Addressing Adversity with MOAN: One of UK Rap’s Most Underrated Wordsmiths Keeping Modern Hip Hop Real
Songwriter Profile: MOAN
The rap landscape these days can sometimes make it easy to forget hip hop’s original purpose; with the barrier to entry at an all time low, and many songs being about fairly trivial subjects. But let’s not forget hip hop’s roots and how it was such a vital outlet for hardship and injustice for so many people growing up in poor urban areas. One UK rapper who is a bold reminder of this is MOAN – a hard-hitting songwriter who shines a light on life’s struggles and uncomfortable truths, poetically expressing the pain of an impoverished life in modern Britain.
MOAN grew up in the city of Sheffield in northern England, coming from a musical household with his parents often throwing karaoke parties and his father blasting out 2pac regularly. His mum being an avid singer would drag him to more open mic nights than most people have had pints of lager, so he was always exposed to an eclectic array of music.
“Pfft, when did I first hear hip hop, maybe as a kid back when my parents hosted parties where all the adults would sing karaoke in my living room. Once Eminem came on and I just remember being curious as it was different; but when I heard WuTang and Ol’ Dirty Bastard rap, that shit stayed with me forever”
He also remembers being exposed to grime in its early days in school, describing to SoundSight Mag scenes of Sheffield school kids forming clicks, battling on street corners, and sending each other songs via infrared and bluetooth.
MOAN attended his first rap concert at age 18 at the O2 in London – a city where he now tells us he “chases chaos.” It was a GZA and Trellion show with Sniff & Figment supporting (possibly the last time Figment played live). This moment back in 2012 was pivotal for him, inspiring him to express the creative talent he had inside him, while still understanding it would take years for him to hone his craft. MOAN is not ashamed to speak of his underprivileged upbringing, also commenting on the evolving hip hop landscape nowadays in which everyone and anyone can become a rapper.
“12 years ago rap wasn’t as cool as it is now. My life was that of a rapper, I lived it, walked it, and talked it. I grew up kinda rough and underprivileged, I guess my mum did save me though as she moved us to a village to get away, and it gave me this dualistic personality as I got older. I really saw how other people had a head start in life, but I gotta let go of that shit and accept my greatness inside. Now hip hop is something many new rappers and youth do who come from privilege, and I think that’s an issue if I’m honest. This means everything to me, it’s the culture I grew up on,”
He then started taking home empty school workbooks from maths and science class and started writing poems, ideas, inventions, quotes, thoughts and philosophies. Then taking MDMA at drum and bass raves gave him the confidence to actually write and perform his lyrics.
He doesn’t hold back when it comes to expressing pain, highlighting hardships, and speaking about aspects of our culture that many would rather ignore – mental health, the never ending obstacles he faces as an independent artist, and the seemingly collapsing cultural relationships between different groups within our societies. It’s this raw uncompromising commentary that makes MOAN such an authentic voice, and quite frankly one that deserves much more appreciation and recognition. That said, we wouldn’t expect the mainstream to be ready for his music – with the majority of mainstream rap songs nowadays often about fairly trifling subjects. It’s so refreshing to hear an artist like MOAN rapping about things other than riches, bitches, or new gold chains. These are the exact kind of songwriters we revere here at SoundSight Mag!
MOAN’s impactful, potent and somewhat provocative lyrics delivered through his grizzly tone of voice give us an unadulterated glimpse into his struggles with drugs, mental health, and his modest upbringing. He tells us he’s still finding the music game difficult (and we don’t blame him), citing it as his third priority when it comes to rebuilding his life.
“I think you hear the pain in my music, in my tone, in my words, in my mania, in my delivery, in how “me” I am. I’m emotionally vulnerable and ferociously sharp.”
The beats behind his songs have a distinct UK sound, that jazzy low-fi magic that invites your imagination into the songwriter’s world. Although MOAN makes clear that his influences are hard to pin down due to his changing moods and eclectic and impulsive nature, it’s no surprise that UK artists like CASISDEAD have been top on his listening history recently. He goes on to mention how liking soundtracks and film scores are indicators of maturity as an artist, while paying homage to Alex Somers and Dutch folk singer and composer Agnus Obel. Other artists hot on his radar are Vince Staples, Ed Scissor, Mr Key, Yellow Days, Slowthai, Wu-Tang Clan, Bonobo and Rejjie Snow.
“I used to trip to Agnus Obel’s music, a folk singer and composer from the Netherlands. I think she might be the greatest composer of our time, that shit makes me feel pain on another level. I always revisit Bonobo, he’s just a fucking G I think people are forgetting about. WuTang will always snap me back to my roots too though.”
Another artist’s lyrics that have especially impacted MOAN are from Kendrick and Beth Gibbon’s Mother I Sober, “Ow I wish I could be somebody, anybody but myself.” Saying that he particularly relates to it on a deep level, having also used drugs as an escape from himself and society.
He also reiterated some particularly poignant lyrics he wrote in one of his favourite songs from his forthcoming new album, that are a great example of his discerning and talented lyricism:
Life’s hard, anxious and full of fears
Everybody seems to overwork n hide their tears
A generation burnt out your trauma’s here
Abused n used refuse to be another smear
He has a new album on the way, which he says has “two big features” so be sure to keep an eye on his socials (below) for news about that. With 9 tracks currently being mastered, he’s realised now he wants to add a 10th, so despite the delay expect something brilliant coming very soon!
There’s nothing like a rapper spilling their heart, speaking their mind, and being authentic. MOAN is a shining example of this that many other up and coming rappers could learn from. In our book, is it even real rap if it doesn’t make you uncomfortable, thoughtful, or more socially aware?
“I guess lately I feel in and out of peace. I’m sure that will translate into my music.”
