Devine is an up-and-coming white British rapper who is taking the hip hop world by storm. He sees himself as the future of rap and believes he can dominate the genre for years to come, following in the footsteps of his idol Eminem. Devine recently supported Kanye West on his UK tour and is working to break into the American market next. He is preparing to release his debut album "Revenge" on July 15th of this year.

1. TAKING HIP HOP BY STORM
‘I WILL MAKE THE RAP GAME MINE’
From a boy who would perform for his school to hitting the Grammy’s with Kanye West, Base exclusively
interviews hip hops latest craze, Devine.
Devine is a unique up and coming rapper, coming from a small town in Manchester, England, he is now
transferring his talents onto a US audience. His ego is as big as his future. Devine is good and he knows
it. His debut album, ‘Revenge’, is hitting the shelves later this year, we sat down with ‘The Future Of
Rap’, and here’s what went down;
Okay, so firstly, why do you regard yourself as ‘The Future Of Rap?
Well, to be honest, mainly because its true (chuckles), I am still very young and I feel I can dominate rap
for years to come. The likes of Eminem started their careers very young and he became massive from a
young age and look where he is now. I can and will do the same. Rap isn’t what it used to be and there’s
no doubt about that, but I can definitely improve the rap industry, and I feel like I can succeed.
You mentioned Eminem, in many ways you are similar to him, as you are both white rappers in an
industry heavily dominated by black people, do you see Eminem as perhaps a role model? Do you also
think your skin colour could influence your success?
Yeah, Eminem is probably my biggest inspiration, I mean I knew it would be hard making it into the
rap/hip hop genre because of my skin colour. Eminem did it though, so that means I can as well, right?
People tend to laugh or turn their heads at white rappers but the biggest rapper in the world is white, so
who’s to say that I wont make it because I’m white? It’s f****** ridiculous that I might not become big
due to me being white (laughs). I completely believe that I will make it. I mean, my following is just
getting bigger and bigger so personally, I think most people don’t give a s*** that I’m a rapper but im
not black.
So we can see that Eminem is a clear inspiration of yours, do you have any others?
The usuals, if I’m being honest with you. I try to implement Tupac and Biggie’s aggressive and street
theme into my own music because I can see where they come from. I grew up on the streets so I try and
use their rapping styles and their same messages in my own music. Obviously I love modern rappers too
like Jay-Z and Kanye West. Actually, other than ‘Pac and Biggie, I’d say I have a pretty unique rapping
style, you won’t see many rappers similar to me. I consider myself creative and talented enough to use
my own ideas and not be like every other artist who rips off everyone else.
You mentioned, Kanye, how did it feel supporting him on his UK tour last month?
It was absolutely mental, the whole thing was kind of a blur. I got a phone call from Rob, my manager
saying ‘Kanye wants you to support him in his UK gigs’, and I was going mad. It felt like a dream to be
honest, it was all so surreal. I thought I didn’t perform too well at some of them to be honest (smirks),

2. but whatever, no one’s said anything (laughs) It was all so weird thought, like even now, I can’t believe it
actually happened. He’s someone who is so big in rap, and he wanted me to support him?! He told me
he was a fan of my music which was absolutely nuts as well.
You’re popularity is ever-growing in the UK, do you feel as if you need to hit it big in the US?
Definitely, the US is the main stage not only for rap, but for music as a whole. If I get massive in the US,
then I will really feel like as if I’ve made it. I don’t want to reveal anything too early, but that’s what me
and the team are looking to do in the future. I want my music to reach everyone and I think trying to hit
America is the way forward. The majority of my fan base is British and now I need to try and focus on
reaching an American audience, in order to truly make it.
There are plenty of festivals this summer in the UK, is there any information you can give us on where
you might be performing?
All I can say right now is there are a few deals on the table but we still need to negotiate. When
something definite is happening, then I’m sure you will all find out but as of right now, nothing is
concrete. Don’t worry though; I’m certain I’ll be playing somewhere this summer (smiles)
Great stuff, okay, so finally, your tell us about your debut album
Okay, so the album is called ‘Revenge’, and it will be available for everyone to get their hands on the 15th
of July this year. It’s mostly rap but it also has some slower R&B type songs on it, it also features some
small artists that I think will be massive in the future, so really look out for them.