Manchester based MC Slay is the artist you need to have on your playlist right now. Slay has been in the music industry for many years, primarily as a grime artist, finding success as a teenager with Mayhem Crew in the early part of his career. Coming up on stations such as Channel U, Slay has been working diligently to make a name for himself. Hard work pays off and in December 2023 he inked a deal with RCA Sony. Charmaine McKoy talks to him over Zoom about crossing over to drum and bass and his infectious new single Kenny, a collaboration with the drum and bass duo Sigma.
Tell me about the beginning of your journey- when did you first start MCing?
A while ago now, I would say I was about early teens. I was thirteen or fourteen when I first started, and I was about seventeen when I entered a competition with EA Sports. They had a competition whereby if you won you would get your song on one of their games, I think it was FIFA at the time. So, we entered it, and I already had a lyric that referenced EA. I was already known in my local area because we used to go to all the local youth clubs. We won that competition, but the tune didn’t go on the game, they ended up paying for a music video for us which went on Channel U. At the time that was the thing, everyone wanted to be on Channel U. Coming from Manchester and being on Channel U which was mainly a London channel, I feel like that’s where my foundation started as an actual artist. From there I continued doing the same. It wasn’t social media like it is now. If you wanted to be known you had to go to where it was, so you had to go up and down the country linking (up with) different MCs and going to various youth clubs.
From there I just built my name through doing that and I linked up with a local producer called Chimpo. We became good friends, and we made grime music together. At that time, it was all grime music and Chimpo made a lot of everything, he was established in drum and bass, and he was already well known in the scene. I made a drum and bass song with him, and a guy called DRS who is also a legend in the scene. I ended up doing well off the back of that. I went to loads of places, performing in different countries. I met up with Bou who was already doing well for himself. We made Closer, and he put it out the next morning and before you knew it, it went viral.
How would you say Manchester has influenced your music?
I think it would be hard to come from Manchester and not be influenced by the city. I feel like everyone from Manchester feels like they are the city. So my music is heavily influenced by Manchester. I would say in Manchester we are very dedicated to integrity and about the style of music we make, and we stick to it. In London they know how to turn what they are doing in to a business. London is more business focused and in Manchester we are all about the music. I don’t think one is better than the other. It’s about the merging of both. I think everyone compares and I think in London they work a lot harder. In Manchester we think ‘yes, we are sick!’
You’ve been moving in to drum and bass. Would you say grime music is your first love?
Definitely. I fell in love with music through grime growing up as a kid. I think when you’ve been doing something from when you were young, as you get older you don’t resonate with it in the same way and the way drum and bass came about, I didn’t sit down and think I don’t like grime anymore, I want to do drum and bass. My mate just happened to make drum and bass music and the guy who featured on the song was already known in the scene and I believe in the universe and letting things happen. I had to take a step back and think, all these things are happening for me, just by coincidence, but really there’s no coincidence. I thought I’m going to follow it and see what happens. I just ended up falling in love with the music. I do like drum and bass. Everyone says I sound different on (the music) and I think it’s because I never really grew up listening to drum and bass which I think makes me unique, so I have a totally different take on it.
Out of all your songs, which would you say resonates with you the most?
I made a song with a guy called Sl8r and it’s called Vibing On my Own and I think that’s the one that resonates with me the most. I really like that song. It’s not the biggest song but that’s the one.
Is it deeply personal for you?
Yes, in terms of everything- the production of the song, we just had the instrumental playing and I fell in love with the instrument, the words I put on the song, the verses, the flow and how it makes me feel. So, overall, I would say it’s one of my favourite songs.
You’re now signed to RCA Sony which is exciting. What are your aims now you are working with a major label?
I’ve seen a gap with drum and bass whereby people say ‘oh I don’t listen to that’ so I think there is a (space) whereby if you make a good song, regardless of the genre, it’s a song. So, I want people to see that you can do drum and bass with a normal topic, you can be an artist rather than just being an MC or host and saying a few words. I think Kenny is like that.
Absolutely- your newly released single Kenny is with Sigma. How did the collaboration come about?
Off the back of Closer, Sigma just reached out and said let’s get in the studio and I’m not in the scene at all so on the way to see Sigma, the guy who was driving me, we went to the house, and he’s got a nice house so I’m like ‘where are we?’ ‘Why are we here?’ and he says, ‘bro do you know who you’re going to meet?’ I said, ‘yea a drum and bass guy.’ So, I realised it was Sigma! And when I got there it was totally organic, the sample was the first thing we played and it just clicked, it just worked. This is what I mean about coincidences- the song just naturally fell in to the label’s hands. I wasn’t saying ‘let’s reach out to the label and send it,’ it happened through a friend knowing someone and everything just fell into place.
The Sting sample on Kenny is such a classic and I think you’ve managed to really make it your own. It’s infectious. What has the response been like from people?
You know what, it’s funny. They say, ‘oh my gosh you stole Juice WRLD’s song!’ or, ‘oh Juice WRLD, Juice WRLD’ and I say, ‘do you not know it’s a sample?’ Anyone else who has mentioned the song say what you’ve just said that we’ve added to it rather than ruined it! I’d hate to use a sample and it not be good- it must be good.
I see from your Instagram that you have been in the studio with D Double E. Can you tell us anything about your collaboration with him?
It was special for me. Growing up I used to watch Channel U and all the grime videos, and this is what I mean about the stars aligning, in my head I think how has it happened that I’ve linked up with D Double E and I’m making drum and bass music? If you had told me that (I would be working with him) ages ago, I’d be thinking what are you talking about? It was good linking up and we just clicked. If I’m in the studio and even if I rate someone a lot and the vibe doesn’t click, we’re probably not going to make a good song. We ended up making a banger and Chimpo who got me in to drum and bass he produced the track as well. It makes it even more special to me, that tune meant a lot to me.
Are there artists who have given you guidance on your journey?
Absolutely. You’ve always got to be learning. No matter how good you think you are, you can always learn something. That’s what I mean, I cherish moments when I’m in the studio with certain artists. Also, it helps you gauge where you’re at. If you’re in the studio with someone like D Double E who is a veteran, and you see how they work and how you work.
It demonstrates how good you are as an artist.
Exactly. I don’t care what anyone says, you go in the studio and D Double E is coming in, you’ve got to put your heart in to it. It was good, we bonded, and I think we both did well on the track. I’m happy with the outcome.
I see you have toured in Canada, Romania and Prague. What was touring like?
It was amazing and eye-opening. Until you go out and do stuff like that you feel like the world is small and when you go out you realize that I can just be who I am anywhere and it’s a vibe. I thought that because they aren’t English, they might not connect with what I’m saying but if you’ve got a vibe then it’s just taught me that I can go anywhere, and people will connect. That’s the good thing about music.
Have you got any upcoming shows you can tell us about?
Some not confirmed just yet but I should be going to Prague again in July and some dates in September.
Here at THE REAL we will be looking out for updates and watching Slay’s career grow. It was a pleasure to speak to him and a special thank you to both Slay and Olivia Warnford-Davis at RCA Sony for arranging the interview.
Kenny by Slay X Sigma is out now.
Follow Slay on Instagram @manlikeslay
Check out ‘Kenny’ here:
