It was imperative that we speak to Psy The Menace, the boy behind the hit “Lost in Melancholy” which got the people dancing in January.
Psy The Menace is a Botswana bread, Johannesburg based rapper and producer (who goes under the production moniker Arthur Valentine), he’s been pursuing music since 2014 and was part of an Alternative-Pop duo called Lucid180 in 2015.
He fully produced Long Time Coming with Botswana based artists JayK Rollin’ & O-Star, Shadows EP by Lucid180 and a low-fi EP called Opiates with Untamed Culture. You can listen to some of his tracks by visiting https://soundcloud.com/psythemenace. He’s set to pursue a solo career as a lead artist and he has a lot under his sleeve for the year.
Psy The Menace recently released his debut song titled “Lost in Melancholy” on the 20th of January as well as his second single titled “Nighsky” on the 12th of February. His first two features, one of which he produced will be released within the next two weeks. He’s also releasing monthly to give a back story into his debut EP that’s coming out in July with the unofficial title “Blossom Through the Wildernesses”
We sat down with the young rapper and here is what he had to say:
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I’m rapper/producer and engineer, I love all forms of creativity but also spend most of my time trying to figure out how to blend different forms of art together to create something that’s original to me, I’m still in the process of piecing together the puzzle that is my twisted wonderland of creativity.
What inspired you to start what you are doing?
I was eight when I first watched 8 Mile, I had grown up on Eminem and he’s god to me, so getting to see a glimpse on his up bringing on screen and watching him evolve from a timid wanna be MC to the best battle rapper in 8 Mile was and still is inspiring.
What projects you are currently working on? Which project is going to release the first in the coming days?
I’m working currently featuring, producing and executively producing a few projects, but I’m also working on my debut EP set to be released mid 2018. Until then I’m releasing individual songs that give back-story and insight into the person behind the artist so the concept of the EP is understood.
Which celebrities you believe are most influential?
Donald Glover, Tyler, the Creator, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Kanye West, Jay Z, Issa Rae, Joe Budden, Will Smith, Juicy J, Kendrick Lamar & J. Cole are atrists whom I believe are influencial.
On what do you spend the most: Clothes, gadgets, accessories or anything else?
I spend a lot of my money on comic books, food & games.
Are you a bathroom singer?
I definitely sing in the bathroom, the kitchen, the living room, the bedroom, basically anywhere that’s not the booth.
Whom do you love the most, your parents, friends, siblings or yourself?
There’s a special lady in my life who’s always been there from the jump and actually got me to pick up the pen and take rapping seriously again.
What do you do when you not working?
When I’m not working I’m probably sitting outside writing down different ideas, watching something, playing a game, reading a comic, studying my senseis and working on my craft..
Where do you see yourself in the competition?
I don’t know how to answer this question without sounding cocky.
Where do you think you will be after 20 years?
In 20 years I see myself owning a creative hub that employs and/or develops different skill sets in the entertainment & creative industry.
Do you have any motivational message you want to pass to unearthing artists or someone interested in becoming an artist?
A piece of advice I would give to upcoming artists is to only do it if you’re ready for years of sleepless nights and continuous self conflicting battles with yourself. Once you’re prepared for all that, you’ll come across a lot of rejections, people selling you dreams & people using you for your talents. I suggest you work on finding your own space and lane, build with other creatives who aren’t in the same lane/space/sound as you but have the same creative outcome as you, this way you’ll constantly be working outside your comfort zone, you’d be learning from other people and get valuable advice on your art before it becomes public consumption.
How do people get in touch with you?
The easiest ways to get in touch with me are through my manager Nikita Baird (email: [email protected] or @_NikitaBaird on twitter) and my Twitter handle is @PsyTheMenace.