Werd and Deeko are on the verge of press their latest mixtape above we have a couple of tracks Betrayal Riddlah Mix and Edin’Onics

Ok Deeko and Werd two MC’s from Edinburgh. How does it work between you?

[Werd] Works well, working to do well. We’re mates so a’d say that’s a start. We’ve found our own voices aswell as writing styles over the years, but growing up listening to pretty much the same stuff and growing up in the same place puts us on the same wave-length a suppose. We’re not really hip-hop guys when you look at us... a mean, clothes n that. You’re much more likely to see me in a Aquascutum cap than a NY one. And our mates aren’t big hip-hop fans like we are. To them it’s all about dance music and going uptown to Ego, Liquid rooms for a rave. So we’re not surrounded in a hip-hop environment, but in a way that helps...
[Deeko] We and the rest of Scottish hip-hop bring a new sound to the table. At first as an MC, you might curse being stuck in Scotland where urban music isn’t big, but then again it’s a blessing for the same reason. So it’s working well. We’re hoping to do a lot more once our CD gets pressed and released. We’ve both worked hard for this.

What does each bring to the mix?

[Deeko] We bring our own experiences and put it into the music. Its good cause although we might feel the same way on something everyone’s got their own personal take on life.
[Werd] Well we both write our own stuff. We don’t make beats or anything else really, so paying attention to our lyrical content is the most important thing. I spend some of the time putting our tracks together with Deeko, but production isn’t something we enjoy, at least a dinny.

You’ve not been in the scene to long... why’s that?

[Deeko] Just been making sure everything was right. Although we’ve been writing for ages we didn’t want to show up with nothing worthy to stand.
[Werd] And we didn’t see it to be honest. It was only until around last year when we came across BDR and UrbanScot. There’s always been Hip-hop in Scotland, but as for Scottish Hip-hop we hadn’t seen a lot. Not none, I’d heard of local guys like Kontempt and the Edinburgh Collective, and artists in Glasgow were doing their thing too, but this was still at the stage when we were trying to make music aswell. It was at the under-18’s Venue that we first had a taste of performing, Chazel and Dj Nick G where the DJ’s at the time n got us on, we were only 15 then, seems like a life-time ago these days.

What have you been doing since then?

[Werd] Writing, writing, writing... look over it, chuck it out, keep writing. Done that for a few years until we starting looking at how to record music.
[Deeko] Yeah writing, and looking for different ways to get our music out there.

What do you think of the Scottish hip hop scene?

[Werd] Dunno, it’s hard to say, but I think it is deff on the up. Seeing a lot of artists putting on shows and getting CD’s out which is the way to go. The Celtic Connection was great, Chris (BDR Founder) and Urbanize (Irish Hip-hop dude) put these gigs on in Edinburgh and Glasgow, it was a great way to get a taste of the Hip-hop and a chance to meet up with other guys doing it.
[Deeko] I think it’s an ever expanding one. Every day a see a new artist putting out songs and looking to get on. That’s all good, but I think more can be done with getting the artists on the UK scene, because UK seems to be classed as just English acts. So I think its class there’s a site like bringdaruckus for people to hear and comment on the music.
[Werd] There’s not a big market for it unless we get out there and let people know it exists. Right now it’s for hip-hop fans, Underground hip-hop you could say... but we’ve had a lot of feedback saying, ’I don’t like rap, but I like this’. Suppose that’s cause of the accent, the relevance on the rhymes, and the fact that it’s rare and new to a lot of people. We’re not writing about things happening overseas and politics. It’s just us, and people seem to like it. Scottish people by nature are pretty negative, so your gonna get a lot of negativity... But at the end of the day, there’s a lot of unsigned talent out there.

What’s happening with the mixtape?

[Deeko] Nearly done. Its going to reach near the 80 minute mark, so there should be enough material for people to listen to until the next one.
[Werd] Yeah its coming soon, just gotta tie up some loose ends and we’re good to go get it pressed. We’ll keep you updated.

What’s next for Deeko and Werd?

[Werd] Keep the CD’s coming, gonna work with a lot of other Scottish artists. We kept the 1st mixtape just us apart from the production, so we’re gonna get a few tracks done with other MC’s in the scene that we’ve been waiting to work with. We’ve worked with Scottish beatmakers/producers aswell as one or two from oversea’s. Got a track on each of the Scotland Stand Up mixtapes and putting one down for a ’Scotland vs Norway’ mixtape (props to DJ Scuba Steve). Another Edinburgh Mc/Beatboxer Gizmo is doing a project with Vision, we got asked to jump on that aswell.
[Deeko] Recently we teamed up with Riddlah (from Edinburgh’s Dark Rumors) for a track called 'Betrayal’ so check that out. Next we’l look at more CD’s, shows and promoting the group. Hope to work with a few more Scottish artists, Mc’s and producers as Werd said. Got a few things lined up.

Anything else?

[Deeko] Yeah, buy our mixtape. Shout out to Dark Rumors. Plus thanx to everyone who produced for us on the mixtape. Big up to Chris Torres.
[Werd] Shout out to BDR, Chris Torres, and you guys for taking it over. All the other MC’s n beatmakers, mainly the guys we see at events! Could go on n on with names n leave someone out... but everyone that’s supporting Scottish Hip-hop keep doing it! You know we will.

Werd and Deeko

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