London’s trap-wave connoisseur M Huncho discusses his new sequel mixtape, “U2OPIA”, and the journey that led him to this career high project.
Integrity, authenticity and innovation are three words that come to mind when thinking of M Huncho. A true luminary for UK trap-wave, his sound has transcended into international borders and formed a shift in the sonic foundations of a sub-scene in the UK movement. Nonconformist in his vision, the North West London hit-maker has stayed true to his artistry over the years, building a flourishing legacy that he continues to solidify with his latest mixtape ‘U2OPIA’. Following on from the 2019 release of the original “Utopia” mixtape that raised his status from newcomer to household name, the 31-year-od has delivered its highly anticipated sequel.
A body of work that can be described as elevated nostalgia, it instantly demands you to re-visit earlier masterpieces “Tranquillity”, “Birds”, and “Ocho Cinco”. “U2OPIA” exudes growth not only sonically but personally through featuring his daughter on the second track, M Huncho is a man who takes evolution unequivocally. Just like the original mixtape. he intends to take listeners on a flight of introspection that details the human experience from highs to lows, self-reflection, success and more. Arguably his most honest project to date, he glides effortlessly through an assortment of glossy beats, some of which are curated by long-time collaborator Quincy Tell Em. Making a profound statement, “U2OPIA” is another stand-out project in an undefeated catalogue.
Wonderland caught up with M Huncho, talking all things “U2OPIA”, becoming a father, the UK’s trap-wave landscape and more.
Listen to the mixtape…
Read the interview…
“U2OPIA” is finally here! As someone who is a big fan of “UTOPIA” was the plan always to make a sequel?
The plan was to always make a sequel, I wanted it to be elevated. One thing a lot of artists do wrong is get swayed by the opinions of their fans. Don’t get me wrong, fans are everything but they’re not creative. If you put them in a studio for 24 hours, they’re not coming out with shit. They listen to your music because it resonates with them. There are great artists like Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, Don Toliver, Kendrick Lamar or Drake; “I want him to make music like Take Care”, that’s being an enemy of progress. Human beings are meant to evolve. The problem is when you listen to fans, you get pressured by what you think they want just because it’s a small minority and their voices are way more enhanced than people that want to see an evolution of your music. I’m in a different era right now, even down to the mask, it’s about moving forward ‘U2OPIA’ is an elevated sound and I had so much fun making this tape.
We’ve also got “ROAD TO U2OPIA”—were the songs on that project the tracks that didn’t make the cut to the final project, or was that an entirely different concept?
Those were songs that didn’t make the cut, not because they weren’t good enough, but they didn’t fit in sonically with how I envisioned the tape even down to content or production. I wanted to compile something small to let fans know that we’re building up to something bigger. Dropping a song every day of the week, I don’t think anyone in the scene has done that before. It was a great way to engage not only with the fans but the wider public. Songs like “POSITIVE INFLUENCES” and “NATURALLY” did amazingly, “U2OPIA” was meant to come out earlier but we’ve had some delays on our end, I’ve learnt to not get disheartened by these things and understand this is God’s will.
There’s a lot of synergy between the first and second project with track titles “Arrival” and “Check In” to “Departures…” and “Check Out”, even with “Duty Free”. What does the word ‘utopia’ means to you within context to your life and the track titles?
Utopia for me is imperfection within perfection. My utopia is where I grew up in Northwest London and the people I grew up around. On one side of it, you see the innocence of growing up, being young, wild and naïve. The other side is giving into peer pressures or a lifestyle that you were forced into due to your environmental or parents’ financial state. My perfect world is not perfect. The cover for the tape is South Kilburn estate where I grew up, I’ve lived there all my life. It’s the beauty of the imperfection of a place that makes it perfect, and the same applies to humans. We love people because of their imperfections as well what they are good at. The concept behind the track titles, you arrive in ‘U2OPIA’, by the time you get into the middle of the tape you’re going through “Duty Free” and by the end it’s “Departures…” which is a two-part song. The second song is an admission to guilt, not being able to see the gates of heaven but also a play on seeing the gates in an airport.
On the artwork of the original project, there’s a lady painting your portrait as opposed to what looks like your younger self from “48 Hours” EP. Was that symbolic to anything in particular?
