In conversation with BLK BRIT, Meduulla, Manchester-based rapper, shares her journey into music through poetry. Meduulla has so far received critical acclaim for her debut EP ‘Oblongata’ featuring singles including ‘Mish Muulla’ and ‘Limbo’.

We discuss her journey to becoming a music artist and the inspirations behind her body of work. This insightful conversation explores how Meduulla’s identity and life experiences have shaped her artistry. Meduulla shared unreleased tracks and visuals for her upcoming debut album with BLK Brit which she touches on briefly in this interview.

Let’s start at the beginning of your music career. Could you walk me through your journey into music. What sparked your passion for music and how did your distinctive sound and lyricism come to life?

I got into music through poetry. I really gravitated towards English literature in high school. Growing up in a small town called Bury in Manchester I had this massive urge to get away. So one day I entered a poetry competition in school and the winner got to compete in London and eventually compete abroad which I felt was an opportunity to leave my town. Though I unfortunately didn’t win, I managed to go to London and I feel like that opened the world for me. That’s where I met my then writing cohort which was ‘Young Identity’ and through that I met poets, but I also realised a lot of the poets were rappers. At first, I was just admiring them from a distance until I plucked up the courage to actually start speaking to them. Fast-forward to like 2019 while on a year abroad in this island called Réunion, being away from everything I know gives me the confidence to try something new. So, I made a remix to Aitch’s ‘Taste’ and put a video out and people really liked it. This gave me the courage to keep going and when I returned to the UK I continued sharing more of my work which led to an opportunity to be on The Rap Game.

If you watch me on The Rap Game I’m doing songs that I would never do today and I think it’s because in the UK there’s this pressure to be a certain kind of way before finding your actual lane. So I started on Grime then went to the kind of trappy, female rapper vibe and that wasn’t me either. It was a journey of trying different things. It wasn’t only until I released my single ‘Mish Muulla’ that I realised what my sound was. I didn’t feel nervous doing it and that’s how I knew it was for me because it felt like no one could tell me anything about it because I was backing this style ten toes down.

Which artists have had the biggest influence on your music and creativity?

I grew up around a lot of older cousins, so I was so blessed to have such an eclectic palette. My cousins would play early Grime like Wiley, Skepta, JME, Kano and these artists actually laid the foundation for the UK side of music for me. They also played a lot of DMX and I loved hearing his voice. When I started listening to my own music I would listen to SZA, Erykah Badu, Chance The Rapper, Kanye and Lauryn Hill, and I think these artists really made me take that next step to think ‘Oh maybe I want to contribute to this art as well.’ These are the artists that really shaped my sound. Now as an artist in training, because I’m still very much new to the game, I’ve gone back and listened to other artists who I feel like have influenced the artists that have influenced me like A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, and discovering artists like Little Brother who I feel sit in the realm of what I’m trying to achieve.

So, you’re from Manchester and you’re also of Zimbabwean heritage, how have these cultures influenced your artistry?

It’s definitely a diasporic feeling that a lot of Black British people can relate to - you can’t speak about one part of you without the other. Like I never say that I’m just British or just Zimbabwean, those two things are intrinsically part of me. Growing up as a British-Zimbabwean has given me perspective and informed my music because it’s given me more of a worldly view. I was born in Zimbabwe and I’m also half Zambian. I remember the first time I went to Zambia I was in like year 9 and the world opened up, I was like it’s crazy I can’t believe I’ve been existing like this girl from Bury but there’s a world where I’m also this girl from Zambia and it allowed me to tap into these different parts of myself. I try to make sure the topics I discuss and my choice of language in my music reflect all the parts of me. Growing up I used to think it was a bit of a crutch but now it’s literally the thing that makes me the coolest person in the room.”

Tell me about your artist name ‘Meduulla’. What’s the story behind it?

I went through a period of picking lots of different names and actually Meduulla was my Instagram name before I started making music. I liked it because growing up my mum would remind me to ‘use my medulla’ whenever I did something stupid which was her way of telling me to use my brain. I actually thought this was a word in Shona, I didn’t even know it was actually a Latin word that people use in the English language. Then growing up and listening to rap lyrics as well so many rappers reference ‘medulla’. When I was researching more about it, I learnt it was like the control centre in your brain responsible for your breathing and respiratory system. The name felt right for me because I want to shift people’s perspective with my lyrics and give my listeners food for thought.”

Let’s move onto your debut EP ‘Oblongata’. I remember I was first recommended ‘Mish Muulla’ on Spotify and I was like “Wow who is this?” From the poetic flow to the production to even your unapologetic Mancunian accent, it sounded so rich and authentic. How did you find your voice and remain true to it?

Yeah so honestly ‘Mish Muulla’ is such a special song. Shoutout to Ethan Hill who produced it. I feel like when I was making that song I was very much under duress. I had just made it after coming off the Rap Game and I was in this mode of being someone I’m not in front of the whole country, so I thought let me actually just be who I am because what do I have to lose now? So I was genuinely just rhyming and thinking what do I actually want to say on a beat I love? As soon as Ethan started making the beat, I was like yeah this is a vibe and so authentic.

In terms of finding my voice I think that’s an ongoing thing and I feel like I don’t have any other choice than to be myself, which is someone from Manchester and I want to lean into that. I don't want to hide from that because it’s the authenticity that people want and love. ‘Mish Muulla’ enabled me to not confine [myself] to ideas of what a rapper should be and just kick it on a beat and rhyme in nice.

How did you feel when you dropped the EP and how did listeners respond to it?

I felt relief releasing it, like a weight lifted. I enjoyed the process of releasing it because I could let people admire a piece of art that I created and was proud of. The faith that I had in my project really helped propel the coming events. Because I was pushing this project to ‘BBC Introducing’ which led to me performing at Reading and Leeds. I was performing it everywhere I could and sending it to radio pluggers. The EP taught me the power of the internet and backing your art before anyone else. I would love a label to be behind me and have a major budget but what I can do with the limited resources I have is reach out to my networks and create cool content to express my music. So from that, I was able to find my online audience and people that really backed my music.”

Speaking of labels, you’ve spoken before about the highs and lows of being an independent artist. From your own experience, what’s been the biggest lesson you've learnt navigating the UK music industry on your own terms?

There’s so many that I learn everyday. But I think currently the lesson that I’m learning is that I don’t think some people will see your vision and that’s okay. I think because art is such a personal thing - we’re bearing our souls, it can feel really personal and disheartening when people don’t take to it. But I think what I’m learning is that it’s good to niche down like it’s not a goal as a human being to be liked by everybody because it’s just impossible. I’ve had to be okay with not always being met with warmth straight away. People either get with the programme now or later and the most important cosign for my music is myself.

Finally, what can you tell us about your upcoming debut album?

This album is very much about tapping into my artistry, finding my voice further, experimenting and having fun. It’s executively produced by Ethan Hill. We’ve worked together tirelessly and we’re still working tirelessly on this album. But it’s been so nice because I think this is the first time where I’ve also had more of an input on the soundscape. The process has been so symbiotic and we’ve both contributed to each other’s artwork to create something that’s both of us. Overall, I think the people can just expect hella flows, hella jamz, really amazing production, and a journey of different elements of me. I always say that my first EP was like a window into my mind, this is like a door and I hope the next project can be like the whole house.

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