Cabrakid

It’s quite something when you’re straight outta Norwich in your very early 20’s and you’re making kickass spoken word/hip hop beats with your mate that then gets picked up by BBC Introducing who pass your track onto BBC Radio 1 Extra who PLAYLISTS YOUR TRACK. But dreams do come true, and this is exactly what’s happened to Cabrakid, a thrusting young male duo who are clearly on the up and up. With their very first headline night this month, I spoke to beat-maker extraordinaire Gabriel (aka Allergy Kid) about how it feels to be played on the radio and what their plans are for 2016.

Who’s in Cabrakid, and what kind of music do you make?

Cabrakid is the hip hop/ spoken word lovechild of myself as producer and poet/rapper/vocalist/all round good man, High Priest Cabrakan, Jake Setters. We make songs to make you happy, angry, dance, sleep and everything in between.

How did you start up?

A cold night in January last year brought us together at a mutual friend’s house. I needed an MC, Jake needed instrumentals,; it was meant to be. From then on a different EP was made the next four times we were in each other’s presence.

Who are your hip hop heroes and who inspires you as an artist?

For the both of us, Loyle Carner is someone we’ve been loving for a long time. Everything is straight form the heart with him which really sets him apart from other UK rappers. From a musical perspective the first release was very King Krule like, reverb drenched guitar driven beats. Since then each release has brought something different, but for a while now J. DIlla has been my number one. Damu the Fudgemunk is another who’s been having a big influence on me lately, bringing back the boom bap. In terms of lyricism, George the Poet and Jesse James are just a few that are bringing something a bit more than just a rap to the table.

You’ve played a few dates in Norwich so far…are you planning on playing further afield soon?

It’s definitely something we’re looking to do. We’re planning some big supports but it’s all hush hush for now.

How did you come to get on R1’s Extra playlist? Have you had any interest from record companies or any other interested parties since being played on there?

Following uploading New Year, New Nothing featuring Maya Law on the BBC Uploader we were lucky enough to be picked for Radio Norfolk who then put us through to 1Xtra who picked it as their Introducing unsigned track of the week. It just shows how helpful the whole Introducing platform is for all artists looking to reach out further. We’ve noticed a very steady grow in listens. There has been no contact from other parties but that’s not something we’d be expecting at this stage. It’s just a pleasure in itself to be on the playlist.

How did it feel to be played on national radio for the first time?

It’s been really quite surreal for all of us being played amongst such huge names. I missed the first play by about five minutes because I was at work, but it was my strangest moment on BBC iPlayer I can say that. Knowing that millions of people are tuned in is quite nuts to get your head around.

Do you have any records released so far, or any plans to do so?

At the moment we have six self released EP’s on our Soundcloud. At the moment the focus is on waiting for the perfect songs to come along for an official EP release, but it’s not something we’re looking to put a timeline on for now.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have any more Norwich dates planned where we can catch you?

We’re just going to keep doing what we enjoy, keep writing, and see what happens. We’re currently preparing for our first headline show at the Waterfront Studio on 26th March. We will be joined by the amazing Maya Law, Luke Peter Foster, and Tryna Think, who have formed especially for this show and it is guaranteed to go off. Grab your tickets whilst you can!

See Cabrakid at their first headline show at the Waterfront Studio on 26th March. Tickets available from ueaticketbookings.co.uk

Photo credit: Jack Bruhin