Everybody’s got a story to tell, but some people manage to tell theirs in more interesting ways than others. Like for example, British-Maltese rapper Rumbull, who chooses to tell his stories through rap. His words weave in and out of a rhythmic mesh of beats and engaging grooves, both elements inherited many years ago thanks to his parents’ record collection.
The most important thing is to keep it real, and to do that, the rap must represent one’s own culture
“My mum listened to soul while my dad was more into rock ’n’ roll,” he recalls. “They were the first sounds I was exposed to, but it was my Maltese cousin who first turned me to hip hop. I think I was about five years old at the time.”
Beyond discovering music and breakdancing, Rumbull recalls that, during his childhood years in Malta, he used to attend the mużew (the local version of Sunday school). Oddly enough, he regards this as an important factor in furthering his interest in hip hop.
“We used to learn prayers by heart there, and when I went home I used to recite those same verses, but in a rap style. Those initial attempts made me realise that perhaps I could do this.”
Of course, those were still early days for Rumbull the rapper; formative years that brought on a deeper interest in hip hop, particularly the work of iconic artists such as Dr Dre, The Notorious B.I.G, Wu-Tang Clan and NWA. He also felt inspired by the concept of revolution, a theme that is present in his music to this day.
“Most people tend to associate revolution with violence, but to me it goes much deeper than that. It’s really about people doing their own thing, improving themselves first.”
Upon returning to England after a childhood spent in Malta, Rumbull recalls he experienced something of a culture shock. “I was 11 when I went back to England. The first thing I noticed was that the hip hop culture there was much bigger, which attracted me to it even more.”
His interest soon developed into practice raps at school with his classmate, and rapping over tunes by other artists. Realising this was more than a passing interest, Rumbull’s elder sister booked him into a recording studio for a demo.
“The rest of the family thought I would get over hip hop, but I was very passionate about it,” he assures me. “I remember recording my own verses as well as tracks by LL Cool J and Nas to try out different styles.”
As he entered his teen years, Rumbull admits he lost his way a bit. “I suppose I wasn’t your model student,” he says with an impish grin. “I was going through my adolescent rebel phase, and of course, the music took a back seat as I was into other stuff.”
Not that he strayed for too long, as music somehow found its way back into his life, and he was soon back in the game, initially going by the name of MC Trigga, then as Rude Boi Rum, which eventually morphed into Rumbull.
“The name is partly linked to my dad and grandad’s boxing background and partly to my sister, who used to be a Flamenco dancer.”
When he came back to Malta, Rumbull found a hip hop scene that was largely, if not completely underground.
“Like most of the rappers here at the time, I had a put-on American accent, probably because at the back of my mind, hip hop and America are closely connected.”
He explains that it’s easy to fall into the trap of opting for what you think sounds cooler. “I guess I was still finding myself,” he continues.
“The most important thing is to keep it real, and to do that, the rap must represent one’s own culture.”
Of course, being half-Maltese and half-British meant he had twice as much of it to dig into and be inspired by, as is more than evident on his debut album, Cut Throught Island which, he is quick to point out, is deliberately misspelt.
The title also has a very deliberate Maltese connotation. “I wanted to include things that reflected my Maltese side without being too obvious. The title is lifted off the movie that was filmed in Malta, but I spelt it differently and included the għ, which is unique to the Maltese language.”
Less cryptic is the Valletta landscape that adorns the front cover. “The city and its people are very special to me. I have a lot of family there and the place just instils a sense of belonging in me.”
A Maltese element, along with what he calls “a Latin twang and a Mediterranean flavour”, also surfaces in various other places on the album. However, the record was actually recorded in the UK, where he admits the hip hop scene offers many more opportunities than Malta could. He says the time he spent in England was an incredible experience on many levels.
“First of all, it helped me develop my ‘cut-throat’ style; I like to be direct, both in my rapping and in the way I do things.”
Indeed, apart from ciphering with his ‘boys’ – particularly one called Tenchoo, who went on to become a European champion at his craft – Rumbull got to experience direct rap battles firsthand.
“It’s a lot like the għana spirtupront that we have in Malta. Those battles helped me develop my skills and grow a tough skin, as well as introducing me to a lot of other people on the scene.” In fact, some of those same people also feature on Rumbull’s album.
“I was very lucky to have a legend like Chemo record my album at his Kilimanjaro Studios in London.”
Chemo also mixed and mastered the album and, along with other guest producers such as Scizzahz, Wizard, Leatherface, Malta’s own Gilson and rapper Simply Ill, contributed to the tracks on Cut Throught Island.
“It was an amazing experience to work with such talented people – one I won’t easily forget.”
Other unforgettable experiences in his career to date include opening slots for Immortal Technique, RA The Rugged Man, Snowgoons, King Magnetic, Diabolik and Ill Bill, but he seems more eager about what’s up ahead than what has passed.
“Of course, right now I’m thrilled about the release of the album, but I’m just as excited about the stuff I’ve got going on.”
And believe you me, there is a lot going on. There’s a mixtape he’s working on with The Cut Throught Cartel. “It’s a separate project but it’s all connected to the ‘cut throught’ concept,” he says. He plans to gig in the UK and promote the album there, and he’s also been learning to create his own beats.
“I’m not quite there yet, so I’ll still be working with other producers for the next album.
“I’ve already laid some stuff down, and yes, it has a title but I’m not telling you… well, not until you switch off that recorder anyway!”
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