Doni Rampage – Rampage; RP; Ruger Rampz – founder of New Dimension Records and HellaHigh Music Group. Welcome to the story behind an MC with history; an artist with vision; a solider with determination; a leader with camaraderie; a man with music.
Raised in Stockwell, this South London native grew in a time when grime flourished; when the revolution from garage was rumbling; and before the 'niceness' of today's technology. He takes us back to his musical past and beginnings; So What Crew; New Dimension Records; somewhat of a hiatus; the creation of HellaHigh Music Group and its future.
"I’m young but I’m good for something,
I’m one of the best ones in this crew."
Can you speak a little on your beginning?
Everyone in my area used to listen to So Solid
Crew, but I weren’t really into them. I used to listen to hip-hop. My brother and his
mates were doing their little garage thing, and I went school with certain guys
who used to listen to Pay As U Go, and stuff like that. One time I heard “Know We” - Major Ace’s verse on that song - and got hooked. So I heard that, I didn’t know what it was but my mate gave me
a little Pay As U Go tape. From that I started listening to radio. I heard Ms
Dynamite’s “Booo!” and that was it. I think I wrote the whole song down,
straight away and just started spitting it to myself. All the lyrics! I did
that with the Major Ace “Know We” bars as well.
I found out through that, that they were on Rinse FM with
DJ Slimzee. I started listening to that religiously;
taping sets, learning bars and about these Pay As You Go guys. Literally I
started idealising them. I want to spit but I’ve got no outlet 'cause I’m just
a younger MC. My older brother spits at this time and he’s in a grime crew
called Infamous. But he wasn’t hearing me.

〜 "Startrack Riddim"
Alright, I did Infamous Crew for a bit, and Riddim Riders because I would have gotten more of a front seat than in my brother’s crew. I would have always been the little brother and wouldn’t get to be where I wana be. And these times, I wana be like Wiley; I wana be the conjurer; I wana be the head; I wana control this; I wana make this happen, that happen. I’ve got no say in my brother’s crew. So, went to the other crew, did one rave then they broke up! I just went there, now I’m crewless. I’m a solo MC now – just in Stockwell, doing my bits, doing block. But my boy from school, Bentley, he used to spit 'garagey' stuff and he knew what I was doing so we started spitting together. Me, Bentley and one DJ from around the area started doing a couple sets and getting known around the estate. Making my own name - away from my brother’s area, I’m back in Stockwell now. In my bits, where I’ve grown and parred. So, we buck up with Dirty Dozen Crew (DDC) - they were a big grime crew back in the day. Started doing sets with them guys and that was a boost for me 'cause at the same time I started producing.

〜 Southern Hospitality 2 DVD; Bentlely at beginning, Rampage third.
[During So What], I had a much bigger hand in what happened. It was only me, Bentley and Killa. He's bringing his Roll Deep guys around. We did a couple sets with D Double [E], and Jamakabi. So, he’s showing us what he can bring to the table. But when did we bring all the guys in? We were at the Country Show one time and saw a bunch of guys from the other side of Stockwell. They spit, the younger guys. There was about seven of them - "Ain’t in no crew but you all spit?!" I made a bold decision - So What; all of you lot. We had the whole of Stockwell, a lot of good MCs, and it just built from there. I was the producer; it was all fun for me, more MCs to make beats for.
"We’ve been there, we’ve experienced it. So, I guess, knowing now, how to attack it. And that’s kind of the reason why I came back. I stopped 'cause it was hard times, but we’ll get to that."
〜 "Flow So Hard"
〜 "Stockwell All Day"
Can you tell us your best memory from this time, and one notable lesson?
You know what, I got
told this ennit - ‘tell stories’. That was a lesson I learnt - what you talk
about. Go easy on what you talk about. Hearing that, I made a lot of stories, I
made a lot of singalongs. Everyone used to love the singalongs.
But what was the
[most memorable]? Being there in the moment. We had a crew of 10 plus, full
crew, it was the livest sets.
You have been prominent on pirate radio since you began, how has this format of MCing moulded you as an artist?
You have been prominent on pirate radio since you began, how has this format of MCing moulded you as an artist?
It’s everything. It’s
made me appreciate where I am now. Back then I was younger, it was nothing,
radio was always there. We took it for granted. Now, I can see some guys taking
[music] for granted. They won’t be making the most out of their opportunities - with what they’re talking about, how much tunes they’re pushing out, doing
collaborations and stuff like that. I learnt all from back in the day. Now, we’ve been there, we’ve experienced it. So, I guess,
knowing now, how to attack it. And that’s kind of the reason why I came back. I
stopped 'cause it was hard times, but we’ll get to that.

