“Traditionally, platforms for our music have been watered down or exclusive, that doesn’t help artists”
DJ SEMTEX SPOTIFY
Face off : Ms Banks and DJ Semtex
And Semtex, who are you targeting with the podcast? DJS: “Everyone. I want it to be a place for day one fans and new fans, a home of cultural markers. Traditionally, platforms for our music have been so mainstream or watered down that it’s bollocks and it doesn’t mean anything to anyone. Or, it’s been so exclusive, it’s actually turning people away. That doesn’t help or benefit the culture or the artists. I want integrity, to mark moments in time.”
What are some of Who We Be Talks’ best bits so far? DJS: “Steel Banglez surprised me. I didn’t know he’d been in prison or that he was making music in prison. He’s like a Dr Dre of this country. He was there for grime, UK rap 1.0, UK rap 2.0, he’s been there and he’s brought through artists like Mist and Dave, it’s amazing. AJ Tracey’s story is incredible; he’s very focused, very driven. I bumped into him in Nando’s in Notting Hill. I’ve got a table I always go to. He was in there; I said we should do a talk. He said yes, then we did it and it was all good. Bugzy Malone was another memorable one. It’s fascinating to hear how he’s turned his life around, we were going to record in his gym but it was too noisy! Mr Eazi talked about the African diaspora; I’ve never heard an artist connect the dots like that. You’re never going to get as up front and personal with artists in any other situation, it’s the only time they’re open. They know this is the time to talk, it isn’t happening anywhere else.”
What does the future hold for Who We Be Talks? DJS: “It’s only going to get bigger. Kanye is on my hitlist, I haven’t spoken to him for a long time. The main thing is visualising it. Everyone says, ‘This is great, where can I watch it?’ But it’s a podcast, it’s about the audio. There’s an exclusivity. That thing of watching something on a train, it gets cannibalised. There are a lot of disposable things on social media, meme culture; the best bits are taken as clips from interviews. There’s going to be more demand for the quality podcasts have. It’s conversation, insight and balance; you don’t get that on social media. This is an area that’s only going to get more important for the music industry.”
20 | Music Week 01.07.19 LET IT BE
Spotify execs discuss the magic of the Who We Be Talks podcast
Why is now the right time for the Who We Be podcast? James Cator, head of podcasts, EMEA: “It’s a reflection of broader audio habits, people are trying to get less screen time. The chance to hear stories and what drives artists is what people are looking for right now. Everyone wants to make podcasts and artists want to tell a story.”
Safiya Lambie-Knight, lead, urban, artist & label marketing: “The albums or projects these artists are releasing provide moments for them to talk about things that are really important to them, it’s a chance to tell a story that they don’t get elsewhere. It gives context around why things have happened. Ms Banks told stories she never had before because it is an environment in which you can do that. All artists want to be able to tell their story, build their audience and share things.”
How can Who We Be work for artists? SLK: “Some really interesting stories have come out of it. NSG launched Options [feat. Tion Wayne, 520,750 sales, according to the Official Charts Company] off the back of performing last year and have had success with it. It’s becoming part of the artists’ journeys and is growing fanbases. We’re looking at how we can tie the narrative between live, playlist and podcasts together better and grow it.”
What are you planning next for Who We Be Talks? JC: “It’s looking at the broader cultural landscape, conversations people are having that touch on urban music and aspects of society that maybe aren’t covered in the mainstream media, or if they are, it’s not in a nuanced way. That’s the magic of podcasts, people are engaged for the hour, genuinely paying attention. We’re thinking about what that allows us to do in terms of bringing what is interesting about this culture to a larger audience.”
musicweek.com
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