Finding exceptional up-and-coming talent can definitely be included in the list of life’s little joys. On that note, allow us to introduce you to Motive105, the West London rapper who has his eyes set squarely on creative fulfilment.
The journey for Motive105 so far has been a case of opening doors at the right time. Beginning his musical journey during the lockdown, dropping his debut EP ‘The Drive Downtown: Part One’ back in 2021, he used the project to narrate his experiences navigating intimate connections with those closest to him. In ‘Conversation with Kings’, he spits bars about brotherly love and the importance of being present, on his single ‘No Secrets’ opens up about sharing a life with his lover and being vulnerable in their understanding of each other through a blend of soulful instrumentals and contemplatively layered lyricism.
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Being a musician wasn’t always the priority, initially, he founded a label and was happy with playing in the background “As I started talking to A&R and showing them cuts or music, they would say it’s stupid to not pay yourself attention.” After sharing ‘D.R.O.P’, the first single from his forthcoming EP ‘The Undeniable Run’ – projected for an October release, it became unmistakably clear that Motive105 can move between soulful R&B and rap with great ease. The ‘D.R.O.P’ single arrived with a slick video inspired by Guy Ritchie’s ‘Snatch’, scattering hints at what’s to come, both for Motive105 and the community that surrounds him.
“As an independent artist, there’s so much emphasis on the music that people don’t always put enough emphasis on being able to create the space around the music”. He connects with music as the core and focal point for his creativity but for Motive105 visuals are an essential component to the realisation of his vision. He classes himself as an artist as well as a musician. “That’s the whole thing about being a creative, the sole purpose is to not box yourself in. Once people have a perspective on what they like about you, they run with it and they want you to continuously do that. It’s our job to be rebellious towards that.”
With no desire to limit his range, both conceptually and stylistically, he points to his son’s birth as an awakening, leading him to reflect on his relationship with his father and the world around him, dissecting his perspectives on the communities he was positioned in whilst growing up. “People like me for different reasons. Some people like me because they see me in the playground with my children, some people like me because I go gym, some people like me because of my music. I don’t want to box myself into a place where I can only be liked from one avenue”.
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A principle he stays open and true to. Motive105 can easily be included in the realm of the multi-hyphenates, his creative pursuits outside of music include a merch line with cult status and the soft launch of a production company later this year with a short film that he is not only writing but acting in as well. “The film and the soundtrack is essentially a love letter to my woman, it comes from a real place and it’s not essentially always a good place. It comes from pain, it comes from grief, it comes from resentment, it comes from love, it comes from growth.”
Taking on the responsibility of a team of fifteen people can be a daunting task for some but for Motive105, it’s nothing that the right mind-state can’t tackle. “I manage it solely through good work. The premise of us being together and us building a production company is to set an example of good work. I can easily be chasing the quicker route, but I’m not going to be at peace with it when I look back, and I want to be at peace with everything I look back on, the same for the team, I want everyone to look back on themselves like, Wow, okay, we’re much better now.”
Creative growth and experimentation are something that he places a great deal of value on “All careers should be sporadic in terms of ideas and moments of inspiration. It shouldn’t, it shouldn’t be solely towards one thing. There are pockets where you’re completely obsessed with one part of work, but you ultimately come to a point where because you’re creative, and because your mind is thinking so many different things you divert. I want this work to change the view of the next work and so on. So that a new conversation is started. Because that’s what we are, we’re conversation starters.”
Despite the year being more than halfway done, Motive105 still has big plans for 2022 with his new single ‘F.I.R.E’ released on September 7th and a place supporting Kojey Radical on tour this November it’s clear that he’s quickly approaching a major tipping point in his musical career, one that’s followed by a great deal of creative recognition and the thrilling expansion of his capabilities as a musician.
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