ARZ - SEPTEMBER 2024

( Digital Covers ) - Saturday 14th September 2024

Words by Isaac Jay Solanki. Photography by Harry McCulloch (Creative Opportunities). Styling by Elis Haddock (Creative Opportunities) using pieces from Fridge. BTS by Isaac Jay Solanki. Thanks to Jessica Lamb (DSTNCT SPACE).

Redefining vulnerability within the rap genre; Arz’s latest project “Honey, I'm Home” showcases a seamless blend of high-quality polished beats with both relatable and honest lyrics that resonate deeply with the young talent’s adoring fanbase. His calm and composed demeanour only enhances his confident yet humble artistic approach to music, depicting a maturity that can only be described as beyond his years. This album not only serves as a reflection of his personal experiences from the past year or so but also acts as a statement and open invitation for others to explore and connect with their own emotions. It’s this unique blend of introspection and accessibility that we feel sets Arz apart from the rest of the crowd.

While linking back up with Harry McCulloch and Elis Haddock (the two individuals that we offered our very first creative opportunities to back in November 2023), we met the acclaimed lyricist and his dog in the heart of East London to talk about his incredible journey to date and how the area he grew up in directly influenced both his sound and style as an artist. From secondary school freestyles at 14 to a platinum top 25 single at 18 and a masterpiece second album at 20, the future surely holds nothing but stardom for Arz as he looks to further cement himself as a household name within the industry.

“I was born in East London” begins Arz, “I grew up in Stoke Newington before moving out to Islington at the age of 10. I came back to East when I was 16 and it was while bouncing between the two areas surrounded by grime in secondary school that I began to spit bars with my friends.” Freestyling for fun you could say, he adds “this kind of expression was part of our everyday life; for me, these places still hold a significant part of my belonging.”

“I first dropped a song with Mixtape Madness when I was 14 but the track that really began to shape my career, “Alone With You,” came during lockdown.” As some of us struggled with motivation during these unprecedented times, Arz used the opportunity to focus on improving his writing skills; “it gave me time to think about what I wanted to do and plan ahead” he says, “I was able to let my mind wander and as a result I found myself spending more time doing what I wanted to do.”

Arz’s latest album homes singles such as “Long Time No See” and “Lickback” featuring Laicositna, with our personal favourite “Age Like Wine” setting the tone. While continuously receiving little but praise for his refined sound at such a young age, new tracks like “mrsilldoanything” and “ILUV” continue to showcase his unwavering lyrical prowess.

All the while, Arz remains both grounded and humble as he talks about his latest project in detail; “it’s real vulnerable music, evolving around my personal relationships with people” he explains commenting on both the love and hate aspects of being in love with someone. “When you’re with somebody you really care about, it’s amazing but there’s always this other side where they have the ability to make you go a little crazy and perhaps a bit out of character at times.”

A lot of Arz’s previous projects centres themselves around the happy parts of relationships but with “Honey, I’m Home,” the focus just feels truer in a sense. “It’s the truth innit” he laughs in a distinctively laidback tone, “it feels a bit more serious but writing about it is lowkey easy for me. It’s definitely my most proud work, I’ve put so much time and thought into it and you can see how much both my writing and the production has improved since my debut.”

“It’s why I make it” explains Arz as he begins to talk more in depth about “Ice Rocks,” his favourite track from the project in question, “so they can feel it. I listen to music when I’m down, I put on specific artists because they speak to me in a certain way and I’ve always said from the beginning that I want to be able to provide that for other people.”

As the messages of resonation flood in from fans worldwide, Arz continues: “The idea that people are understanding it is super special to me, especially when what I’m speaking about is so real. It’s exactly how I feel and I want people to understand that it’s alright to feel different things sometimes; it’s alright to feel vulnerable and if you’re a good person, good things will eventually happen to you.”

“I hope people remember me as a really honest artist. I wanna be the one who wasn’t ashamed to speak about a whole bunch of crazy relatable stuff from peoples day to day life” he adds looking ahead, now aiming his thoughts towards the future, “I’m just gonna keep it going, keep being honest for 50, 100 or however many more tapes I make. I wanna thank everybody for the continuous support up to now, all of the serious love from the people that have stuck with me from the beginning. I hope you guys can continue to take my music for what it is - there’s so much more coming and I really can’t wait to share the future together.”