Master Peace Leads Us Through His Fave Pop Bangers
And yes, 'Untouched' is in there.
A couple of years ago, London’s Master Peace declared: “I’m what a rock star looks like.”
“I live, breath, eat and shit this music thing,” he told NME. “People who call me a grime rapper are wrong, I’m a rock star.”
It’s hard to argue with him: Master Peace is making a career out of defying expectations and genres. His tracks run from rap to punk to pop and back again, taking in influences like No Doubt, Fleetwood Mac, Wu-Tang, Biggie, Big L, and Nirvana.
“One minute, I might sing an indie love song or some surfer rock and then it might transition into chaotic punk and hood raps,” he told NME. “You’ll never be able to predict what’s coming next and you’re either going to fucking love it or fucking hate it, like Marmite, but so long as you feel something, I’ve done my job!”
There aren’t many rappers out there that would call No Doubt one of their favourite bands, for example. That’s largely what makes Master Peace such a relentless exciting artist — that, and his magnetic onstage presence, which has seen him gather a sizeable following back in his hometown. This Friday, June 18, he’ll drop his new EP Public Display of Affection, which follows frenetic singles like ‘PDA’, and the just-released ‘Slow Slong’, featuring fellow London rapper Kasien.
We grabbed some time with the artist to chat through his five favourite pop tracks of the last few years — and then of all time, because why not? Dive in, and catch his EP later this week.
Dua Lipa — ‘Be The One’
This song made me realise that I wanted to be a musician because it made me feel a way that I had never felt about a song.
Bakar — ‘Something I Said’
I was going through a break up at the time and this song answered all the questions for me in my head in to why I wanted things to work out with me and her but the things that were stopping it too, Bakar really painted a picture for me.
Dominic Fike — ‘West Coast Collective’
This song and it’s heavy guitars really made me feel like a rockstar every time I heard it. I was in a writer’s block phase when I first heard it and it then got me writing again.
Clairo — ‘Bags’
Emotional song! Hits every time I listen to it and it’s so beautifully written.
Cityboymoe — ‘City’s On Fire’
This song again really connected with me on a spiritual level and made me think about the world we are living in and Moe makes it worth the listen with his warm voice all over the tune.
Five All-time Faves
Fleetwood Mac — ‘Little Lies’
The backing vocals, the structure the whole lot really makes me wanna scream cause it’s a brilliant well-written pop song.
The Veronicas — ‘Untouched’
That song will always be my favourite songs, bring me back to a certain time in life! The production on it is another level, so much nostalgia.
Nelly Furtado — ‘Say It Right’
One of my favourite songs ever, pop music wouldn’t be what it is without songs like that it gives me the same nostalgic feeling and it has the melancholy sound to it that makes you feel different emotion throughout the song.
Justin Timberlake — ‘Love Stoned/I Think That She Knows’
Justin Timberlake is where I got my love for music from, him and that whole era was so Elite. Especially this song and how the breakdown of “I think that she knows” brings the indie guitars and feeling to a whole other level, up there with my all-time favs.
No Doubt — ‘Don’t Speak’
This was the first record I had listened to religiously as a kid because it made me happy and sad at the same time it’s like it was the first time I felt a way about a song and I didn’t want the song to end, I think now in current music you don’t really get that so I think that’s why I connected with it so hard.
Public Display of Affection is out this Friday via EMI.
Photo via Master Peace Facebook