- Words Notion Staff
FelixThe1st takes us through his most memorable firsts, from loving Drake in primary school to spotting Rihanna backstage.
Praised for his smooth flow and avant-garde looks, FelixThe1st is an emerging rapper with instant likeability. Hailing from West London, the 21-year-old artist has made a name for himself with his out-of-the-box musical content and lauded for popular releases “Own Brand (Baddie)” and “BLOCK & DELETE”.
Having played sets at this year’s Cloud X festival, among a recent performance at the 2022 GRM Rated awards and previously supporting Priya Ragu earlier this year, it’s fair to say 2022 has been a really good run for the artist so far. Now continuing the phenomena of his fast-evolving acclaim, Felix is back with a quirky new single “LET ME LAND”. Directed by Dylan Friese-Greene, this new track features creatively dynamic visuals and lyrically sharp wit.
Bouncing off the back of this successful release, we spoke with the artist about some of his most memorable musical firsts, from when he realised he wanted to be an artist, to spotting Rihanna backstage and ticking off bucket-list goals. Take a read!
First track you ever made?
2WARDROBES. Felt like I had hit up every producer in the UK prior to connecting with RassTokyo who was down to work and this is what we made.
First song you released officially?
“PSL” (Please Say Less) was the second song I ever made. I was literally freestyling with my friends and it ended up turning out to be a successful studio session. We linked David Quinn (Q-Star productions) who worked closely with Lancey Foux at the time and he helped developed my aesthetic from the beginning.
First time you realized you wanted to be an artist?
I felt like an artist, as a dancer even before releasing music, because it was like the physical embodiment of music. From here on really, I was around 15/16.
First gig you went to?
I think it was House of Pharaohs but don’t hold me to that.
First time you faced an obstacle in your career?
The beginning of the process as a musician when I had no leg to stand on when reaching out to people that I wanted to connect and collaborate with. I loved the rush of having no handouts and earning things for myself though.
First artist you remember loving?
Drake. I remember performing “Fancy” in ‘golden-time’ back in Year 6. Shortly after it was Tyler, The Creator who literally blew my mind with how far he pushed his art without being afraid.
First time you felt like giving up?
Despite the obstacles, never. Which is good!
First time you felt starstruck?
I was performing as a dancer at The Graham Norton Show and I remember seeing Rihanna backstage. Not someone you see every day is it? It was a nice flex for a short while.
First time you ticked off a bucket list goal?
Hearing “Own Brand” and seeing the dance on Fortnight! This was sick especially being a huge gamer myself. Being able to dissect my own lyrics for Genius too. That’s something that I always used to watch my favourite artist do so would definitely add that.