Key Sentence:
- Ahead of the Mercury Awards, the rapper/R&B artist included on the record spoke to Sam Moore about his tumultuous upbringing.
- Racism, poverty, and why he was determined to prove himself against all odds.
Just over a week before the Mercury Awards, Racism Berwyn, whose debut Demotape/Vega was one of the projects selected for the year, was sitting at home nursing a bowl of chicken soup. “I have had a crazy and sad life,” said the 25-year-old, sounding hoarse. After performing at the Reading and Leeds festivals. But even without a sore throat, the original artist Berwyn Du Bois limited himself.
He spoke quietly, slowly; answered amble.
However, two mixtapes, a familiar Drake character, and a dazzling performance by Jools Holland later are the future of British music. His voice combines minimalist R&B, controlled by piano, with an avant-garde rap that barely stands out above the murmur; his singing style is reminiscent of James Blake and Frank Ocean.
Like his peers, Bervin shows almost no interest in the life of a pop star, but he has high ambitions.
His mention of “s**** y life” is as deep as he is willing to delve into his past, at least during this interview. He talks about Zoom about traveling from Trinidad to Romford at nine; childhood was spent watching his mother in and out of prison. His precarious immigration status has just been resolved, and he sometimes has to sleep in his car.
If it weren’t for the recent changes to the Mercury Prize rules to allow non-British passport holders. Who have lived in the UK or Ireland for more than five years to submit their work, it would not be on this year’s list. “Life is real, but it’s not over,” he said. “Everything is fine now.
That’s happy.”
He prefers fans listen to music to hear his story firsthand about the impact of Britain’s brutal immigration system, which he accuses of not allowing him to attend college. The debut single “Glory” is honest and appreciative and offers an awkward look at a painful life. Bervin’s voice breaks when he experiences the horror of receiving a letter from an immigration officer. And then becomes a challenge when he dreams of buying an estate for his family.