Hailing from Birmingham Hunter Bavaro is an up and coming rap artist that is soon to dominate the 0121 scene! Influenced by artists such Nina Simone, David Bowie and Kendrick Lamar he began to pursue his career in music. He has recently released his debut single 'Great Yarmouth' and if you haven't heard it treat yourself.
Photo @photosbybenjii
When and why did your vision start ?
I’m not too sure where my vision started if I’m honest. I feel like I’ve always had this urge and need to create and entertain. Life seems pretty pointless to me if I couldn’t do this you know. But with where I’m at today, me wanting to do music started very young, probably when I was like 10 / 11, I started writing poetry in class and that carried on at home, and then when I got my hands on my first rap album, ‘The Black Album’ by Jay Z, it quickly developed into rap.
There was always all different types of music in my yard and subconsciously I definitely soaked all that shit in, I think it shows in the music I’m making now and over the years to be fair. I’m never scared to try something that might seem batshit crazy. From there I tried getting my bro Jack Bagshaw to be in a group with me - haha - but yeah we’ve both carried it on from there, him DJ’ing and being just an overall creative and me rapping and being a creative too.
Who are your three biggest inspirations and why?
Mannnnn, I really don’t think I could put it down to just three but some of them would be, and not in specific order, Nina Simone, Kendrick n Bowie.
Nina when I was a yute, musically was instrumental in my upbringing, my Mom would constantly play her in her Mini, she had at the time, when we’d take trips to Great Yarmouth and it basically introduced me to that whole blues, folk, gospel mix. As I grew, the older I got, the more I learnt about her and the impact she had on the Civil Rights Movement and how outspoken and brave she was. She didn’t give a fuck what people thought, yeah I fuck with that. Kendrick is Kendrick haha, there’s not too much I need to say there. If you know me then you know.
Bowie again was introduced to me through my parents, my old man loved that Hunky Dory ting, and would always play it in the car. When you hear shit you’ve never heard before that’s beautiful, I think that shit sticks to you like glue. It really intrigues me and gets me engaged and that’s what this album did for me and then the more I delved into his music, the more I realised this geeza is fearless and his fearlessness in expressing his artistry through all these different forms of media should be admired, like we all need to take leaf out his book in that sense. I just love his music it really resonates.
Has living in Birmingham shaped your music?
Yeah for sure, when I’m away I write different, I can’t explain how it’s just ... different and not particularly in a bad way. This is the city that’s raised me, my highs, my lows alla dat. It’s made me who I am today and I love me so it’s bless haha. But yeah I love brum it’s my home. Of course.
Photo @photosbybenjiii
How important is it to represent your local area?
I think it’s important but I don’t think it should be your whole identity, you know because it’s already a part of you. You're a product of your environment and I think man will know that, there’s no hiding it. By you being you, and creating the good shit you do, you're automatically shining the light on your ends, community, village whatever and showcasing everything your corner of the world has to offer everybody. Bare talented and smart people that can actually really make a difference, especially in the current climate.
Is there a message you always aim to convey in your music? And why is it important to you?
There never was when I started, but then the deeper I got into it the more I’d have people hitting me up saying they can relate or a certain song has made them feel less of a freak or less alone. Like that’s fuckin mad to me cuz mans just writing what’s in my noggin you know.
So I’d say it’s to keep moving, to stay striving, no one is in this struggle alone even when it really feels like you are. No excuses out here man, let’s get it together and uplift one another through motivation and support you know dem ones it’s all love. Let’s have fuckin funnn and fuck Matt Hancock, pussy.
What is the most important thing to think about when writing?
I mean, I’d say the most important thing to think about is whatever your thinking haha. Whatever is on your mind, don’t be mindful of anything initially, just fuckin scribble whatever comes to you first and go from there. That’s when you know it’s from your heart, from a feeling, if it’s thought out too too much then I feel it gets dampened. But yeah I dunno, I just write raps or whatever.
Photo @photosbybenjiii
Tell us about your new single 'Great Yarmouth'.
Yeah man Great Yarmouth is my debut single, I guess, it’s out on all platforms and yeah. The song is produced by YSP, if you're familiar with YT beats then you know - haha. I’ve been working with my boy Off Key and Blukey Rinsle on my new shit, but I heard this beat one night and I just thought of Great Yarmouth straight away, it made sense, the words just started flowing. I wrote the song couple months back now and it’s mad because I speak about a lot of things in that tune and one of them was [MF] Doom, another massive inspiration for me and now to think he’s gone is crazy. But yeah it’s all sort of about the current climate, people’s expectations, whole bunch of different themes run throughout, but I just want people to take whatever they take from it. I don’t wanna say agh it’s this it’s that, it’s however you see it. Great Yarmouth was the main inspiration though, a place I hold dear to my heart.
What's next?
Just keep on keeping on man. More music. More life. Few big big surprises coming up is all I can say and yeah hopefully by the time summer rolls about, we can all enjoy with a drink or two.
Hunter Bavaro's Links
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ethan-cappellie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunterbavaro/
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