“As a collective we know the power we have”, says House of Pharaohs member Sam Wise.
It’s a confident statement from one sixth of rising south London troupe House of Pharaohs – but one that’s justified.
Together they are a tour de force of creativity, talent, attitude and direction.
They formed in 2014 as school friends and through mutual mates, with a love of music and art.
There may be six vocalists but House of Pharaohs is more than that. It’s a unique clique of musicians fusing fashion, graphic design and business.
It not hard to see why they’re rapidly making a name for themselves in the UK and beyond.
Members Kevin Taylor, Blaze, Danny Stern, Bandanna, AJ and Sam Wise generate a thrilling, genre-breaking sound that is free of labels.
House of Pharaohs own their sound and it deserves to be heard.
Even Frank Ocean is a fan. The Channel Orange icon played their track RWM (Run With Me) on his Blonded Radio show – adding to the hype.
And with sell out UK shows under their belt and a place on the stellar Great Escape line-up this May, House of Pharaohs are on one course – and that’s to the very top.
Daily Star Online caught up with Danny Stern, Kevin Taylor, Sam Wise and Bandanna to find out their influences, the south London roots, their style and their ultimate goal.
South London’s House of Pharaohs are a creative collective destined for the top
You’re a creative hip-hop collective from south London. How did you get together?
Danny Stern: “We are mutual friends that are on the same wavelength. It all fell into place.
“Eventually we had this energy and wanted to encapsulate it.”
When did House of Pharaohs become a proper project?
Kevin Taylor: “Some of us went to the same school together. Not everyone knew each other initially but half us us knew half of them.”
DannyStern: “ It was about 2014 when we started making strides to were we are now.”
Where would you say House of Pharaohs are right now artistically?
Sam Wise: “It’s been a steady increase, we’ve just been growing. We haven’t had a peak or a major spike from our graft but we’ve been learning more.
“We’ve had some experiences that weren’t the best and some experiences that were incredible.
“We had our tour at the end of last year, which was crazy. From every city there was love.
“This year we aim to communicate our ability to people who appreciate it because we feel we’re special people.
“As a collective we know the power we have. It’s about showcasing that and being motivated on our path that we’ve been going six years strong.”
Did you think there was a gap in the music scene for a collective like House of Pharaohs?
Sam Wise: “One thousand percent.”
DannyStern: “There’s definitely a gap. Whatever we’re doing now fills that. We’re not part of a scene. We’re not looking at what others are doing.
“Other people’s moves are not determining our moves. We just do what we are doing.”
There are six of you in the group. How do you come up with ideas and what process do you go through when making your music?
KevinTaylor: “It’s never forced. We just throw out ideas and whatever we create is what we create.”
DannyStern: “Theres no specific way to make music. There are so many different ways that we don’t even know. The key is being free in what you want to create.
“We don’t want to box ourselves in with a sound.”
Does that mean that when you meet up there are so many ideas floating around?
SamWise: “We are learning so much about our abilities as individuals. It’s about trying new methods.
“When you’ve got so many ideas how do you create one idea that we can communicate to people and be palatable?
“That’s one area we can improve on but one we will be working on as we progress, undoubtably.
“It’s about harnessing it so it’s digestible in a time when people’s attention spans are so small.”
You all grew up in London and are part of the city’s scene. How has it shaped you as people and artists, and has it influenced your music?
Bandanna: “I feel like there’s no particular topics we speak about. We try to represent south London.”
DannyStern: “Living in London, what we’ve been exposed to and our upbringing has shown us a different way of life.
“There are so many things that influence our music, whether it’s lifestyle or culture, or situations. It has shaped us.”
When growing up were you listening to anyone in particular?
KevinTaylor: “We were listening to everything. There was nothing our parents didn’t let us listen to. We were listening to MTV, Channel U. From N Dubz to J Lo to Michael Jackson.
“All of us have been exposed to different types of music.”
Bandanna: “To Ginuwine! All old school people.”
Are you always listening to music now? Do you find yourselves looking out for new things?
DannyStern: “100 percent. Music is timeless. There’s stuff that’s old that we’re discovering now.”
SamWise: “Music is infinite. We’ve got a shared conscious of music we listen to. Stuff like Smokey Robinson. We all appreciate it.
“There’s a genuine appreciation to art and to the world, that’s what runs through the veins of House of Pharaohs beyond to being classed as a hip-hop act.”
What are you making of the music being produced in the UK right now? Is it the best place to be?
KevinTaylor: “100%. It’s growing. It’s premature if you compare it to the US scene as they’ve been doing it an lot longer.
“It’s exciting and there are a lot artists trying to push boundaries and trying to challenge the status quo with sick ideas.”
Your track RWM (Run With Me) was played by Frank Ocean on his Blonded Radio show. Was that a stand out moment in your career?
Bandanna: “I feel like for us it was a big achievement in our career but it was so much like we have way more to accomplish.
“It wasn’t like ‘oh we’ve been on Blonded now we’re going to blow up”. We thought it was cool but what’s next?
“The group, as a collective and family, are always moving for the better purpose.
“We never get side tracked by a moment. Like ‘oh, so we’ve just completed a tour, we need to stop’. It’s a continuing progression.”
DannyStern: “We don’t want to live in one moment.”
You sold out the Village Underground in London as part of your last tour. What does that milestone mean to you as a collective?
Bandanna: “We’ve seen the growth.
“We weren’t surprised we got there that quick, it arrived at the right time. I don’t think we’ve done things too quick or too slow.”
You were part of the Great Escape First 50 shows at the end of 2019 and will be appearing at the Great Escape itself in May. What’s like to be chosen among the best artists in the UK and beyond right now?
DannyStern: “It was good. It was a good shout in the sense that you want to it put under your belt in terms of something you’ve done in your music career as an artist.
“I’m honoured to be a part of the first 50 and be part of the festival – we’re really looking forward to the festival.”
How would you describe the House of Pharaohs sound?
DannyStern: “I wouldn’t say there is one. We’re very free, versatile and eclectic.”
SamWise: “I feel like we’re known for our trap sound that’s American influenced but very UK, very London.”
KevinTaylor: “We’re all very versatile artists.”
What are House of Pharaohs working on next? What is your next material going to sound like?
KevinTaylor: “We’ve been working on a lot of new music. We’re stocking up and looking forward to tackling this festival season.”
Are you looking to collaborate with anyone in the future or are you happy producing solely within the collective?
DannyStern: “It’s definitely something we think about and if the right person comes around we would be open to the opportunity and the experience.
“There’s no one specifically that we would say, but we’re definitely open to it at the right time and when the right artist comes along.”
What does the next year have in store for House of Pharaohs? Is the a goal?
Kevin Taylor: “We’re going to keep our heads down and do as much as possible to get to the next level.
“This year we’re working and to do better than we did last year.
“If you reach goals then there’s another one to hit.
“We’ve achieved a lot. I feel like the set goal is to keep going and never give up.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
