Knucks is very online
Bringing an old-school approach to sampling on more contemporary genres like drill and trap, Knucks has a singular place in UK rap. His willingness to blend different influences is reflected in his varied musical background: making Grime beats on a demo version of Loopy Fruits as a kid, paying homage to American rapper Nas with 2014’s Killmatic mixtape and collaborating with the likes of Wretch 32 and Oscar #Worldpeace on last year’s NRG 105.
Today marks the release of his anticipated single “Jubilee”. On the track Knucks reflects on hitting the quarter of a century mark, layering his flow over old-timey brass and crackling, retro audio. And he’s not the only rapper we hear from, as “Jubilee” also features a sample of Stormzy shouting out his favourite up-and-coming UK artists during a Glastonbury performance.
To celebrate the single’s release, and for a bit of guidance on what to do with all our extra time online, we slid into Knucks’ Instagram DMs. Stay tuned for meme recommendations and a definitive answer to whether there’s an unofficial TikTok age limit…
@hungermagazine: What’s your earliest Internet memory?
@knucks_music: Limewire. There were a few times where I’d tried to download the Screw Face & Stimpy beat only to hear a Bill Clinton vocal saying “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” Disappointing.
@hungermagazine: What are your five most-used emojis?
@knucks_music: Okay, crying, spud, wave and smirk.
@hungermagazine: Has your screen time increased since self-isolation lockdown?
@knucks_music: Not really, only increases when I’m releasing new music.
@hungermagazine: You’ve switched to private mode on Spotify: what are you listening to?
@knucks_music: NSG – “Trust Issues”, Ragz Originale – “Jennifer”, Brent Faiyaz – “Rehab”, Rachelle Ferell – “Waiting”, Mojo – “Lady”
@hungermagazine: What’s your favourite meme?
@hungermagazine: Have you ever been blocked?
@knucks_music: Yeah, once, that I know of. LOL
@hungermagazine: Last person you stalked on IG?
@knucks_music: Steven Harrington, he’s an artist and designer from LA.
@hungermagazine: Is there such a thing as being too old for TikTok?
@knucks_music: For the thirst trappers yeah, there’s an age limit, but for people just making family-friendly TikToks nar.
@hungermagazine: What’s your most-used app?
@knucks_music: Twitter at the moment. It’s just proper funny LOL
@hungermagazine: What’s the longest you can go without being on your phone?
@knucks_music: A week, when my phone was broken one time. Felt weird tbh.
@hungermagazine: Thanks for speaking to us! 🥰
Follow Knucks over on IG (our most-used app) at @knucks_music. Check out his latest single “Jubilee” below.
