Having become one of the most instantly recognisable voices in UK Hip-Hop over the past few years, with a slew of heralded releases on Blah Records, London-based rapper CLBRKS (AKA Conrad Brooks) prepares to release his new LP ‘CLBELLIC’ via Bradley Zero’s heralded imprint Rhythm Section. This new offering sees Conrad linking up with Finnish producer NickyDiesel to deliver an eleven-track excursion, delving into a brooding sonic palette influenced by the gritty and foreboding essence of classic New Yorkian gangster video games such as Max Payne and Grand Theft Auto IV. Painting images of eerie nocturnal backdrops and various nefarious activities, the album perfectly matches Nicky’s grainy and neck-snap inducing production alongside Conrad’s off-kilter and often-hilarious lyrics.

On how the pair first became acquainted, CLBRKS explains: ‘Niki and I had been speaking on and off for a few years online while he was up the road from me in Kilburn studying at university. Eventually after he graduated we met in person (I’m a bit of a last minute guy). He met me in the park near mine on a hot day while I was sunbathing and drinking more white wine than I should be. From the get go we got along, finding our differences in character (Niki not being fond of sunbathing) funny as opposed to something that would hinder any work. Since then we’ve been tinkering on and off every time he comes back to London, and we’re now very good friends. The stories are generally always quite similar, i'm quite loud and extroverted, Niki is calculated and polite, together we complement one another and bring out the best in each other.‘

Speaking on the inspirations behind the album, CLBRKS says : ‘Obviously the main inspiration for the project is the character Niko Bellic from GTA IV, my favourite of the series. I think Nikis full name being Nikolai has something to do with it, and at the time I was playing a lot of Max Payne which is another Rockstar production game, and also a collaboration with Finnish developer Remedy Entertainment I think Niki being half Russian was probably also an inspiring factor in some strange way! I think that’s why the areas we filmed in were so suitable to the theme, and the dark eerie vibe that the original video game gives off.’ Full to the brim of razor-sharp wordplay and hazy, jazz-tinged beats - this is one record to soundtrack side missions all summer long.

We sat down with CLBRKS & NickyDiesel to discuss their upcoming project CLBELLIC:

Sleeps Cousin: How did you both meet?

CLBRKS: Well, he (Nicky) was here for uni for 2 years and kept hitting me up saying we should link up and make beats and all that, but I was just being a super reluctant dickhead. But then he hit me up again saying he was only here for another 2 weeks and I felt bad and then he came through. And me being lazy I never checked anything (of Nicky's) out until he was here in person and i was thinking "this is actually fire".

SC: So it was all online how you met in person?

CL: Yeah we weren't even talking that much but then when we met in person we got along. Crazy world. It's all my fault we didn’t work earlier.

NickyDiesel: It's all good man, its better late than never.

CL: I feel like it added an element of urgency to the work, so thats cool.

SC: So Nicky, having listened to your project “Deathcrows”. There's a lot of influence from different corners of rap, especially elements from DJ Screw & DJ Smokey, will we be hearing any of those influences on this project you have with CL?

ND: The album that we've made is a complete different mindset.

CL: Its more like rap, some things are quicker paced where I'm usually on slower stuff, more drums, we've tried to make a few songs with choruses but not too many. Lot of them I'm just rapping.

SC: You say this project has more elements of traditional boom bap rap, I've noticed that with your (CL's) recent release Kitty as well?

CL: That one is very traditional, yeah.

SC: Was that a conscious effort to move towards that sound or more so what fell out in the moment?

CL: It was actually a commission based project, so I started doing a few things towards it. Then we reached and agreement where I said "so you buy me out, then it's yours". He actually owns a really cool record store in Cologne called Groove Attack, he also DJ's and all of that. He's really putting in the work and then I went and met him recently and we get along so that's why I'm very happy to promote it because I like the guy.

SC: Oh interesting, so he purely bought verses off you and it came from there?

CL: Yeah basically, so now whatever comes from it is his money. Makes it easier.

SC: Getting paid up front to rap now.

CL: Its a good way to live. Theres plenty of contracts and royalties that we could do but if its just a physical thing and not on streaming other than the single it can get complicated.

SC: Saying that actually helps me segway to the next question. With previous projects like "A Place I Got Lost In" & "Habits 2", I've noticed you release on Bandcamp 2 weeks to a month earlier. How does that effect the roll out of the projects? And are those early releases purely physical?

CL: They can be download as well, when you buy the physical you get the download code. A lot of those things are a pre-order too, Habits was a pre-order, A Place I Got Lost In was a pre-order. People are buying it in November but they only started rolling out a few weeks ago (March/Apirl).

SC: Is that so you have a reference for how many copies to press?

CL: You get the order in its the time that it takes to press that takes a while, so with the Kitty EP in a similar way to the project with Nicky or others, these songs were made a long time ago.

SC: So Kitty is more recent than other music?

CL: No its not recently recorded, but instead of putting it out and setting up a pre order the project already exists. You don't set up your order according to your sales online, you buy 300 or so copies and work with that.

SC: Is that a response to streaming services not paying, or more about making a piece of artwork?

CL: Its a response to collector culture, if you look at social media everything is now so hard to get. Trainers are impossible to get or show off weed from California, everyone wants to show off something thats hard to get. I think thats it, I think that's why people want to buy the vinyl, in a way thats their response to streaming culture.

