Emirati rapper and hip-hop star EZOW, who grew up in Dubai, may be sunshine-averse, preferring to work in a dark room while making music, but he is the quintessential antidote to the usual rapper stereotype. He isn’t dark or somber, and like most rappers, he isn’t some rabid party animal who believes that profanity-fuelled lyrics are the way to make an impression.
Read the full story here: https://gulfnews.com/entertainment/music/watch-the-rise-of-emirati-rapper-ezow-in-dubai-as-he-talks-chris-brown-career-and-life-choices-1.99904269
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Read the full story here: https://gulfnews.com/entertainment/music/watch-the-rise-of-emirati-rapper-ezow-in-dubai-as-he-talks-chris-brown-career-and-life-choices-1.99904269
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00:00I would say it took time to perfect the skill, but to be taken seriously,
00:03I think that ever since the get go, I've been taken seriously.
00:07I feel like music does not have, let's say, a race or gender or anything like that.
00:12You know what I'm saying? It's just something everybody listens to.
00:17You can start with your performance in Dubai.
00:21You know, what are your thoughts on performing in front of a live crowd?
00:24That must be like your highlight, right?
00:26It feels great, actually, to perform and actually show off my talent and my music.
00:30I'm very happy and even looking forward to the next one, too.
00:33How did we come up with the stage name?
00:35I had the inspiration when I was young from the rapper Eazy-E,
00:40and you can tell where it came from here.
00:42I liked his style. I liked his gloves and, you know, black jackets and stuff like that.
00:46So, you know, I felt related, I would say.
00:49It's one of the most unconventional professions that you can think of,
00:53which you have embarked on. Was that challenging?
00:56Did it take you time to be taken seriously?
00:59I would say it took time to perfect the skill, but to be taken seriously,
01:02I think that ever since the get go, I've been taken seriously.
01:06I feel like music does not have, let's say, a race or gender or anything like that.
01:12You know what I'm saying? It's just something everybody listens to.
01:14So, I mean, it is. I mean, yes, it is.
01:16It is kind of new around these parts, but I feel like within time,
01:20more talents will start to develop and stuff like that.
01:23There's always the stereotypes about rappers.
01:25We come from a region that's sensitive, perhaps, and we can't push the envelope so much.
01:29So is that restricting or is that how you want to?
01:33I mean, you realize you're living in the UAE and perhaps
01:36your music also reflects those cultural sensitivities.
01:40I think that it all depends on what type of message you're trying to shoot across.
01:45You know, if your message has, I say, like you say, profanity or whatever it is,
01:48then I don't think you'll be able to last anyways anywhere in the world,
01:52not only the Middle East.
01:53I feel like if you have a positive message that you're trying to deliver a story,
01:57an inspiration for younger people, the youth or whatnot,
02:01then it becomes a different goal and a different mission, you know?
02:04So and then it becomes like, hey,
02:06the country or wherever I'm from is not the problem anymore.
02:09It's like, hey, this is not like, you know, the boundaries.
02:12Because ever since I've entered, everybody has been very supportive of me,
02:16including my country.
02:17So I haven't had any, you know, ups and downs.
02:20Because then again, my message is positive.
02:22So that's what it is.
02:23What are the biggest misconceptions surrounding rap?
02:27And how do you hope your work will shatter it?
02:30I think that then again, it all goes back to the last question you asked me,
02:33is that, you know, kind of you look at it as your rap has profanity
02:37and it's vulgar and whatnot.
02:38And I think that maybe that's the message that I'm trying to convey,
02:41that not all rap is like that.
02:43And then again, not all music is like that.
02:45And I would like to introduce my music as not rap, but as just music.
02:50You know, something you want to listen to and how you feel.
02:52How do I make you feel when you listen to it?
02:54Do you feel good? Do you feel bad? Am I offending you?
02:56Then there again, it comes to, hey, is this music good or not good or whatnot?
03:01But then again, not all music is the same.
03:03When you think of origins of rap music, there's always conflict.
03:07There's always identity crisis.
03:08There's racism.
03:09There's a lot in the West at least.
03:11When it comes to this region, what are the central themes
03:14that you like to weave in into your songs and your work?
03:17For me, my message entirely.
03:19Before the rap had this and that.
03:20But then again, we're in a different age right now from back then, you know.
03:24I feel like even in the West, racism before was way much more than right now.
03:28So even now, I feel like we've taken the good side of music and rap.
03:32And the message that I try to convey my music is that in the end,
03:36if you work hard and believe in your dreams, you'll make it.
03:39And, you know, I don't think you should have any limits, you know,
03:42you should keep going and break every barrier that's put possible by anything.
03:47Concrete Jungle is one of your defining albums as well.
03:50Perhaps you can tell us about it.
03:52My EP Concrete Jungle is, I feel like I meant it as an introduction
03:56of what I have gone through to get to where I am right now.
03:59All the, you know, obstacles, the speed bumps, because, you know,
04:02nothing is very easy to get to, you know, everything is tough
04:05and you have to work hard and, you know, believe in what you, you know, what you got.
04:09So I think Concrete Jungle is that message, you know, of me.
04:12Hey, I had to go to one, two, three, four, five and necessary to get to where I am.
