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By Rachel Burley

Kano, a member of East London’s N.A.S.T.Y. Crew, has risen from the underground to the mainstream with his most recent single ‘Typical Me’. His talents are apparent and his name hot on the lips of everyone, but who is the man behind the music? Describing his individual qualities and what he brings to the UK urban music scene, Kano said, “Just me and realness. I don’t feel that there are a lot of real artists out there. In the UK some of them are just copying Americans and all that.” He explained: “I’m not feeling that, so I’m just going to bring realness and my story. No one can be like me so if I be myself I’ll be different and unique.”

Born Kane Robinson, he grew up in Camden Town, East London and he sees his childhood as fairly regular. “It was normal. I don’t know how it is for other people, but it was just normal for me.” Kano’s musical curiosity began at an early age as he grew up hearing a lot of his mum’s Reggae. Following this, he became interested in Hip Hop, Jungle and Garage. He has a diverse range of musical influences but when asked to name one, Kano hesitates, before saying: “I haven’t really got an idol, only my mum and my family.” Having played football for Chelsea FC in his youth, was music the only career that Kano really wanted to pursue? “It kinda is, yeah. I wasn’t one of them people at school who was like, “I wanna be this and I wanna be that”. I never said that and I still never say that. I didn’t really have long term goals like that; music is kinda the only thing.”

Making a name for himself whilst still young, Kano told The Situation how he started making mixtapes to build up his reputation. “I started emceeing when I was in school. I just started by messing around making tapes and letting them circle round. Letting people get to know me that way, getting a little street buzz; that’s how it started.” After letting his tapes circle the underground, Kano explains the next steps he took to move his career up a gear. “Pirate radio was the most important thing. I used to go on there every week, get known and do the raves. Then eventually I started doing bigger raves further out and in other countries.” He continued: “The whole while I was still making tunes and looking on the artist’s side and working on my album. That’s really it; it just gradually picked up.” Describing his learning experiences and the surprising things he has encountered since taking his music mainstream, Kano said, “I had a little bit of knowledge before but everyday I learn something new. Something that has really surprised me is the amount of press that you have to do (laughs) and I haven’t even started. I haven’t even brought an album out!”

The road to Hip Hop success is not paved with ice and bling. Now signed to the The Streets’ label, 679, Kano reveals the most difficult thing he has experienced in his career so far. “The hardest thing is the £20 subs on the radio. For pirate radio you have to pay £20 to go on.” Currently focusing on his album and a mixtape, Kano reveals how much work he has done so far on his new project. “It hasn’t got a name yet, but it’s coming out in May. I’m really concentrating on that; I’m still working on it and I’d say I’m 95% done. Making a good album is more important than the sales or whatever. It’s more of if I can sit back and say the album has paid off. That I’ve made a good album; one that you can listen to from the start to the finish.” Despite the eagerness of the mainstream press to pigeon-hole Kano’s music in a single category, the MC himself is unsure exactly how to class the material on his forthcoming album. “I don’t know how to describe my music. Each song is different so I can’t really describe the whole music. I just call it Hip Hop and I don’t call it Grime.” If Kano cannot describe his entire album, surely he can give a flavour of his most recent single ‘Typical Me’? “The single is just about raving and having dramas in nightclubs. It’s about getting kicked out and that. The music is kinda different and it’s like nothing I have done before. It’s like nothing anyone really does on the Grime scene.” As if to demonstrate this, Kano goes on to describe how unique that single is: “Live instruments are on it like the guitar, which was brave; it was like a little experiment for me. It was interesting for me, so hopefully it is for other people. I would like to do things different and if someone says one thing I like to do another, rather than be the same.” Always writing his own lyrics, Kano draws inspiration from things as simple as everyday life. “I write about all different stuff; day by day living and the experiences that I go through. I write about being in raves and being chucked out. That’s how I wrote ‘Typical Me’. Just however I’m feeling at the time.”

Kano describes the way he sees himself and contemplates his most interesting attributes. “I would just say I’m laid back and focused…sometimes! Nothing’s interesting about me. Do you know what’s not interesting? I watch ‘Bargain Hunt’ in the morning, that’s so not interesting!” With all the newfound fame, does he still see himself as a regular 19 year old? “I don’t even know, I might be a typical 59 year old! If you came with me for a week you’d be bored.”

Even as Kano begins to make his mark on the UK music scene, he still finds the time to pursue regular teenage interests. “I just do normal things. Sometimes I go raving or the cinema. I play football, but a lot of the time I’m in my house watching telly. Most of the time though, I’m writing lyrics. So when I’m off work, I’m not really ‘off work’ ’cos I’m writing lyrics.” Kano’s hard work is sure to pay off soon, as he prepares to release his debut album. As for his aspirations for the near and distant future, Kano’s adamant about what he hopes to achieve. “Right now, I’m hoping to produce the best album to my ability. I don’t want it to come out like it could have been better, that’s the first thing I wanna achieve. Secondly, I wanna do the label thing; I wanna bring artists through.” He’s already supported Nas on his recent UK tour, and if this didn’t open your eyes to his talent, then here’s your second chance. Keep your eyes on this East London boy, for he’s set to do big things in the upcoming months.

Kano’s next single is to be ‘Remember Me’, and will be released on June 6th, 2005. For more information on Kano and his music, please visit his official website, http://www.ka-no.com.