Get To Know: Arz

Upcoming rapper, Arz, is about to become London’s next rising star and New Wave Magazine caught up with the young prodigy to get to know more about him, his music and prosperous journey to stardom. Hailing from East London, pursuing music was never part of Arz’s plan. He originally wanted to become an actor, having a cameo in Krept and Konan’s “Band Drill '' music video and the “The Essence” short film by Giggs. But it wasn't until he began “writing and spitting bars'', that the praise and positive feedback from his family and peers encouraged him to take music seriously.

"I thought maybe this is for me. And I knew it was for me because it came easy. I enjoyed it. It was never stressful to write bars, it was just always a vibe. So since like 13, I knew music was the route I wanted to take."

The 17-year-old is of mixed heritage: English and Jamaican and is backed by a great support network. With 2 sisters and 3 brothers, Arz talks about the love from his family and the “push” they give him to do well. He recalls the music that used to play in the house when he was growing up. "There were lot of slow jams. Quite a lot of old school. I went and found my own music taste by endeavouring and listening to so many different sounds and artists on my own though."

New Wave Magazine X [Raleigh Ritchie]

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With a lot of attention arising in such a short span of time, it was vital to know whether it was impacting any other areas of his life or causing him to make sacrifices. "I was going to college. I was there for about three months, but I wasn't really enjoying it. I was falling behind on schoolwork. I just thought to myself, if I’ve got music, and it’s going well, why am I still here? I’m a firm believer in if something isn't making you happy just let it go. Life is too short. I said let me just take music seriously and cut college.

The decision to drop out of school however doesn’t discredit Arz’s academic accomplishments. The teenager graduated high school with flying colours and was interested in studying Criminology, Sports and Law in college and perhaps pursuing a career in Criminal Justice. However, Arz always looked at this as a backup plan and had confidence his music career would flourish instead. "I passed everything in secondary school, apart from French. I hated French. I’ve always wanted to get into law and crime. So, I took that in college. But then I realised that there isn’t going to be a plan 'B'. Because this is what I want. I’m not really going to settle for less than what I really want."

Arz dropped his debut project, “Love Letters”, in April of 2020 which has now accumulated over 5 million streams. The EP contains 6 songs where the rapper dives into his feelings and emotions, but why did he want to express his love and affection on this EP? “That's a good question. I don’t hear a lot of people covering it. Especially people from my background: London, my agemates, my gender. Guys aren't really talking about love. I’m all about exploring something that hasn’t been explored before. I also want to inspire people to do the same. Be different. Going left when everyone is going right”.

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Assisted by producers Marcel Beats and YK the Plug, most of the 16-minute-long project was recorded during the last national lockdown. We hear the rapper exposed, raw and vulnerable over melodic-lo-fi, drill fused and RnB samples. It's impressive to hear how Arz was able to articulate himself throughout this project, especially for someone so young.

"I’ve always been good with words. Plus, I’m quite straightforward with people. It’s all down to being honest, getting your point across and telling people how you feel. Books help too. I read but not as much as I used to. I’ve started to get back into reading again. The latest book I’m reading right now is ‘Law of Innocence’ by Michael Connelly. It’s about this lawyer and he gets framed for murder and he has to defend and prove his own case in court. It’s pretty dope."

4 months after his EP, he dropped the highly acclaimed single and internet sensation “Alone with You'' which includes a sample of Billie Eilish’s “Hostage”. It has now received nearly 4 million views on YouTube, 13 million streams on Spotify and has become a trending sound on TikTok. The rapper explained how he was taken by surprise by how well the music was being received.

“I knew it was different and was going to be appreciated by the people who appreciate me and enjoy my music, but I didn't expect it to do this well. I’m very grateful.

Arz is yet to release a featured track this year, but when asked if there were any on the way he assured us that we would see collaborations soon, especially as his next project is expected to be released next year. So, what about dream collaborations or artists he’s admiring that he would like to work with? "Dave, one hundred per cent. Skepta, Little Simz, Shaybo and SL. Definitely SL, I’ve always thought SL is wavy".

It’s evident to see that Arz is passionate about what he does. He seems to remain humble whilst perfecting his craft as well as pleasing his fans but he’s also no different from any regular teenager with dreams and aspirations.

"In the next 5-10 years I see myself doing big things. I want to be doing a lot of shows across the world and take the music global. l think it’s just a beautiful thing to go around different countries and do what you love. But until then, love for all the love. Shoutout to all my fans, people streaming and sharing my music. I appreciate it big time".

New Wave Magazine is excited to see what the future holds for Arz. Listen to his debut project "Love Letters" on all streaming platforms and follow his journey on Instagram and Twitter.