SC: So I became aware of you around 2019 after Lieu showing me Loudhouse cyphers & Lilbigsmoke.

CL: Shout out Lilbigsmoke. Yeah that was the real start, through JD Honey I think I was one of the first people involved with Loudhouse. I remember JD was still at school when he messaged me, trying to take photographs and I said I wanted to do this instead, so then we started doing that, he said "I want to do something like Lord of the Mics but for this kinda Soundcloud lofi rap thing". Now those freestyles don't really occur anymore, they did do events for a while. It was JD and Noah running it, and Twizzy. There was a few people involved but its mostly JD & Noah, JD on the camera & doing all the editing stuff & Noah would kinda bring it all together with the freestyles. JD and I are very close because we've progressed together. I have the same relationship with Verbz as well.

SC: Ok cool, because Verbz was in Loudhouse too, right? Along with Lord Apex & Finn Foxell if I remember rightly?

CL: Yeah Foxell was there, Apex was there, Looms was there, urm, fuck it, lots of people.

SC: When I think Loudhouse I think of the cypher in the flat where its all going round in circles.

CL: It was all at JD's mum & dad's house, he had the attic room, he just let people draw on it and shit.

SC: Do you still make music with those people now?

CL: Urm, not so much. In the beginning it was like you try & connect & force relationships, but now you just see some people and chill. I still make music with Conrad Mundy, of course. Say like, Virgil Hawkins, Ryoko Virgil, Theodor Black and that, they're just really great mates. Theodor Black directed my last music video, so I still work with them but in other ways.

SC: Thats one thing that shines through that I find really cool, like you say with Conrad Mundy its clear that your really good mates beyond music. Do you prefer to stick to working with people like that or to branch out?

CL: If people are good, they're good. I like Sindysman I like Jadasea. I don't know them in person but I chat to them a little bit. I met Jadasea once briefly and told him I really love what you do, same with Sindysman. They're both sick rappers.

SC: Its cool to see how yourself and these people, especially with Loudhouse have come up together.

CL: It does get a bit dog eat dog though, especially when you're in a room full of people rapping against each-, well, not rapping against each other but there's an element of friendly competition.

SC: Was Loudhouse where making music began for you? Or does it go back further crafting away in the shadows?

CL: In the shadows baby! Na I used to rap in high school, I like rapping.

SC: Rapping is pretty good.

CL: But no, um, I started taking it seriously around 2017-2018. Like really properly seriously when I lost my job.

SC: And that was the start of your Soundcloud days?

CL: Na, Soundcloud was 2015-2016. We was just chilling but still working part time jobs in retail & stuff. Its hard to work a normal job. I just didn't fit in with the people when I worked in retail.

SC: You mentioned rapping in high school, I can't quite picture American movie style battling in the lunch hall.

CL: Na, I was listening to Tyler, the Creator and all kinds of horrible things. Its available.

SC: Give us the scoop on where we can find that.

CL: No. I've spoken about it before, people know about it. You'll have to dig deeper.

SC: Is that still under CLBRKS?

CL: Na, another name. You can find it in other interviews. I'm not giving it to Wordplay coz people actually read that shit.

SC: Who were some of your earliest influences?

CL: I like Mobb Deep, innit. Sean Price & Styles P. As a kid I liked 50 Cent and Jadakiss as well. I put my dad onto Roc Marciano the other day.

SC: Thats dope, I could never. Brucey, my old man wouldn't stand for it.

CL: Shout out to Brucey. For a good year my dad had My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in his whip, and then afterwards it was Magna Carta... Holy Grail. Ballin' out in the whip still, riding through town.

SC: That's wild. To me, a dad listening to hip hop is almost otherworldly.

ND: I hear that, my dad would only listen to classical. I don't think he listens to music at all now. He used to play organs. I remember growing up he would listen to classical music cassettes in the car. He brought a little keyboard home, just jamming to organ music.

SC: Was that what peaked your interest in music from young?

ND: I reckon that came later.

SC: What sort of stuff did then get you into music later on?

ND: I used to play guitar, then, I don't know man it just didn't work out for me I'm pretty ADHD and shit. But then I took up the drums and just learned it really quick. Then rebellious teenage years was just like fuck school fuck music. Then, I think I must have been 18 when I got a Maschine sampler from my parents and just started making beats.

SC: Do you think that coming from percussion first influenced the way that you make beats?

ND: Probably, probably.

CL: You're really drum heavy aren't you. He's a sucker for the side-chain.

ND: I am I am, I just love that super punchy drum.

SC: When you started producing were you onto rap stuff straight away?

ND: Yeah, I've listened to hip hop & jazz since being a kid. But the first thing I made was like a reggae beat, but yeah I pretty much made just rap from then on. I enjoy making hip hop beats but I enjoy also listening to a lot of other shit. Listening to J Dilla, Kev Brown & shit. Originally I would copy them & try to make that beat, but then I found my own path.

SC: To round things off, whats the name of the project, when's it dropping & where can we find it when its out?

CL: So, the project is called CLBELLIC, like Niko Bellic based off of GTA 4. And its out through Rhythm Section TODAY!

SC: CLBRKS & NickyDeisel, for Wordplay Magazine, WE OUT!

Interview: Sleeps Cousin & Lieu