〜 So What Crew.
"If you go from grime to any other genre, you’re gonna stack it up bruv; I don’t care what no one says."

〜 So What Crew.
When I came back,
I really felt that I could conjure up and plan my way through this. It’s like a
second try. You have to make mistakes, and I made a lot the first-time round. We were just soldiers; but watching and learning
how to lead the army at the same time. I always wanted to be leading the army.
So, from seeing back then, now I just make the most of it; I appreciate it.
Seeing [the scene] now, those guys, they have it nice. I don’t think they
realise how nice they got it. Like the P Money tune, talking about them man got
it nice nowadays. We
couldn’t just do a tune, then post it on your phone straight away. We couldn’t
do that – access so many people. You had to be there, on your feet, walking
around the ends, giving out CDs.
This actually leads into our follow question. How would you describe the contrast from today’s grime scene?
This actually leads into our follow question. How would you describe the contrast from today’s grime scene?
Well, P Money did it
ennit. He did it with that tune; on releasing music, making links and
socialising. You can make links from your home now. You can holla a stranger; just tell
them what you’re trying to do. Most people will hear you out but back in the
days you had to get in front of someone’s face.

〜 HellaHigh Music Group, PyroRadio Set; Jedah With Doni Rampage, Simba, Aaze, Tintz, Tips, Hoodz & Mischief (12/09/2018)
[We] need to open up
this thing a bit more. That’s what I’m trying to do for the mandem round here.
East man have always got it, they’ve always been nice. In grime, South man
ain’t really got an outlet. Mandem buss in South then go; take it and run. With
the exception of Stormzy but he came alone anyway. When I do grime, there’s
always soldiers around me man; I wana bring the soldiers.
You founded the New Dimension Records record label fairly early on in your career, what made you take this action? And how did it help?
You founded the New Dimension Records record label fairly early on in your career, what made you take this action? And how did it help?
It was to help the
community and to put my stamp down as a leader. Basically, I was learning grime
from Pay As You Go, Wiley and them man. So, what I heard was: Wiley producing;
Target producing; Danny Weed producing; Geeneus producing - a lot of in-house
stuff. These times, I'm sitting down making beats with Dot Rotten, and DJ
Steema from DDC – that’s in-house. I started out as Rampage
Productions; some little robot voice. It didn’t sit too good, I didn’t like it
and one day just said "New Dimension". Everyone endorsed it. It was early on, but I don’t like running around nameless; same
reason I started HellaHigh Music Group (HMG). I don’t wana put out music and
it's underneath nothing. It’s always ‘Presents…’ or released by someone – it
has to have a body. Like Wiley with his Eksibeats thing, this was my thing - New Dimension. It was my sound as well, I had to put my stamp down.
"...it had to be serious. There was always a label. I knew I had to have my own label...knew that was the way it had to go."

