‘5 Questions With’: Romell
“The current climate of music not being as authentic as it used to be, we want to change that, and try and bring some realness back to rap.”
Meet Romell – the rapper first discovered his passion for making music when he was 17 years old. Originally from South London, he briefly moved to Bristol where he connected with a variety of underground producers. But it wasn’t until he returned to London that he further developed his craft. Now, he is owner of his own label ‘Cupid Entertainment’ and has been able to build up a solid, ever-growing fanbase. We caught up with him for the release of his new, gritty track ‘Yesterday’s Problems’.
Read the full interview below…
EQ: Who did you grow up listening to and who inspires you the most now?
R: I grew up in a Caribbean household listening to reggae, hip hop and grime. Island music had a massive influence on me growing up.
I’ve taken a lot of influence from American rappers, they were the superstars & idols when I was young. People like Lil Wayne, Eminem, 50 Cent. There’s something timeless about really authentic hip hop.
EQ: You’ve moved from London to Bristol to London again, how did each place shape you as an artist?
R: South London has definitely made me who I am, but I’ve always been a bit of a lone wolf. My stints in Bristol opened my eyes to different sides of business and walks of life, and gave me a bigger picture of things.
Then I moved to Portobello Road sides and living in West London kinda shaped me creatively. It made me care more about the musical side of rap, and who I surround myself with.
“There’s something timeless about really authentic hip hop.”
– Romell
EQ: You’ve also got a label ‘Cupid Entertainment’, what first sparked the idea for that?
R: When music is your life, a lot of people that you meet and end up being around are creatives or in the industry. Me and my people were all making & releasing music and so we thought – ‘we should do this ourselves…’.
The current climate of music not being as authentic as it used to be, we want to change that, and try and bring some realness back to rap.
EQ: Can you talk us through your upcoming release ‘Yesterday’s Problems’?
R: This one was about my reality, the struggle and how man deals with it. I always felt like one day all my problems would just disappear.
The realisation that there are always problems, especially when you are creating a legacy. Things come up everyday that need to be handled, but once you’ve handled them, they’re yesterday’s problems.
EQ: Finally, what else have you been cooking up that you can share with us?
R: I’ve got an EP on the way but for now I’ve got a few singles for you’s until it’s time for the full project.
Watch the visuals for ‘Yesterday’s Problems’ below…
YouTube/Romell
Stream ‘No Regrets‘ HERE
Keep up with Romell on socials:
Instagram:@romell_cupid