I had a chat with Bashy a week ago for an interview preview of the hip hop theatre show, Markus The Sadist, in which Bashy plays the lead character, it's currently touring the UK and I'll be heading down to the Bloomsbury Theatre on October 19 to check it out.
Here's the Metro preview and the full transcript of our chat is in the post below.
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Bashy
‘Not many people know that I did acting before music: I went to Brit School and studied acting for two years, I love it,’ says rising Brit-rapper Bashy.
The night after the MOBOs in Scotland, where he’s nominated in the Album and UK Act categories, Bashy begins a 16-date UK tour in the lead role of Markus The Sadist, a play conceived by hip-hop theatre trailblazer Jonzi D.
Markus The Sadist uses theatre, dance and music (Bashy describes it as a ‘hip hop piece’) to chart the trials and tribulations of a young British rapper, who is presented with tough choices (such as adopting an American accent and feigning gang allegiance) to progress his blossoming career.
‘It follows the journey of a young man and how far someone is prepared to go in order to achieve his goals, and delves into the world of hip hop and grime. We also show the path of underground hip hop in Britain and where it’s going,’ he explains.
Bashy’s one of the hardest working rappers in Britain, and three years of relentless hustling is bearing ripe fruit. As a result Bashy’s brought real life experience into mix: ‘That’s the beauty of it - Jonzi, I and the cast have developed the piece through coming up with ideas and workshoping them, so it’s grown since we got involved,’ he explains in a break from rehearsals.
Bashy’s sees Markus The Sadist as an example of Britain’s old school hip-hop community working with the new school and how homegrown hip hop is blossoming: ‘Jonzi’s passionate about hip-hop - he’s one of the original hip hoppers in Britain and has a real sense of Britishness. I haven’t seen the older and younger generation really bridge the gap and chat and we need a connected scene that works properly. It’s thriving right now’
Markus The Sadist tours the UK until October 31st. Dates here
