The Red Bulletin December 2020 (UK)

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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
“Americans would say, ‘I love when you [Brits] talk, but when someone’s rapping I can’t take you serious. I feel like you eat crumpets and drink tea all day’”
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The Red Bulletin December 2020 (UK)

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