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B.C – Humble Cat, Elite Emcee

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Today I have a very special guest feature from the one and only B.C. B.C is an emcee, poet and all-round great guy.

I 1st met B.C at a spoken word night called Spoken Vibes in Lewisham. He was performing some of the rawest, insightful, brutally honest material I had ever heard. He is one of the dopest rappers I know, but his spoken word is where I believe he really shines. For me anyway.

A great controller of the mic and an absolute beast on-stage, B.C has a stage presence that grips you and demands your attention. A great friend and a great dude, I give you B.C.

B.C
Photo Credit: Jason McClure

B.C you legend, thanks for coming on bro. How were you introduced to music?

My uncle ‘Jack’ Wilcox  was a talented musician and always encouraged my mum to sing with him. This would happen at family get-togethers. My favourite childhood memories are of my mum singing with uncle Jack playing the guitar in the backyard of my childhood home in Wauchope.
 
My mother has a great voice and was my first musical inspiration. 
My dad had all the vinyl though, and stacks of cassettes too from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Between both of my parents I can happily say I had a musical background. 
 
Dope. As a lyricist, what connected you?
 
I connected with lyrics and music from a young age. Not just as a point of interest but on an emotional level too.
I didn’t even understand the context of songs back then, but when I listened I could just feel it. 
 
Happy, sad, triumphant. Light and dark. It was all there and I imagined as a primary school kid that I would do it one day.
In primary school they taught us about poetry too. I picked it up naturally as well as other forms of creative writing. 
Photo Credit: Aharon Staff

100% B.C

So, how did you get into hip hop?

Holidaying every summer in Bonny Hills I met a lot of people from a lot of different places. One friend I made over those years was a cool kid named Ben and his family from Sydney. Ben had a big brother called Jamie who brought a stack of CD’s and said I could choose one to borrow. One name that stood out to me was ‘Public Enemy’.
 
There a few there but the title I chose was ‘it takes a nation of millions to hold us back.’ I hadn’t heard anything like it and I could tell they had a general theme and message. Though I couldn’t relate I loved that they were doing this through music. 

Another kid in primary school, Kris Love, again with the influence of a big brother had a cassette of N.W.A’s ‘straight out of Compton’ which wasn’t just my introduction to gangsta rap but pretty much my first exposure to profanity and slang words. I thought it was hilarious, so I started writing gangsta rap in year 5 purely because swear words were so funny.
Who has influenced you and your style the most?
 
Arrested Development was the first hip hop act that made me want to watch what I say. 
These days though I mainly listen to Aesop Rock. He’s my favourite but I have to mention Sage Francis and Buck 65 too for helping influence the rapper I am. These 3 really helped me find my lane in a culture that I have no roots connection with with.
 
You’ve been in the game for a minute, any advice for up and comers?
 
A lot of people refer to me a humble artist and I attribute my longevity in the scene largely to this very trait. If I was to give any advice to an up and comer it’d be not to act too arrogant on stage or when promoting yourself. 
 
It’s hard not to get caught of the image but there are always a lot of hungry artists ready to be booked before you. Respect and manners go further than you think in this industry.
 
My reputation in music is so far based on the strength of my live performances and that’s how I gained the attention of Rah Records in 2020. 
 
I’ve since signed to the label, these days dedicating as much time as I can toward the production of new songs. 
 
At least till Covid ends and the venues reopen. I do miss the stage. 
 

Big ups B.C for taking the time to drop some serious knowledge with us. I have to say that seeing B.C perform live is one of the greatest acts I have witnessed. He is incredible.

It’s no wonder Rah Records picked him up.

Tune in for the next feature when I speak with the homie Trigz.

As always, thanks for rocking with ya boi Prim!

Until next time, peace fam!

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