I was born in the South, I moved back to Lincoln when I was 14, but I have been up and down there.” A fan of old school hip-hop and new school Grime, Precinct really got into music by listening to projects in their entirety, rather than just bumping various artist’s singles. “Like Jazz, mate,” continued Precinct. “Do you know what I mean, you buy the Jazz record and then you look through who's on the thing, then you look up them and what they have done - that is literally what I did with hip-hop. Back in the day on Amazon you used to get these 'Top 50 Lists' - for instance, Chicago hip-hop from the 90's, I used to run through that mate, with paper round money I used to buy all these CD's.”

MC Sez with Precinct Phantom

Motivated by a passion to promote obscure releases that he didn’t see being covered, Precinct reached out to Wordplay around 2015 for them to consider publishing his writing. “I was at university,” recalled Precinct. “I lived at Brudenell Mount, so that would have been 2015. Then I think I literally just messaged Craig on Facebook - shouts to Craig.” By a twist of fate, a friend of Evo’s happened to be on the same course as Precinct, a photographer who prefers to be referred to as MC Sez. After Sez shouted Evo about Precinct’s involvement with Wordplay, Precinct brought Evo in. Over the following years, we worked together to report on multiple shows around West Yorkshire on Wordplay’s behalf. “There were some mad ones man, trust me,” laughed Precinct. “It is cool to see it kind of come around full circle, to be honest.” Ultimately, Precinct chose to pursue a rap career over his journalism. “I cut myself off from it,” shrugged Precinct, revealing why he quit reporting. “I stopped paying any attention to it, to be fair.”

In result of his efforts, Precinct had earned deserved renown through his interviews, as well as made friends in music through his reviews, all prior to releasing what he would describe as his ‘debut album.’  “I don't think I would say I have ever put out an album before, I'd like to say projects,” mused Precinct. “The first one was in 2014, that came out with Will Williamson. But it was all hip-hop stuff back then, which I think I have moved off really, now.” Back then, it’s fair to say Precinct was testing the waters with his music, experimenting with boom-bap in particular. “For sure, the early years are all about finding your sound,” nodded Precinct. “Working with different people, seeing what works and what doesn't - as I say, I am a fan of all kinds of different hip-hop, so I think it was only natural that I was trying out different shit, seeing what would work, etc.”

Although Precinct had established a network of artists to potentially work with, he essentially came up on his own without the assistance of a crew. “It has always kind of been a D.I.Y. thing really,” explained Precinct, attempting to summarise his motivation for music. “I think if you have been doing it for so many years, you just do it - it is a part of the thing, I can't really imagine a day or a week where I haven't written a lyric. It is the release away from daily life, work and everything else, you need something to keep you sane - that is legit what it is.” Having put in over a decade’s worth of effort, Precinct is beginning to reap the fruits of his labour, seeing profits from his releases whilst continuing to reflect on the past and his progression. “It gets to a point eventually where you think, 'I am actually taking it seriously,' and you are consistent with it,” continued Precinct. “Everyone starts to think, I'm going to do this and that before falling away at the third hurdle. But eventually, you will find something you will stick with, then you have just got to keep on with it.” 

2020 was a challenging year for artist’s, however Precinct remained active, releasing what he describes as his ‘first album,’ 14Axiom. Smashing it on the live scene before Covid-19 struck, Precinct was disappointed he couldn’t perform 14Axiom live. “But you know, it is what it is and we put the album out,” said Precinct. “It has done pretty well, we have got CD's still there but we have sold a lot of CD's just over lockdown, just through word of mouth.” After releasing 14Axiom, Precinct continued working and recorded another album with his long-time affiliate, Chills who provides all the beats. Currently mixed, the project only needs to be mastered and to receive it’s artwork until it’s complete. “It is a 12 song album - I may as well let you know the features on there,” continued Precinct. “We have got Fungi Ferg from Teeside, we have got I1 from Russia - big ups I1 coming through with the international features, then I have got a tune with Seedie B and Playdough, a young emcee from Leeds who is killing it.” A privilege of releasing music in the modern day is clocking where all your music is being streamed from, through this Precinct realised he has a half-decent following outside of England. “One that has been pretty consistent is that we have seemed to get a fair few listens in Dublin which is cool,” claimed Precinct. “I see quite a lot of people say that Dublin loves Grime and the 140 stuff seems to have a bit of an audience in Dublin, so it was cool to see that.” 

