Q&A: Supermann on Da Beat
Supermann on Da Beat is a Scottish disabled South Asian music producer bringing a blend of influences, across genres to create unique tracks without borders. Blending production from rock bands like Nirvana with artists like JID, Lil Peep, XXXTENTACION, Kanye West, Scarlxrd & Nas to bring a fresh perspective to the UK scene.
He's had a meteoric rise in Scotland’s hip-hop scene since teaching himself production skills by watching YouTube videos during the pandemic. His prodigious output has seen him collaborate with artists around the world including CHEF THE RAPPER, Kapil Seshasayee, Viv Latifa, Genesis Elijah, Grim Sickers, Mic Righteous, as well as US based KruddTheGuru & Rockie Fresh.
This week sees the release of his debut spoken word EP ‘Breathe’, we caught up with Sanjeev to find out all about it, as well as more about his accessibility advocacy in Scottish music venues, and dream collaborations.
Your debut spoken word EP 'Breathe' featuring the track 'Fight For Our Freedom' is out this week, can you tell us a bit more about it?
'Fight For Our Freedom' is a track about societies unconcsious bias towards disabilities as well as the need to collectively move as one to make change. I believe that to really make change we need unity and collaboration to learn from each other.
Lyrically the track goes deep on the continuous fight for freedom against the power & greed that surrounds us at all levels of government around the world. It’s a protest song at its heart & it’s a clear sign that we as a global collective don’t plan on stopping our pursuit for global freedom. ‘FIGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM’ represents a movement, the need for change & a turning point in our approach & perception of disability.
Sonically, the single combines trap, punk & metal elements together to bring a new sound & is inspired by artists like Rage Against the Machine, Linkin Park, Scarlxrd & XXXtentacion. I really love blending genres & this is an example!
You are very well known in Glasgow and Scotland for your work with Hip Hop Scotland, as well as being an activist for disabled artists and accessibility issues in venues (and in the music industry in general), in your last AOTW you spoke about some of the highlights of this work putting on accessible shows, has much changed in and around Glasgow when it comes to being more accessible?
I don't think there's been a huge change in physical access in venues, although I have noticed a change in awareness and mentality. I think this is important because you can only fix something when you know the issue exists. I'm hoping this will lead to a physical change in access soon. I think it's slowly improving, but I know it will take time, and I'm not expecting change straight away, because this is just one of many issues that need to be addressed in the UK and Worldwide.
You're a huge grassroots advocate as well and work with some incredible upcoming acts in Scotland, who are you enjoying listening to? And who do you think could become the next big thing in Scotland?
That's a really difficult question because I work with so many artists, but I'm really enjoying listening to Eyve, Joell, AjForty7, Phro, P Caso, Sean Focus, Paque, Becky Sikasa, Kapil Seshasayee, Randombrownkid. & Bee Asha just to name a few! In terms of upcoming artists and the next big thing, i'm loving artists like Ace Vision, Madani, Aine Currie, 55, Dxims, Mind23t, Enji, Alx Romance, SeeYouTmr, Ilyas at the moment and I think every single one of them have huge potential. There's honestly too many to name but there's so much diverse talent coming from Scotland right now which is amazing.
I really love finding new artists in Scotland, and I'm always digging on Instagram and Spotify for unknown artists that I think people need to know about. There's so many talented artists on our door step, so I'm always looking to promote local artists and get as many people to local shows as possible!
Tell us your three desert island albums.
Another super tough question because I listen to so much music, but I would say:
Bob Marley - Exodus
Nirvana - Nevermind
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
If you could collaborate with anyone on future music, who would it be?
I would say Nas or Kendrick Lamar because they continue to motivate me every day with their music, vision & forward thinking mentality. They are both the definition of legacy, authenticity & longevity which is so inspiring to me & something i'm aiming to be as an artist/producer.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are looking to establish themselves in the Scottish music industry? You've also been a speaker and attendee at Resonate in the past, do you find this an important resource for producers, promoters, and students looking to start a career in the industry?
I would say keep working hard, consistency is key, going to local shows to see & network with local artists in the scene, use social media to your advantage and get to know people in DM's on a personal level, and going to industry events like Resonate to learn about the industry itself. Conferences like Resonate are vital for younger artists to find out more about releasing, management/PR opportunities & more. It's definitely something I recommend for any artist in the scene at any level.
And finally, what can we expect to see from Supermann on Da Beat in the rest of 2024? Do you have any announcements with Hip Hop Scotland you want to share?
For the rest of the year i’ll be releasing singles every weeks across genre, releasing a number of EPs and hopefully performing more with my collaborators across the year. Also there's some cool collabs with a couple of UK legends as well as tracks with artists outwith the UK!
In terms of Hip Hop Scotland, our next show is CMPND at SWG3, Poetry Club on May 17. Keep an eye out on our Instagram for some big announcements coming very soon. It's going to be a really exciting year!
Follow Supermann on Da Beat here.