CAP1TALA: The influence of an artist

Photographer: Mimi Kafilat, Interviewer: BT Osikoya, Stylist: Hanane Taoubi, Set Director: Tanasia Najae, Producer: Baba Osikoya

In music creativity knows no bounds and artists often find themselves on a quest for authenticity, striving to craft a sound that truly resonates with their core essence.

Think back to April 2015. The world was resonating with the release of rap connoisseur Tyler The Creator’s third studio album, “Cherry Bomb.” Struck by the influence of Odd Future’s prime mover is Samuel Alalade, now, better known by his stage name Cap1tala.

“I heard Cherry Bomb and started going back to Tyler’s old mixtapes. From there I was just like I want to make music like this guy - I want to be this guy,” says Cap1talA.

Reflecting on pivotal moments that sparked his artistic journey, Cap1talA provides a glimpse into the intricacies of his creative process - from the pressures of conforming to industry standards to the art of crafting beats that mirror his artistic vision.

Like his influences, Cap1talA produces his music and avoids neatly categorising his musical sound as ‘underground’ or ‘chill UK rap.' Rather, he describes his sound as a fusion of alternative Hip Hop and R&B.

But how did he get here?

Can you share more about how your musical influences shaped your sound?

While I was listening to Tyler, I discovered artists like Joey Bada$$. I bought notebooks and started writing rhymes. Throughout the next few years, I got more into 90s rap like Nas, Dr. Dre and Wu Tang, all of the old school artists in New York and East Coast Hip Hop.

How did you get your artist name?

It's a tribute to Capital Steez, a rapper from the Pro Era group Joey Bada$$ is a part of. Sadly, Steez took his own life in 2012. His music was about connecting to his spirit and I was moved by his messaging. I decided to honour him by adopting the start of his stage name, "Capital." The "A" in Cap1talA stands for my last name, Alalade. It's a way for me to pay homage to my roots and the artists who inspired me.

I'm curious about the MF Doom ring you're wearing. How did Doom influence your music, what role did he play in your early artistic development?

Ah, the MF Doom ring! I discovered MF Doom around the same time I discovered my other early influences. With Doom, his albums “Mm..Food” and “Madvillainy" particularly grabbed my attention. His storytelling inspired me to write more. MF Doom and artists like him were seeds in my artistic growth.

Dream collaborations can be a source of great inspiration. If you could collaborate with any artist, who would be your dream collaborator, both from the UK and beyond?

I have many too many to mention! From the UK, I'd have to say Knucks – his style resonates with me. I love Cleo Sol, her voice is amazing. Little Simz; her recent album, "No Thank You," is goated. Outside the UK, KAYTRANADA would be crazy to collaborate with, I’d love to hop on one of those beats. I'd also jump at the chance to work with A$AP Rocky.

Your journey took an interesting turn when you met your friend Jesse and began making music together. Could you share more about how that collaboration came about and how it influenced your creative direction?

Meeting Jesse was a pivotal moment in my journey. We crossed paths when I was 17, and although we didn't know each other well at the time, our shared love for the artists we listened to brought us together. Our friend Josh had a home studio, that's where it all began. We started recording, and it was history in the making. Collaborating with Jesse and the energy we shared pushed my creativity to new heights.

You even produce your own beats! How long did it take before you didn’t suck at producing and was happy with your work?

I started producing during sixth form when my friends Jesse and Josh taught me the basics of producing beats on FL Studio. They were trash at first. I remember sharing my beats with friends in the common room and they laughed at me, but I got so invested in it. It wasn't until I moved to London, where I started to find my sound. That's when I began producing my own shit because I was happy with it. “Summer Whining” was my first solo production release that gained traction. It’s been growth ever since.

What’s the mood of what you’re working on right now?

An EP with five songs in total. It's all about that love and past relationships. A collection of songs about each girl that I've met over the past few years. Most likely they haven't worked out. That's the recurring theme. It's different from what I've done in the past. I feel it's a good time for me to try something new. The EP is a whole story compiled into one project.

We grew up in Kent together but now you live in London. Could you share how growing up in Kent shaped your music and set you apart from artists in London?

I used to wish that I grew up in London as I thought I’d be making better music or would have had more connections by now. But now, for my personal journey, I've realised that Kent was instrumental in shaping who I am as an artist today. It’s a place unique to me and I wouldn't be Cap1talA today if I wasn't raised in Kent.

When I dropped my first mixtape, “High on Clouds,” for a UK rapper there's not a project you heard with those types of Lo Fi sounds. That came from Kent. It came from music I grew up on. What my mum and sister were playing in the car, what I was hearing from my friend or even just seeing the greenery across Kent’s landscape.

What impact has moving to London had on your career?

Kent started my journey in music but moving to London opened more doors, ideas and influence. The opportunity to perform at more shows played a huge part in the success I'm starting to have. Kent never provided me with ties into the industry.

London’s music scene often gravitates towards genres like drill. Do you feel pressure to make music that is trending such as drill?

In London, Drill is the number one thing, so there's definitely a pressure to make it. Some listeners felt that my recent release, “Paranoia,” had elements of Drill because of the cadence and the way the snare hits. But that was just me finding a sick sample and adding drums to it.

