Interview: Artist/Producer Theophilus London Discusses His New Album "Bebey"
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Photo Credit: Ryan Cardoso
We had the honor of connecting with artist, songwriter and producer Theophilus London for an exclusive interview to discuss his very DOPE recently released album “Bebey”. We also got a chance to pick Theophilus’s brain about how his NYC swag and his Caribbean roots merge to inspire his music, his upcoming creative collaborations, the importance of self love in his music and life, and much more.
After reading our Q&A with Theophilus, be sure to connect with him on his social media, stream the Bebey album on your preferred music service, and check out some more of his DOPE music on Spotify.
There’s such a NYC swag to a lot of your flow, but it’s infused with an island swag that seems to encapsulate the melting pot that is BK. How do the culture of Trinidad and Tobago, or your Caribbean roots, merge with Brooklyn to inspire your music?
It’s a decision in 2017 that I made after recording “Bebey” and “Pretty” from the album and I was like wow! I was never going to touch it. I mean, I never say never, but I just don’t like to touch things like soca music. My people are celebrating Carnival right now and they live in one of the most beautiful Caribbean’s out there. It’s Indian and Africans mixed together, so it’s a lot of spicy food, a lot of spiciness in the culture. Indians and Africans hanging out is just spiciness all together.
I grew up in that melting pot and I never thought that I would be able to take contemporary hip-hop and the culture of what it is today, the internet culture, and make it make sense to my island. There’s only one Rihanna but there’s no guy, like a Caribbean king that’s from the states. I’m not from the states but that’s still not here, so we’re making something new here, too. I’m not even big in my country like that, as far as I know. It’s a subculture, though, it’s small. It’s not the mainstream. It was fun to take that shot like yeah, I want to be that kid. I want to be the main kid from the Caribbean that’s also the cool kid in America like Rihanna is. I want to work with Rihanna this year, and I want to do this, and I want to do that.
I had an early thought about this too because when I was younger, I was always into fashion and always into music, but the two of them never really hit. Even Pitchfork made fun of me for liking Morrissey, Jay-Z and Gucci all at once. It’s funny to see every artist now whose programs are all set up this way, like how Rihanna has FENTY. It’s really cool to see and I’m just happy now that I’m continuing to grow and be a better producer overall, so now I can go set up the music the right way. It’s like I’m cooking the best curry chicken. You can’t make it too spicy. This is my little menu right here and I’m improving it right now, too, and doing like six songs for the deluxe. I’m just super excited. I remember when the album came out I DM’d Rihanna and said, “Yo check out my album, it’s Caribbean new-wave right here.” I like that title and I want to do a Caribbean twist, and that’s on the merch too. I’m really excited that these aesthetics and ideas are coming to life.
This album blends a feel-good, joyous vibe that feels fit for a vacation escape, but the odd track hearkens back to an older era and crosses more genre lines than in your previous work. How did your collaboration with Tame Impala on the catchy indie track “Only You” go down?
That went down because I was bored from working with him on “Whiplash.” We were working on “Whiplash” for four hours this one night. “Whiplash” was that song that took us three years to make. For that, I finally had a eureka moment at a house party where I was like holy shit, these are the lyrics! It’s just like writing a movie, you know? It has to make sense, like does she meet the guy at the end? What was the final plot? I was working on the lyrics in LA and it was our only song at that point, and I’m thinking like, I know how the world looks at Kevin. I mean I don’t look at him like that because we’re friends, but I’m like, do you know how special you are to music? I FaceTimed Lil Yachty and he was crying on the FaceTime talking to Kevin like, “I DM’d you and you never looked at it, but I love you so much!” It’s funny because he’s so normal he just wants to be here.
Then I was like, we should start working on a cover and I’m going to produce it like we’re a band. It’s my band plus your band and we’re going to call it “Theo Impala.” We started this whole #TheoImpala thing and it grew really fast. His label got furious they were like what the fuck is “Theo Impala?” We never signed that. We have Tame Impala. You guys can never use that again. That’s how big it was getting. Everyone was like, we want a Theo Impala album! The label was so pissed. They were like, no, we have to get a Tame Impala album out not a Theo Impala album. They just have two songs. So while he was there with me I was just looking at his laptop a lot like what else you got in there bro? Next time I see him I’m going to try to take some shit from his laptop too, because he’s just like the golden child.
The other collaborations and features on this album’s tracks are pretty insane, and diverse. How do you come to collaborate with artists of such different backgrounds while maintaining your own musical identity in the process? Does this help grow and evolve your musical footprint as time goes on?
