大象传媒

It was the military that brought Texas-born Stretchmane to the UK. A steady income allowed him to invest in studio equipment, while the foreign surroundings provided fresh inspiration and drive for the rapper who had been longing to record his own music.

"Growing up in the South I was always around music," said Stretchmane, who was born in 1982 and moved to the UK around 20 years later.

"I grew up in the church so was always around musicians and singers. I could never play anything myself but always aspired to, so when I got a chance to mess with music myself when I started rapping at 16 I just fell in love.

"Me and my partner Oryjenal decided to make beats and music ourselves, find out how to do it and learn everything from scratch.

"People were making rap music there back then but there wasn't a mass hip hop scene - it was when I came to the UK that I started to pursue my goals."

Stretchmane says his music remains heavily tied to his roots, but incorporates some of the music which he's grown fond of since crossing the Atlantic.

"It's hip hop but I've changed my style, as I used to just stick to it being straight southern hip hop. I was exposed to a lot of new music when I came to this country, So Solid Crew, grime听 - which wasn't available in the States at the time.

"So it's southern hip hop but with my own flavour to it. I always like to make people move."

Stretchmane says he's been encouraged by the reaction to his music ("I haven't been told to keep the day job") and believes there there are many similarities to where he grew up.

The main difference, he's found, is how and where people actual listen to the music.

"Back home artists make music for cars, or clubs. If it doesn't play well in the car then it won't get played. Every teenager in America can't wait to get a car.

"Where I'm from it's all about the bass. As long as you've got the bass and the 808s which makes the car rattle you're all good.

"But over here you don't have a lot of kids driving, so you're making it for the headphones.

"It has to be more tailored to the headphones and the clubs. You've really got to get your mix on here."

No college dropout

Stretchmane prides himself on being an all rounder. He produces and raps on his own tracks and also has a sideline in selling beats to other artists.

Lyrics wise Stretchmane draws inspiration from his personal experiences, always looking for a positive spin on what were often difficult times.

"I grew up in a rough neighbourhood, Douglas Community (Memphis). But I come from a family where we're happy, we joke around, we talk about each other in a joking way, and that's the kind of music that I want to do -听 bring real life to the table.

"You're still going to hear where I'm from, but it's not going to be sugary - it's definitely not going to be Kanye West on the tip of college. In the same country as Kanye West tells his reality, I'm trying to tell my reality - the rough times and the good times.

"But I'm heavily influenced by the scene here too. You see people here getting riled up, drunk, acting differently in the clubs. I think a lot of people will want to hear about how I react to things here."

And people will get to hear exactly what Stretchmane has to say as he steps efforts to promote his own music whilst familiarising himself with the local scene.

"I've been trying to get into the scene for a little while now. There's people that are actively trying to build a scene, and I'd like to help build it because there are quite a few artists here. Hopefully we can start a movement here in Ipswich.

"Right now I'm trying to get my name out there bigger and better. If a label came along I'd have no problem with that at all, but I've learned that you can't sit and wait for a label.

"I have to try and do something for myself and what I've read is that labels respect that."