EQUATE Meets Amos
"My dreams are to help my family and change our lives for the better."
Since his debut on The Voice Kids UK, singer-songwriter and rapper Amos has left millions of viewers astounded. Consistently pairing heartfelt, impactful lyricism with his undeniable confidence, this young artist demonstrates that age is nothing but a number. In his most recent release ‘Letter To Boris’, Amos vocalises his take on today’s social and political climate, calling our prime minister to acknowledge the inequality that black people face on a daily basis. From humble beginnings, Amos began to film his own music videos at school to showcase his passion for vocalising the experiences of himself and his peers. His platform amplified after his time on The Voice Kids UK, with a jaw dropping performance of his original song ‘No Violence’. Afterwards the show stated: “It takes a very special talent to bring an original song to life at the Voice Kids. Amos, you’re an inspiration”. This young man is on a mission to inform and inspire, and we at EQUATE are all ears. We caught up with Amos for an insightful Q&A, discussing racial inequality, faith and dreams for his future.
Read the interview below…
Words and interview by Elle Watson
EQ: Hey Amos, could you tell us a little about yourself? Where did your passion for music stem from?
A: My name is Amos I am a 14 year old rapper from Milton Keynes. My passion came from a lot of rappers who inspire me and other young artists such as Stormzy, Dave, Polo G and many others.
EQ: What made you audition for The Voice Kids UK? Was there anything about the whole process that you found surprising?
A: With me going on TV I knew that I could use the platform to spread awareness and influence others by performing my very own song ‘No Violence’. The reasoning of the performance was to show that there’s a positive side to drill and to change people’s perspective on it.
EQ: ‘Letter To Boris’ is a beautifully written, succinct commentary on society. When did you begin to start having these discussions and vocalising your feelings on these issues?
A: I decided to make ‘Letter To Boris’ because there are things going on that need to be the focus point in our society, such as young black people stuck in the system, I made ‘Letter To Boris’ because I feel he doesn’t understand the struggle we go through and if he did he would support us by funding etc.
EQ: The line ‘I’m 14 but I’m not living life as a kid’ sticks out to me for so many reasons.. Firstly, because your life must’ve changed after having the opportunity on The Voice, but also poignantly because black children/young adults tend to ‘grow up’ faster due to the challenges they are faced with. How do you navigate having those two elements combined?
A: The line ‘14 but I ain’t living life as kid ‘ was very meaningful to me and many other black young people, I feel like there’s things we go through that normal kids wouldn’t go through and experience.
“I feel like there’s things we go through that normal kids wouldn’t go through and experience.”
- Amos
EQ: It’s easy for us in the UK to look at America and think ‘this isn’t our problem’, yet it’s simply not the case. In your opinion, what must we implement on this side of the pond to make a change? What can be done to get our society comfortable with being uncomfortable with regards to racial injustices?
A: I feel like the news and many big platforms don’t mention it as much or anywhere near enough but if they did it could educate a lot of people in racial injustice
EQ: What do you do for fun Amos? Anything that may surprise us?
A: I play the drums at my church every Sunday.
EQ: What has been the single most soul defining moment of your life so far? Why?
A: One day I was in my room and my brother was playing a song from Polo G’s album ‘Wishing For a Hero’ .The things Polo said in that song touched me in a way no other song has, so I said to myself that day the work starts now! I then made a rap video to the instrumental from the song despite everything mentally that was going on at the time and me having to find ways to motivate me to put effort in to it , that same video changed my life in so many ways that no one but me would understand .I always thank God for what he’s done and what he’s doing because I sometimes think imagine if my brother decided not to play that exact song and skipped it ..ever since then I work every single day on bettering myself as a artist to change the status for me and the people I’m around lives.
EQ: Are you hopeful for the future? What are your dreams for yourself, and for the ones you love?
A: Yes, my dreams are to help my family and change our lives for the better.
EQ: What can we expect to see from you in the next few months? Are there any EQUATE exclusives you could let us in on?
A: New music coming soon and many more things!
Watch the video for ‘Letter To Boris’ below
YouTube/Amosthakid
Stream ‘Letter To Boris’ HERE
Keep up with Amos on socials
Instagram: @amosthakid
Twitter: @amosthakid