At first I didn’t like it, as I couldn’t catch the lyrics and I didn’t have any emotional attachment to it. I would always show him metal songs and he would show me hip-hop songs. My brother, Xian “Fessa” Fu, loved hip-hop. Well, honestly it comes back to The Fools. How did you end up gravitating towards that? But after that I went by the name Curly Brown, which didn’t get much traction but the songs were mostly produced by me as well and it was more of 2000s r&b, which honestly weren’t my best works but the emotions were there.Ĭlearly, you obviously swerved towards a different direction in the style of hip-hop. We are still tight till this day but it’s more of a friendship-type gig, no longer a band. So we started off writing ballads but when we went to Polytechnic, we just didn’t have the time to finish that project. We had/have a crew called The Fools it was supposed to be a band but none of us could play instruments and only one other ‘Fool’ had any interest in music. Back when I started, I was making music with my five friends. But I did have other projects that were either shelved or we couldn’t finish. You will probably hear a metal or punk or indie-style song in my discography sooner or later. Why does it have to be an alternate universe? Haha! I’m always pushing myself in various different directions in music and that’s what I would say my strength is. Is there an alternate universe where you would’ve been a hardcore musician instead? You’ve cited Avenged Sevenfold as a pivotal influence growing up. That’s when Ratmir has to come out and say it. For whatever the reason, maybe either I’m embarrassed of saying it or it might be a little too controversial to say certain things. But at the same time, Ratmir did give me strength, because sometimes I can’t say what I want to say as Amir. I am the musician and I am the person behind the mask. So I can’t say that Ratmir is very far off from me as a person but more intertwined. But growing up, I learnt that I’m just showing another part of myself through this character. Ratmir Johnson started that way too, on hindsight. My idols back then had stage names to differentiate themselves or feel like a larger-than-life character, like Eminem’s Slim Shady. Does this mean that Ratmir Johnson is a huge leap from who you usually are beneath the music? You’ve likened the alias to a separate identity coined by comic book heroes. Well you might not fit in, but that’s why it’s cool! Because you can be who you truly want to be and when you grow up, the world appreciates that better. The kids who are in secondary school, or anywhere for that matter, who feel like they don’t fit in. But this past year after dropping the EP, I feel more confident of expressing and being more open, which also leads into who I’m trying to reach with my music – the outcast kids. But somewhere along the line, the fear of putting out emotions pushes us into a corner, and we tend to think about how others would react to what we do. Well, we all have our own experiences, strengths and weaknesses and we tend to express that our own way. The Ratmir Johnson brand would probably embody creating without prejudice. To begin, what does the Ratmir Johnson brand embody? And who are the people you wish to reach out to with your music? In this interview, he reveals the obstacles he’s had to topple, regaining his strength, and falling in love with music – his music, especially – all over again. The EP exists as a tale the fleshes out the character of Ratmir Johnson, and it’s an engrossing chronicle that’s easy to digest.īut to uncover an even deeper understanding, you can hear more from the charismatic protagonist himself. He’s even conceptually bookmarked the EP with a trio of soundbites within, referencing moments from some of his idols, Mac Miller, Madlib and Tyler, the Creator. His love for boom bap and jazz-influenced hip-hop shows in tracks like “ Snakes” and “ Halloween”, adorned with mawkish piano chords and raw, crisp percussions. While on “ Jimi”, he shows fluid rap eloquence that addresses his self-made ascent, stacking verses atop a torrent of flanged-out, Hendrix-esque guitars. It’s a gesture of affection to the sound he’s chosen to reside in, firing out heart signs via a series of nostalgic sample choices and production routes. ”, Ratmir crafts a plot that carries plenty of personal weight.
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