- Words Liam Cattermole
Hot off the heels of his debut project, Stars Aligned, Stay Flee Gets Lizzy gives us the lowdown on Britain's burgeoning rap scene
“I’ve gotta catch a flight to Jamaica. There are some artists I’m working with over there, so I’ll need to leave the hotel in 25 minutes,” says a sleepy Stay Flee Get Lizzy, calling in from Miami while he visits the US on a music-related trip. Having released his debut project, Stars Aligned, last week, the entrepreneur and superstar producer isn’t resting on any laurels, keen to capitalise on the impact he’s making in the UK’s burgeoning rap scene.
Over the last few years, SFGL has become one of Britain’s best-loved producers, gaining respect from established and emerging artists in equal measure. The platinum-selling ‘Ay Carumba’, a collaboration between Toddla T, Young T & Bugsey and Fredo, was his first officially released single, giving him the keys to a scene that he’s continued to drive forward and make a global phenomenon.
Nudging the crème de la crème of UK music outside of their comfort zone, the label owner wanted to unite the very best from his collaborative circle into one project. It took two and a half years to make Stars Aligned, released on his Lizzy Records imprint, and fans will be happy to know that it’s well worth the wait. Heavy hitters like Fredo, Central Cee, Popcaan and Tory Lanez feature across the 18 tracks while the more ‘underground’ artists more than hold their worth alongside them.
‘Might Be’, featuring poignant north west London wordsmith cityboymoe and his close collaborator Gdup, might be one of his best beats to date. Spectral melodies and spikey 808s combine cosmically, allowing the Splitdat affiliates to glide wilfully in their autotune drawl. Elsewhere, KIRBS brings his poignant wordplay to ‘Strange’, surveying SFGL’s diaphanous and dystopian drill-influenced beat with his hood-focused flows.
For someone so influential in, and indebted to, the UK’s illustrious rap scene, we thought few would be better to tell us about the subculture’s nuances and his relationship with them. Tap into our interview with Stay Flee Get Lizzy below:
Hey Stay Flee Get Lizzy, let’s kick off by asking how you first got into UK rap? What was your introduction and then ‘in’ to the genre and industry?
I would say my first introduction to UK rap was the time I heard Rodney P and Chester P, who are proper rap veterans. I used to read a magazine called Hip-Hop Connection, which was a magazine dedicated to UK rap and that’s when I first started to learn about the scene. The last page would have pictures of where they’d been that month and they’d name everyone in the photos. That’s when I realised there was a community in London. DJ 279 was on Choice FM, which was Capital before it got bought out, and he played all this rap. He was the person who helped me understand the genre.
Last Friday, you released your debut project, Stars Aligned: a collaborative tape that draws on some of the scene’s most exciting voices. How long had the project been in the works and why did now feel like it was the right time to release it?
It had been in the works for two and a half years, which was longer than expected but when you’re working with so many artists things can get in the way. I’ve got even more music coming so I wanted to get this chapter out so I could focus on some bits for the summer. We’re well on our way into 2024, so it felt like a good time.
Why was it important for you to mix global superstars and underground artists on the same tracks? I think you’re already starting to see the effects of this album ethos on the wider scene in general…
To me, and the way I make music, I never look too far in front. I look to the left, to the right and behind to see who’s coming up and who we need to work with to make our audience bigger and musically to stay sharp. I live music, so it doesn’t matter how many monthly listeners someone has, it’s all music led for me.
One of my favourite tracks on the project is ‘Might Be’ with cityboymoe and Gdup. The track’s been out for a while but it still sounds so fresh today. How did that one come about?
I’d been a fan of cityboymoe for a while and we ended up doing a partnership for his debut project, NO BALL GAMES, which was released on my label as a joint venture with Splitdat. Our relationship developed into a more long-term situation musically. I’m a fan of any artist that I work with and cityboymoe is one of those artists. I also think that Gdup is one of the most talented artists that I’ve worked with.
How do you decide who will be the best on your beats? Is it based on gut instinct, a vibe in the studio or anything else?
It’s all about the vibe in the studio. Sonically, I thought that some of the songs would match artists perfectly. Like ‘Simple’ with Lancey Foux and SL, I knew that beat would suit them.
Which song on the album do you think fans will be the most surprised to hear you produce? You cover a lot of ground across the project…
I think they’ll be more surprised that I’ve put certain collaborators on the album so early on in their careers.
If you released an extended edition and added a track with any two artists from the UK scene who aren’t already on the project, who would you add and why? What would the vibes be like?
J Hus and Dave, it’s a simple answer. I’ve got so many talented friends but they’re two of my favourite UK artists. I love so much of their catalogue. If you gave me three, I’d have to say K-Trap too. Honourable mention to him.
What’s the biggest misconception of being a producer in the UK today?
I’m a collaborative producer, I work with so many other people. I’d say people think we’re one-dimensional and that we only produce one sound, but that isn’t true. In the UK, we’re a lot more talented and diverse than people give us credit for.
And what’s the truest stereotype of being a producer in the UK today?
That we all eat Nandos in the studio.
Your first ever single was ‘Ay Caramba’ with Young T & Bugsey, which now has over 100 million streams. What did you learn about yourself when producing the record? Did you know that you had a hit on your hands?
I did you know, because I just loved it. Toddla T and I did that one together and as soon as I heard Young T & Bugsey’s hook I knew we had something special. Fredo hadn’t done a record like that before so I was really excited to hear him on it too. The rest is history!
British producers have released many legendary mixtapes over the years, more recently by the likes of M1onTheBeat and Carns Hill. Were there any before this time that resonated with you when growing up?
There was a producer called Skitz, who used to work a lot with Rodney P. He’s legendary. I respect what everyone else is doing, like Jae 5, Steel Banglez, Carns Hill… there are so many great producers in the UK right now. My knowledge on producers and being a fan of their work goes back as far as Skitz 15-20 years ago, right up to the newer producers like M1ontheBeat.
What do you hope that aspiring rappers and producers take away Stars Aligned? Do you have any words of wisdom for them that you’ve learnt from your time in the music game?
Don’t be afraid to put records together and reach out to artists. Try and do your dream collaborations, because those people can learn off the new generation. But also, don’t save your best beats for an artist you may never meet. So many people are like, ‘This beats for J Hus, Dave, Drake or Central Cee’, but you may never meet those people. Don’t be scared to give your beats to up and coming artists, work with them.
What’s next for Stay Flee Get Lizzy? Beyond this album, what else are you looking to achieve in 2024?
More music and a new project this summer. Stay Flee Get Lizzy is signed to Lizzy records, the home of Fimiguerrero, Len, Stay Flee Get Lizzy, Eric IV and cityboymoe. On the management, we’ve got Knucks and Fredo too, so as a team and a movement, humbly speaking, we’ve got one of the most interesting and exciting companies in the UK. I hope everyone will look forward to the new album from Fredo, the new album from Knucks, Len’s new project, Eric IV’s new project and Stay Flee Get Lizzy’s new project. Lizzy Records, we’re building something special and I hope that people realise that.