It’s homing in on my growth but it’s a point of self-reflection as well. That era of “Council Flats” and “48 Hours” and the black balaclava started from the same area. I’m still there, I still visit my community and I’m a key figure when it comes down to music. When you look into North West London entirely, there isn’t a lot of people that you can point at and say these are the leading figures in music. When you deep it, you’ve got Nines, Skrapz, M Huncho and that’s really it in terms of artists who have excelled beyond street music, doing multiple tours, creating Gold albums etc. The artwork is an older version of me embodying the newer version of me.
Let’s get into fatherhood. You have your daughter on the project, talk me through how much this has changed or maybe even elevated your artistry. It must be a significant point for you to have her featured?
I was in my home studio recording “4×4” when Anaya walked in, heard the beat and started speaking, I looked at her, pointed the mic towards her and we started doing it together! She’s a proper character; I have a great connection with her. Being a girl dad is an amazing thing. I have a complex life; I’m a very complex person but having her involved is refreshing. When she grow’s up and starts listening to music she is going to discover her dad’s music and be surprised when she hears herself on these records. That means a lot to me.
How has your creative process changed between “UTOPIA”, and “U2OPIA”?
This tape was made the same as “UTOPIA”, we’ve never done camps it’s been all over the gaff. Some songs will be made in New York, London or even Paris, that’s a key part of making music just so you can get inspired by different things. I’m still an addict when it comes down to drugs [laughs], some may that as a positive or a negative but I’m a human being with vices. Like I told you before, I’m a complex person my mind doesn’t work like everyone else’s. The same as “UTOPIA”, a hell of a lot of weed and lean! I had all the people that I’ve known for 15-20 years around me who have been with me through thick and thin, it’s important to have that love when you’re creating something. It’s given me a different type of superpower over the years!
You’ve got your tour coming up, which song(s) are you most excited to perform?
You’re definitely going to hear songs from “UTOPIA”, it should be centred around that universe. When it comes down to this tape, I’m excited to perform every song. I love the intro, I love “4×4” and “Mr. Rubberband”, I am genuinely so happy with this body of work there isn’t a song on there that I wouldn’t like to perform. I feel great about the tour and myself, it’s all about self-confidence. With the birth of my daughter and other external factors, I haven’t had the time to be as consistent as I once was with music. I’ve been very active in my daughter’s life, she’s coming up to two-years-old now, if I was to disappear for six months and make music, speaking through Facetime, she’s clever enough to understand that I’m working. I’m really looking forward to the tour!
Where do you think the UK is currently at with the trap-wave scene? I remember a few years ago there were comments being made regarding its lack of growth and repetitiveness.
Tastemakers aren’t tastemakers, they’re someone else with an opinion which you are entitled to if you pay for a streaming service. If they want to talk about trap-wave being repetitive, I can name you a million songs that have come out from some of the so-called greatest artists in this country that are lyrical miracle rap, but no one wants to talk about that, right? There isn’t a huge number of artists in the trap-wave scene that actually do anything. They don’t empower the younger generation of kids to make melodic trap or trap music, but it comes in different forms. When you look at the “underground” or “alt” scene—which by the way I hate those words, this is also music that derives from trap. It’s about being able to integrate and elevate these people, we need to use our platforms to not only elevate ourselves but others too.
Putting music aside, what is it that you like doing in your spare time? I know you’re an Arsenal fan, a lover of art and fashion…
I love to travel to places that I don’t know the language, only the food. I like the sun, training, UFC and Muay Thai. I enjoy being at home, spending time with my family and friends, I still love the ends. The one thing I love more than most is making music, there’s been times where I’ve said “I’m tired of this music shit” but I’m too stubborn to not make it. I’m also building a studio in Northwest London, we’ll be doing a lot of workshops not just for people that want to be artists but also for music business whether it’s in management, tour managers or set design. We want to get a lot of these kids away from the streets, as someone who’s been there first hand, I know how difficult it is to grow up in complex neighbourhoods where you can get killed for being from a different postcode. We want to give people a good opportunity to learn and get inspired. I want to change my community! Some of these rappers are in it for a popularity contest, this isn’t High School Musical g. This is real life. That’s the difference between me and a lot of people.
Words – Elle Evans