“Making beats, DJing, buying up old records,quiet strolls through the park under the moonlight…” I’m Shears, looking to actually get some music done with real people from this year onwards.

Who or what has had most influence on you and your Music?

Firstly it’s whatever music I’m checking for at the time, if it’s soul then I make a lot of those beats, if I’m listening for jazz then it’s the same for that and with all styles of music. As an actual influence on wanting to make beats, all the obvious ones, Buckwild, Large Pro, Pete Rock, Premo, Tribe, if ever I’m bored of it then I go back and listen to those, and gets me in the mood to make new stuff.

How did you get to where you are right now?

Well I never even made one beat in the first year I got my sampler, but then I started learning it and messing around until I thought I could play them to people. From there it was kind of luck, I’m not really sure how they started getting used. As sad as it seems, there were no emcees I knew in Bristol, so because of the Internet I sent beats to a couple of people who were after them, and they were feeling them. That gave me the idea that maybe my music would get listened to beyond my bedroom, so through those first people I got connections to others and sent beats, and once you have the connections and know what kind of thing to send to each emcee you’re all set.

What is your next project?

I’ve got an EP planned, it’s gonna take a while though, but I’ve got a few emcees I’m really feeling lined up for that one. It’s just a case of getting the right beats, no filler at all, and hoping the emcees find some they like. One track is being recorded and hopefully there will be another 4 tracks to go along with that. I also have another mixtape I’m working on, but that’ll just be a little local thing I do for fun as my DJing isn’t really my strong point. Also check for me on Spellz upcoming mixtape “Overdue”, and a track with all 6 Poisonous Poets, which should be released sometime in the future.

If there was anything you could change about the state of hiphop (UK in particular) what it be and why?

I’d say one of the biggest mistakes that I see over and over again and which annoys me is when a rapper comes straight out with an album, and expects it to start earning them money. Too many UK people aren’t developing a fan base, you’ve got to put out a 12″ or EP or something, you won’t make money, but if you break even you can then make another, except this time with more fans. Keep doing that and then people will actually want your album rather than wondering who you are and leaving it on the shelf. Sounds like I’m whinging, but it’s just that you see some really good music get slept on cause of that, probably rappers ego’s thinking people are gonna buy there stuff in there thousands straight from the start.

Favourite gig? Not sure about this, you mean best gig?

There’s too many wicked gigs I’ve seen, some of the best were actually rock and punk ones but I won’t embarrass myself by mentioning them. Pete Rock and CL Smooth at the Jazz Cafe was the best I’ve ever been to, my favourite hip hop group in a small sold out venue playing 100% classics. It was also the last time they played before splitting up, so that kind of makes it more special for me as well. Same goes for Gangstarr at London Astoria, just before Premo and Guru split up, so much energy through the show and so good to Premier doing all the cuts live! Last one would be Common at Bristol Academy. Bristol kids can be real fickle about gigs and Common had just released Electric Circus which was a bit too weird for all the students so the place was nearly empty. I thought it would be rubbish because of that but he killed it, breaking right in the middle of the crowd, rapping along to a proper live band, doing cover versions of classic 90’s tracks, people slept HEAVILY on that one.

On the flip-side tell us about one of those gigs you wish you’d never have gone to…?

Well there was one that just depressed me. I went to check out my mate DJing for the first time in Bristol a while back and it was the most amateur thing ever, DJs who couldn’t DJ, Emcees who couldn’t rap, about 10 people in the crowd, half of them were his friends haha. The guy who was running the night had decks down that skipped even when you weren’t touching the records and it all went wrong. Shows what happens when people don’t work on the live show… the promoter asked if I would DJ for a bit after he was struggling, no way was I going anywhere near that setup! He went on to have a slot on a popular hip hop Internet radio show…weird.

Where can we hear some Shears?

At the moment I don’t have my name on much stuff, I’m looking to change that though. There are a few bits out that you can check, I’ve got a beat for a track called “Read Between The Lines” on Lowkey’s new cd “Key To The Game volume 3″ which is out on October 17th and should be in most record shops. You can listen to a track I did with Spellz for his CD at www.hiphopgame.co.uk/audio . I have a track I did with Lady Paradox from Main Rock Records which was on the Allstar Series Vol.1 mix CD on High Society music which you can get from www.suspectpackages.com Lastly I have a remix of Kyza’s - Harsh Reality on the Blunted CD.

And finally young man, any shout outs? For shout outs other than Blunted people it would be; Rooted Records, Poisonous Poets, Myst, Spellz, Apoc and the people at Main Rock, A Bomb, Moreshots crew and all the Bristol people…

www.myspace.com/shearsmusic