Outside of Leeds, in nearby Huddersfield, Precinct has collaborated with an up and coming label called Nuke Fam Records. In support of the NHS, Nuke Fam released a project which Precinct was proud to feature on, From The Bunker - consisting of 30 tracks with 50+ artists involved. “Shout out Eskar, shouts Blend and Swags for sure,” said Precinct. “They put me on the opening track, Breaking It Down, which was sick - shouts to Doug Jawers on the beats on that one, a sick, sick French producer.” Aside from this collaboration, Precinct has more plans in store alongside Nuke Fam however it was too early to reveal exclusive insights. “We just need to get up to Huddersfield really,” added Precinct. “We need to get on it and see what we can come out of Blends studio with, man.” Aside from working with Nuke Fam, Precinct had two more potential collaborations in store he could exclusively reveal. “On a hard drive I have got a tune recorded with a Hashfinger beat,” continued Precinct. “Hashfinger is just an absolute legend mate, his beats are just so dope, even his instrumental stuff is insane. I also have a Cheech feature, from The Bluntskins - that will come out eventually.” 

“I have been working on a mixtape which is going to be called 'So Many Wheels',” added Precinct, revealing even more exclusives. “I have got a beat from Micky Swags on there, I have got a beat from Jack Danz on there which is the Worcester's tune - out everywhere now on streaming sites and it has a music video - shouts to Crooked Multimedia.” On his upcoming ‘So Many Wheels’ mixtape, Precinct has enlisted an array of exceptional beatmakers. “Who else have I got beats from on there…” Precinct paused. “Schiri Beats, Cheynj, I have got a Chills Myth beat on there. I have got a Nocturnal Fury beat on there, a mate of mine from Leeds, also a Kemetstry feature - trust me, that is an absolute banger and I can't wait for people to hear that. I have a beat from Skinzmann on there as well, actually, that is going to be sick.” With both his second album and the ‘So Many Wheels’ mixtape poised for release in 2021, Precinct is currently releasing singles until he has received all his features back.  “I have got about three more verses to get back and then I am ready to go,” stated Precinct. “So while that is happening, I am just going to do a run of singles, mate. Just going to eat the time away, hopefully me and Chills will be ready to drop our second album in the near future.”

In recent years, Precinct developed his sound from boom-bap influenced releases to more energetic, Grime music and has noticed a positive impact in doing so. “I think we had just been making hip-hop for so long,” began Precinct, revealing why he changed his sound. “We needed a change and instantly, when we started playing it live we saw the difference in feedback and attention.” One of Precinct’s final live performances was at a mansion party in Leeds, hosted by the Underneath Collective. “Shouts Tekniko, shouts to all the man who rolled through to that,” added Precinct. “But that was crazy, proper old school vibes - getting a wheel up and having a crowd full of fucking, pissed up people shouting my 8 bar back to me. That was a sick, old school Grime vibe that you would never get with a boom-bap set.”

Precinct Phantom, thank you for your time. Any final shout outs?

“Shouts to all the people that are checking this shit, all the man that are working with me. Big ups Chills, big ups Danz, Blend, Swags, Eskar, shouts my man Kyst Cortez, yeah man. We have got a lot of shit in the pipeline, so just keep an eye on my Instagram. 14Axiom is out now, everywhere, streaming - shout me for CD's and on my Bandcamp.

Words by Evo
Photography by Crooked Multimedia