04:17And that is my EP, the introduction of Ezo.
04:20What kind of struggles are we looking at, Ezo?
04:22Music generally, like you said, is a new thing that's happening around us.
04:26Maybe that's that's that would be called struggle.
04:28Not not that everybody was, let's say, hating or none of that.
04:32It's more of trying to open a new path or a new door.
04:35I think that's considered struggle for me or having to build something out of nothing
04:39or trying to dig on concrete is a tough thing.
04:42You know, when there is when there is a surface and it's very hard
04:46and you try to dig something new, you know, that's what it is.
04:48Do you feel like a star, Ezo?
04:50I don't really think so just yet.
04:52I feel like I still have way more I want to achieve.
04:54You know, just for me to be like, you know what?
04:56Now I am a star, but I feel like I'm just getting started.
04:59What's the songwriting process like?
05:01Do you like write, you know, how does it work?
05:03Just run me through it.
05:04I try to see how I feel at the moment.
05:07Usually I'm a kind of moody guy.
05:08So I would say like, hey, I feel like, you know, doing something uptempo
05:12or something like that.
05:12And then I would maybe listen to a couple of beats or start writing my songs.
05:17And that's about it.
05:18You know, I feel like it's very tough to tell you like how it starts,
05:21but usually just starts with them with an intention, I would say.
05:25What would you like your legacy to do?
05:27Are you thriving on collaborations?
05:29Because everybody these days, unless you collaborate with an A-lister,
05:33I'm not even sure if how relevant, you know, how soon can you attain
05:37instant stardom kind of thing. Do you believe that?
05:39I think that collabs are a good thing.
05:41They're a healthy thing, but they're not the only way forward.
05:45I think that they're necessary. Sure, they're good.
05:48I would love to collaborate with other people, for example,
05:50people that are also trying to shine or people that are also trying to go big.
05:53But if I want to believe that, hey, I have to do it with somebody
05:56that's already big for me to get big, I don't believe in that. I'm sorry.
05:59Out of all the songs that you wrote and performed,
06:02what would you say was like challenging one that you are not sure if it was,
06:06but it did, et cetera, which one would it be and why?
06:09Probably be Celebrate. I released Celebrate not too long ago.
06:13I think Celebrate for me is just
06:16it had a different message of, yo, I need to take a break.
06:18That's that's you know what I'm saying?
06:19But I guess the Capricorns don't take a break.
06:22So for me, I was not sure about should I put this one out, should I not?
06:26I had the back and forth talk with my manager.
06:27Should we put this out?
06:29But yeah, we did. And I'm glad everybody liked it.
06:31What do you think of the Dubai fans of yours or the UAE fans?
06:35Do they really get you or are you trying to like, how does it work?
06:39How do how have you gauged them?
06:41To be honest with you, I've gotten so I've gotten so much genuine
06:44like love from them, I cannot even explain it to you.
06:46You know, it's kind of like falling in love.
06:48It's like I cannot explain it.
06:49It's just there and it's really strong and amazing.
06:52So I really cannot explain.
06:53But then again, yeah, Dubai fans are my favorite because they're my people.
06:56So I'll always go back to them in the end.
06:59So how far I go up, I'll always come to them.
07:01How do you filter the hate?
07:03I mean, that's a part being on social media must get you love and some trolls.
07:08I just don't waste a lot of time on my social medias,
07:11unless if I'm going to respond, for example, I pop and there is a say,
07:14for example, 10 love comments and one hate comment.
07:17I'll respond to the 10 and not look even at the one.
07:21I think that, yeah, I just don't want to burn my time or my energy
07:24trying to see exactly what they're trying to say or what they do.
07:26I just keep them to the side.
07:28You know, everybody got to do what they got to do.
07:31Is it you also the, you know, goodwill ambassador for ending malnutrition?
07:36Is that your way of paying it forward?
07:39If I wanted to just make music, then it will be a message, like I said.
07:42But trying to fight corruption and diseases and hunger and all world
07:47hunger is really, I feel like a goal that I would really love to achieve.
07:51But, you know, it's not that's not easy, like they say.
07:53But hopefully, hopefully by the upcoming years, we will be able to spread
07:57as much awareness and maybe spread peace around the world.
07:59We're also trying to spread positivity.
08:01It's not just about music.
08:02It's just also trying to make the world better.
08:04I'm excited to perform at Coco Arenas.
08:06I feel like I feel like I've dreamt about it when I was a kid.
08:10And it's kind of like a deja vu feeling.
08:12You know, it's like when you kind of imagine and you dream about you being
08:16something and then it's kind of starting to happen, it really feels good.
08:19If it feels not, I would say feels really like weird, but it's good.
08:22You know, I want to approach the arena always in a humble way.
08:25I don't want to too off of myself or something like that.
08:27I want to be humble and I want to appreciate, appreciate the gift
08:31that I that I got or appreciate the spot that I'm in so that then again, it draws
08:35and creates more inspiration for everybody around.
08:38That's that's that's what I feel.
08:40So I don't want to take on it like, hey, I'm going to cook.
08:43I'm very happy to be there and I'm very humble to be there.
08:45That's that's that's all I got to say.