The Red Bulletin December 2020 (UK)

Stefflon Don
When British rapper Stefflon Don arrived
on the scene in 2016, heads were turned.
Her flow on the debut mixtape Real Ting
was seamless, with lyrics that blended
Jamaican patois, East London slang and
US hip hop references. And, in contrast
to the down-to-earth attitude of most UK
rap, she presented herself as glamorous
and brazen, a superstar in the making.
In November that year, she was
longlisted in the BBC’s newcomer poll
Sound of 2017. Four months later, she
signed a £1.2m deal with a major label,
and in August 2017 her single Hurtin’
Me, with US rapper French Montana,
reached number seven in the UK Singles
Chart. Since then, the 28-year-old – real
name Stephanie Allen – has won MOBO
and NME Awards; worked with artists
including Sean Paul, Nile Rodgers, Charli
XCX, Skepta, Drake and Mariah Carey;
and in 2018 became the first British
artist ever to make legendary US hip hop
magazine XXL’s annual Freshman List.
Born in Birmingham to Jamaican
parents, the rapper moved with her
family to Rotterdam in the Netherlands
when she was five, before settling back
in the UK – in Hackney – at 14. As a
result, Stefflon Don’s music is a blend of
dancehall, grime, R&B and house, her
rhymes incorporating influences from
London, Jamaica, Holland and America.
She says that growing up among
different cultures opened her mind and
broadened her music and, in that sense,
is the secret to her success.
THE RED BULLETIN: You have an
unmistakable East London snarl, but
you also use Jamaican patois and US
slang. You even rap in Dutch...
STEFFLON DON: That’s because of my
diverse upbringing. I spent most of my
childhood in Rotterdam. People there
speak American English, and I grew up
in a Jamaican household. On top of that,
I had White friends, Turkish friends,
Moroccan friends. People are really
accommodating there, so I’d learn a lot
about their cultures, about their
traditions, their food, their music.
What were the musical influences you
picked up there?
So, Holland used to control Suriname
[the South American country was
under Dutch rule between 1667 and
1975] and the Surinamese culture has
a heavy influence in Rotterdam – similar
to the influence of Jamaican culture
in London. The language they speak [in
Suriname] is a mix of Spanish, French,
Dutch and English. Growing up there,
I used to listen to Surinamese songs all
the time; we’d also use their slang words.
I think it even left a mark on my
pronunciation: I was in Spain the other
day and some locals thought I was from
there. I’m not even fluent in Spanish!
Do you think being fluent in Dutch has
had an impact on your rapping skills?
Definitely. When I’m speaking Dutch,
I talk really fast. Because of that, I’m
quick on the tongue when I rap. That
was a big advantage when I started out.
You’re known for your eclectic musical
style – on your new mixtape, Island
54, you even add Afrobeats to the
mix. Wouldn’t music executives rather
you stick to one thing so you don’t
overwhelm your fanbase?
Well, I feel like there are certain artists
you can put on any track – whether it’s
a Latin track or a slow jam or an
alternative song – because their voice is
like an instrument. They hold a certain
sound through their voice, and I feel
like I’ve got that. On my next single, I’m
actually speaking Yoruba [a language
spoken mostly in West Africa]. I think
the audience is going to be shocked –
it’s totally different again. But, for me,
this is something that I’ve always been
experimenting with. As an artist, I just
feel so free.
Two years ago, you made history as
the first UK artist to be named on XXL
magazine’s Freshman List. Do you
think your global perspective is the
reason the US audience has embraced
you more than other UK MCs?
Definitely! I feel only now Americans are
more accepting of the British accent on a
rap track. Before that, it was like, “I love
when you guys talk, but when someone’s
rapping I can’t take you serious. I feel
like you eat crumpets and drink tea all
day.” Literally, that’s what they would
say to me! But when they heard my
songs, they’d always say, “OK, so you
don’t really sound that British.” And
again, that comes from growing up in
Holland, where I used to speak American
English. Rapping with a real British
accent was actually a challenge for me
in the beginning.
That reminds me of something your
brother, drill artist Dutchavelli, said
in a recent interview about your
family moving back to the UK from
Rotterdam: “I had an accent and there
58 THE RED BULLETIN