It definitely helps. I think you have to know yourself really well, you have to know the artist you want to work with really well, and know the idea really well and just execute it. Be yourself and let it flow. Be a scientist and try different things out. Like right now I’m in a really good place musically that I’ve never been before. I always used to write a rap, or write a song, or write a melody, and now I’m writing music and leading musicians to play back what I hear. I know that it’s really time consuming and you have to respect the craft but I’m ready to take it all and become the producer of the next decade. Those are my goals.
The sonic layers in your tracks feel complex and nuanced, especially in tracks like “Cuba” which bring together unexpected melodies and steady vocals. Can you tell us a little bit about your production process?
My production process starts with just living. Taking off the jewelry and all the ego shit and just going out there and hanging out with people, living your life and seeing where it takes you and what inspirations come to you and at what moment and at what time. Like Stephen Hawking, that shit was wild. All the people that he met and all the things he was trying to do in the span of his life. It’s just a reminder to stick to your life, follow your heart, and that shit will come like that.
As an artist, you inspire other creatives like Virgil Abloh, who you recently collaborated with and featured on Bebey’s cover art. In what ways do style and aesthetic affect your music? Do you ever create your own costumes, and are you your own stylist?
Photo Credit: Ryan Cardoso
It affects it 100%. Without style there’s no aesthetic to me and without aesthetic there’s no style. I’m in my foyer room right now and there’s just a bunch of notes on the wall and a lot of the Bebey zine is on the wall. People have been sending me stuff for my birthday and writing me things. I have these two brand names that are like if I’m in Los Angeles, I’m LA Theo. If I’m in New York, I’m NY Theo. So people play on that stuff.
I’ve started this house party brand, a TV pilot show, and an Off-White clothing collab is coming out soon. I’m also doing a bunch of theme parties with Caribbean food and big sound system music, and having to do videos and be a label man all at the same time, as well as a label owner. It’s kind of tough but it’s a great. It’s fun shit to do every day and it’s a wonderful, weird life being me and having to show up in these moments for my culture. And I am my own stylist, yes!
The DCWS team loves that self-love is a central theme in your music. It’s one that’s unfortunately not explored often by male artists, due to our culture of toxic masculinity. Can you tell us a little more about the importance of self love in your music and your life, and if possible, other men in the music industry with similar values?
I think self-love is so important. Going to fashion week, going to this and going to that and you’re always around the quote unquote best people in the world, but sometimes they’re the most wrong people. You’re building relationships with these people and then being like, well what is it all for? Am I just a photo boy? Am I just the kid of the moment? I don’t want to be that. I want to make my art stem from myself. When you go through the jungle, just being out in the world and not in your own home, any energy can sway you in any way. You can start not liking yourself, or you think something else is better for you, or you start doing things that aren’t like you. That’s another topic but to me it’s important to know who you really are or who you’re transforming into, and to have people around who know and love you.
But it’s also important to sometimes just be by yourself if that’s what you need. Sometimes I just need that. Like if I can tell I’m in a pattern of not loving myself and it’s projecting, I need to change it immediately because when you do, you just feel better. After the LV show, I took a complete look at myself with all this Louis Vuitton drip on and I just got back to America. Stepping foot in LA, I was ready to cause a raucous. I remember The Weeknd sent me a DM saying like who let you back in LA? You’re fucking shit up! I was going to wherever the kids were at every night just scaring people just for fun.
I haven’t been in music for four years but coming back was a whole new energy. It’s just fun. I love making it fun again and making it challenging for people. I remember Drake was kind of threatened. It’s like you have to be the Kobe. I heard Michael Jordan say Kobe ruffled his feathers and I love to do that, too. To do it all, though, I’ve just learned that you just need to love yourself and you’ll be ok and just keep a steady pace.
If you could have your pick, who would be your ideal contender to rap battle?
I would rap battle Drake because it would be challenging. It’d require a little monopoly or spade playing kind of focus. I would appreciate that. Either him or Busta Rhymes.
What’s the next step in the Theophilus London movement? Will we be seeing your own fashion line in the future, or is there a particular genre or city that might be your muse for whatever’s next?
I have a new collection dropping soon and I’m really excited about being the brand director of that and building that whole infrastructure. I’m excited about My Bebey Records signing creative artists. I’m excited to work with other artists. I’m excited about the Bebey zine where I feature artists that are doing really good things around the world and I’ll go interview them or send people to interview them. I’m looking forward to starting my TV show that’s like Catfish meets Pimp My Ride and we help people throw house parties for their loved ones. And excited to keep making more good music.
Stream and Share “Bebey” on: Spotify | Apple Music