Interview

Down the Rabbit Hole: slowthai

Interview by Callum McLean
Photography by Crown & Owls

Tyron Frampton, aka slowthai, carves a lean, mean figure as lovably gritty as his persona is surreal. His unique brand of punk/hip hop hooliganism critiques Brexit Britain, classist stereotypes and rap bravado, while raising the roof with lip-curled spits over banging, razor-edged tracks.

Punk or grime? Or both all the time?

No genres, only music. No boxes, just expression.

According to you, “the farmers are coming” – should the city bigwigs be worried?

Everyone should be worried. I’m like the joker with a ticking time bomb and in my life the villain always wins.

As “the king of Northampton”, what’s it like being shot into the global spotlight at a time when Britain is at its littlest?

It doesn’t even feel like that for me, but I just gotta say I love anyone and everyone that’s took the time to listen to my stuff. If you don’t fuck with me, keep it moving – and if you do fuck with me, welcome to the family. 

How do you speak truth to power while still keeping the party alive?

I don’t even know, I just stay real to me. I think about a lot of the shit that happens in my life and society and the world overall but I was raised to keep on keeping on, smile on my face, find truth and happiness in the smaller things because at large we can’t control the world but we can control ourselves.

Going wild is a serious business – how should we release our inner animals this weekend?

Don’t stand around like a cow in a field. Feel the music, enjoy the vibe, forget everything, put your phone away, take yourself on a spiritual journey, go fucking mad.