I think I'm smart enough to make something that is a hybrid of genres - Drill influence that keeps to the trendy sound but is still 100% me. Subconsciously, I tried to cater to people who like Drill music, but you have to have balance. I’m not trying to make trendy music just to earn money.

What challenges do you face in the studio and in the music industry?

In the studio, there are moments when I'm not inspired. The other day I made a beat but I didn't know what to say. Many artists can relate to that. I struggled for hours and became frustrated because I had this hard beat and no idea what to do with it. You end up feeling shit.

With music in general, one of the greatest challenges is staying authentic and not just creating something you’ve heard or seen someone else create. I’ve heard a trendy sound or a song that was catchy and tried to emulate it. But the lyrics I'm rapping were not me. I’ve removed songs from Spotify because I realised it's not me. It's becoming harder for me to release music because there's that pressure.

How do you deal with the pressure?

I have to make something that's better, but at the same time, I feel like I shouldn't be thinking that way. I have friends who keep me in check and tell me not to overthink it. That's so important and that's how I deal with it.

Your father’s passing in 2020 must have had a profound impact on your life and artistry. Could you share how this experience changed your perspective on both music and life as a whole?

It's shaped my music for the better over the years. It's made it more sensitive, vulnerable and open. Just a few weeks after he passed, I created the song Dear Dad as an addition to my debut mixtape “High on Clouds.” Dear Dad is now the most streamed song on that mixtape. The experience stripped any filters I had and allowed me to express how I truly feel on a track.

As cliche as it sounds, with life in general - live it to the fullest - just go for it. You don't know how long you’re here for, life’s short. All of that shit.

All of your visuals have been great. Walk us through the creative process behind the visuals of a “Paranoia” and “Summer Whining.” What are the collaborative efforts that bring them to life?

It's a long process but first of all it takes a good song to bring out all of these ideas. But shooting is all about teamwork. I worked with a team of 10 to 15 people on both of those shoots. It’s about keeping to the timings and the schedule for the day. Sharing the vision with the team so that we can achieve something that they’re happy with and most importantly, that I'm happy with.

For “Summer Whining” and “Paranoia,” I worked with Adom, a director for Memo Approved, the production company that brought these visuals to life. I remember going to Adom’s house at least three or four times after meeting up with him at university to work on the videos. It all came down to what we can show people to make them feel immersed in the sound. Everything, from the shots to the colour grading, lighting and references.

There were so many revisions with Paranoia because I wasn't happy with the first draft. I wasn't even happy with the fifth draft. Eventually I was happy with the final cut.

Your journey involved balancing your studies in Animation at university with your passion for music. What advice would you offer to others wanting to do the same?

I remember I was talking to my boy John who I worked with. I told him I might struggle going into my final year balancing music and university. He told me just go for it because if I can't do that how am I going to do anything.

If you can balance your university degree and something that you're pursuing on the side, that's your passion. If you can balance those two, I feel like you can do anything.

That's so real.

Yeah, when I heard that, I was like damn - let me actually try to do this, and I've done it. The hard thing about it is finding the time to balance the two and giving both my best.

My music is starting to pop off properly now. When I dropped Paranoia it became even harder for me to balance university as I was putting more energy into music.

How much of a factor is the budget in the making of these videos?

Budget isn't a factor because I'm working with friends. I pay them, but we all want to do it for the experience and because it's going to look good. So budget isn't usually an issue. At the end of the day it's all about doing the work because we enjoy it.

What are your thoughts on the influence of social media on the music industry? What role has it played in your journey as an emerging artist and do you think about TikTok before making a song?

100%. And I was never doing that. It's sad because there's pressure now. The influence is crazy so I capitalise off the moment and make something out of it. It's tough because if I never previewed my song on TikTok it wouldn't have done as well as it is now.

Right now, it's crazier than ever. If people are blowing up on TikTok because of their songs, then so be it. Make something that you think people might hear. But don't stick to that. It’s good to utilise what's happening right now. Build loyalty from people who might find you from there and keep them forever.

How do you handle criticism or negative feedback on your music?

Recently I've been handling it well. Sometimes it's one of those cases where you have to put your ego aside. For me criticism comes from the people who I love or who I'm close to. It might not be something that I want to hear but I realise it’s from love, and them wanting me to be better than I am right now. It's hard but I'm starting to take it better.

What's the message or feeling you want listeners to take away from your music?

Take away something that you can relate to for your own life. If it’s negative, take away something that you relate to within that negativity and reflect on it within your own life to then make you positive, if that makes sense.

It makes sense

If I'm going to keep it real in my tracks, then it's there to get people who love my music to relate to it and feel something. That's a core aspect of my music.

CAP1TALA'S NEW SINGLE "SOMETHING ABOUT US" IS OUT NOW ON ALL STREAMING PLATFORMS. HIS DEBUT EP IS EXPECTED LATER THIS YEAR, 2023.

CREDITS:

Photography: Mimi Kafilat

Interviewer: BT Osikoya

Stylist: Hanane Taoubi

Set Director: Tanasia Najaé

Producer: Baba Osikoya