- Words Maria Maleh
- Photography Disco_Mode
Get to know rising songwriter, rapper, producer and filmmaker Wesley Joseph, the multi-hyphenate making his mark.
Birmingham-born Wesley Joseph has always embraced a DIY mentality. A member of the OG Horse collective alongside Jorja Smith, he moved to London in 2016 to study film. At the same time, he also started making beats on his laptop, converting his bedroom into a makeshift studio.
“Characterisation of emotions, love, hate, and everything between” fuel the 23-year-old’s dexterous approach to songwriting, production and moving image. Daliesque flows on self-produced tracks “Imaginary Friends”, “Ghostin” and upcoming single “Thrilla”, tell us there is a perfect creative symbiosis going on.
Get to know the up-and-coming creative putting himself on the map.
Yo Wes! How are you today?
I’m good, thank you.
Where are you right now?
I’m at home in north London.
What have you been up to the past few months?
Finishing up my project, and shooting movies.
What is the newest thing you’ve discovered about yourself?
I write better in lucid states.
How did you figure out your sound?
By making music that reflects how I feel in different periods of life, and listening to/analysing music all day.
How important is ownership to you? And why?
Very important. From young I always had a DIY mentality towards everything – I always made music from my bedroom, made my own beats, shot and edited my own videos and everything else. That mentality is embedded in me and hasn’t left. When it’s all said and done this is all I have to show I was here, having ownership of my own existence is always gonna be important to me.
Describe your writing process.
Sound inspires imagery, imagery inspires words.
How do you find new music?
YouTube rabbit holes at early hours of the morning and through friends.
What’s the creative inspiration behind your latest project?
Remnants of dreams, my perspective on life, the characterisation of emotions, love, hate, and everything between.
What are you most proud of now?
Being able to exist through what I make.
What do you do when you’re not working on your music?
Try and live as much as I can before I feel the need to make music again.
First tune you put on when you wake up?
“4:00AM” by Taeko Onuki.
Your favourite word?
It changes every week, but this week it’s serendipity.
Your go-to snack?
Bueno bar or Skittles.
Can’t live without?
My laptop.
Artist you would like to collab with?
Young Thug.
