Few debut mixtapes arrive with the burden and intention carried by The Origins from Apollo and Yung Kenz. Constructed completely in-house and fuelled by lived expertise, the mission is greater than an introduction, it’s a reckoning with bloodlines, generational grief, and the delight of representing ignored postcodes. On this interview, Apollo lays naked the roots of the collaboration, the inventive self-discipline of holding every thing DIY, and the duty he feels carrying a motion for North East Scotland on his again. From lyrical readability to engineering grit, each side of The Origins holds objective. Learn on to listen to how ache solid a shared objective and the way Apollo is channelling legacy right into a louder future.
Welcome to A&R Manufacturing facility, Apollo. It’s a pleasure to talk with you about The Origins and the highly effective story behind your collaborative work with Yung Kenz. “Two Generations – One Legacy” is a robust assertion. What does it symbolize for you personally, and the way does it resonate all through the mixtape?
For me, it’s not only a tagline – it’s the reality of our lives. I began rapping over a decade in the past however by no means adopted via till my nephew Yung Kenz picked up the mic. We’ve each grown up in the identical wrestle, simply in several eras. This mission is about honouring the ache, objective, and energy we share as two generations of the identical bloodline – and ensuring the story of the place we’re from will get informed correctly.
Our entire sound is constructed on reality. From the bars to the beats, every thing needed to really feel actual. We’ve each misplaced household, grown up in chaos, and carried ache that doesn’t get spoken about the place we’re from. So we turned that into the inspiration – soulful samples, uncooked verses, and moments of sunshine chopping via the darkish. This isn’t simply music, it’s remedy in movement.
You’ve constructed this mission completely DIY, from manufacturing to engineering, inside your individual house studio. What have been probably the most rewarding and difficult elements of holding the method in-house?
The most important reward is freedom. Each line, each combine, each alternative is ours – there’s no exterior strain or compromise. However that additionally means the workload’s all on us. It’s late nights, technical complications, and always studying on the go. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t commerce it. That is the way you construct one thing stable from the bottom up.
For me, the vulnerability is the hook. Folks relate to honesty – when it’s not compelled, it connects. I don’t write to be industrial; I write to be clear. If the reality sounds good, folks will play it twice. However we’re at all times conscious of the circulate, the bounce, the supply. It’s about talking deep whereas holding the vibe alive.
With the mixtape being a collaborative effort between you and Yung Kenz, how did you navigate the generational views throughout the writing and recording classes to make sure each voices got here via equally?
We gave one another area to be ourselves. Kenz speaks from a contemporary standpoint – he’s 19, developing now. I convey the lived expertise, the angle of somebody who’s seen all of it twice. The important thing was respecting one another’s voice. We’d problem one another within the sales space however at all times with the identical aim – making it actual and making it ours.
That their voice issues. That they’re not alone. That the place you’re from doesn’t should outline the place you’re going. We’ve each made errors, seen laborious instances, misplaced folks – however we’re right here. This mixtape is proof you could construct one thing highly effective even when no one provides you the blueprint.
It’s a blessing and a problem. Scottish rap doesn’t at all times get the identical mild, however that’s altering – and we’re a part of that shift. We would like folks to listen to the soul in our tales, not simply the accent. Our function is to boost the bar, keep genuine, and open doorways for others developing within the North East and past.
As you progress ahead past this debut launch, what are your priorities for evolving your sound and strengthening the identification of your label and motion from the North East of Scotland?
We’re simply getting began. One other collab mission is already within the works – the bond me and Kenz have is just too sturdy to not maintain constructing on. Alongside that, we’re each engaged on solo EPs to point out our particular person voices in full, and if we are able to shut the yr with a debut album? That will be unbelievable. The main focus now could be consistency, high quality, and ensuring the motion from the North East retains rising louder.
Interview by Amelia Vandergast
