Oscar #Worldpeace Delivers Infectious Grooves on "Mmm" Ft. Ragz Originale & BenjiFlow
The lead single off the Tottenham artist’s debut album.
Hailing from Tottenham, wordsmith Oscar #Worldpeace has become one of the UK’s most auspicious up-and-comers through his unconventional approach to the borough’s fruitful music scene. The Mike Skinner protégé has undoubtedly eschewed the boundaries of those put in place before him, offloading highbrow flows and in-your-face realism that traverses the locale’s hip-hop, garage, grime, and R&B sounds.
After dropping off his acclaimed project Recluse in 2017 and his IC3 EP in 2018, he’s been hard at work on his forthcoming debut album, Sporadic, set to drop on May 8. Today, Oscar delivers his latest music video for the album’s lead single, “Mmm,” tapping fellow Mini Kingz heavyweights Ragz Originale and BenjiFlow for the groove-heavy anthem.
Exercising his unflinching talent, “Mmm” continues to prove that Oscar is an artistic force to be reckoned with. Filled with a murky, grime-meets-dub low-end, Oscar delivers a slew of nonchalant one-liners alongside an impeccably-catchy hook. Longtime collaborators Ragz Originale and BenjiFlow equally offload snappy bars, livening up the uptempo tune with their own unmistakable flair.
Oscar #Worldpeace recently joined HYPEBEAST to speak on the creative process behind “Mmm,” the track’s visual, as well as his debut album, Sporadic.
Can you share a bit about the track’s inception and meaning, as well as its place within Sporadic?
“Mmm” was originally me & Ragz. He finished working on the beat, then we started bouncing ideas on flows until that stuck. He left the studio to get food and by the time he came back I had the hook and my verse done. We played it the next day to Benji at Ragz’s video shoot and he went mental. Benji insisted that he had to be on the track. A couple days later his verse and the track was done. “Mmm” was going to be the 2nd track on my album, but it didn’t feel like track 2, “Ooo” is basically my response to “Mmm” and they’re both onomatopoeias.
How does the track’s visual tie into this?
From the beginning of my career, I’ve always been a visual person. I understand the importance of visuals. I believe that videos are what makes an artist’s supporters stay with them. It’s your chance to show where you’re from, who your friends are and what you wear! And that’s what the “Mmm” video is all about. It’s London, it’s Mini Kingz, it’s Places + Faces, it’s who we are!
What kind of influences and inspirations have you tapped into for your debut full-length — what can fans expect on May 8?
I wanted to make something my friends & family can play. Some may say there’s grime, garage, jazz, dub, ’90s hip-hop throughout the album and others might not know what to call it, because there are new moments on there too, but I hope it inspires and brings some joy into new and old Oscar #Worldpeace supporters.