Having this mindset
of housing your content under one body is impressive, especially creating this
when you were young. Good for professionalism, business, brand and coming out
strong.
Yeah, when I look
back, I am like “Rah man was so young”. But it’s just where I was coming from.
My Mum used to sing, so I was in the studio from young. I used to be around
those WSTRN guys, we grew up together. We were always in studios. So, it had to
be serious. There was always a label. I knew I had to have my own label. So
young, didn’t know what I was doing, but knew that was the way it had to go.
How did this evolve
into HellaHigh Music Group? Is there a contrast between the imprints?
HellaHigh would actually come under New Dimension, but [NDR]
was me and the producers; it was the label. Then, when the crew disbanded, I kept NDR going but it turned into hip-hop,
bashment; a few grime beats around 2015, and end of 2016, it just got quiet. I
stopped making grime beats. I was still making rap and bashment, but it weren’t
getting no impact. It felt like I weren’t accepted in the other genres. I think it’s
because I was a threat; if you go from grime to any other genre, you’re gonna
stack it up bruv; I don’t care what no one says. Go from grime to rap; you’re
gonna be better than them other rappers. You’d be putting words together, mad -
so fast; sick flows. ‘Cause, I'm not a rapper from the start, there are rappers that been doing
it from day, that are gonna expect to get through the rap thing before me. So I
said alright, I'm thinking serious; I wana do music; I wana do grime. But
there’s no MCs around me. That was when I just started hollering at guys.
"Best on the Planet" | Spotify
I dropped
“Best On The Planet”; my debut single and I didn’t want it to come out
nameless. I couldn’t do NDR cause that was me as a producer and I didn’t want
to just throw [music] out. I did an EP (Tell Dem!) last year and that was my
production. But I didn’t feel them that much; I did it to just put something
out of my own. [Then came], “Hellahigh”;
them man were loving the tune in Stoke - that’s where Hunter’s (Hunterbeats) from. They’re
like “That hellahigh thing, hellahigh!”, I'm like “Hellahigh, wah! Man we’re
smoking!”. And that’s me all in one, a mad smoker; I love my weed, I just be
smoking all the time. But could I push it? They’re gonna say “Ah, he’s pushing
weed”. But at the same time, there’s so much worse that people are
spitting about, than what I'm spitting about. So then I thought, fuck them - that’s my wave. It’s HellaHigh, and that was it; the bars started coming.
Everything’s getting directed as HellaHigh - waved; off your face; lean up;
enjoying the sun; and all of that, just gone!
After this, I'm on radio and I’ve met Aaze on DJ Citrus’ show. So we were spitting for about a year - me, Aaze and Nesta; Citrus’ show, to Don City Radio, to Mode FM. Citrus and Nesta were always on to me about putting a team together. Aaze was around me already so it was like, “Just come, HMG”. I told him not to worry, if you don’t feel it down the line then it’s cool, just do your thing, it’s nothing, let’s try this. I did try to make a little squad, Hella Squad, underneath HMG. Guys came and gone; politics, arguing, drama, not turning up to sets. So now, that came down to me and Aaze, and the producers - [Grinz, Hunter, Dunkee, Kalorific]. All my tunes are gonna come from them, other than a couple exclusive producers. All my projects are coming from HMG, and that way my guys are gonna learn about you [producers], your guys are gonna learn about me and they’re gonna see this team; this unity. You don’t need to be all over the place. So now HMG is set up, pushing the brand, pushing the team and that’s it.

〜 DJ Citrus centre; Doni Rampge to his left.
You took a lengthy
hiatus from music? What was the reasoning for this? And did you experience a
personal or musical growth at all?
Around 2008-09 the crew was in a madness ‘cause Stockwell was really in
civil war – and that’s the two sides of So What. Killa had already gone to Roll
Deep so the crew just died out. Killa never really left the crew, but when the
mandem saw that, they lost a lot of faith. I kind of knew what was going on,
but it was a lot for me to take as well 'cause I just saw the whole crew
crumbling. It was a lot and I'm done; all this and the mandem’s in beef.
"On our last set we knew, driving over there you could see it in both our faces – we knew this was our last set. The team’s finished."

What sparked your interest back into music?
I never lost interest
you know, and I never actually stopped doing music; I just went from different
genres really. I literally couldn’t do grime because my heart was in So What.
That doorway closed - no crew; no station; putting out grime and no one’s
listening. Grime was dying down at that point as well, funky house was taking
over. That was about 2009 - it was the end of the end and the beginning of the
beginning. [Jumping genres], I loved it and feel
like I should be doing that now almost. Like rah, if I touch rap it’s a curtain
thing; or afrobeats. But I'm here now, to show them where I'm meant to be. I
need to finish this grime thing.
How does your new EP, Hellarific, with producer Kalorific, stand out compared with others?
How does your new EP, Hellarific, with producer Kalorific, stand out compared with others?
Kalorific is another
one of them producers that syncs with my writing style. We linked through
Citrus and just started speaking – long conversations; hearing what each other
are doing; and just come, let’s do this thing. I had to bring him through, he’s a
certy guy and a certified producer. [Hellarific EP was] displaying the power at
man’s disposal; HMG presents, Kalorific, Hellarific. That’s his sound. Welcome
to Kalorific.
What is your future aim in music? And your unique selling point, so to speak, moving forward?
What is your future aim in music? And your unique selling point, so to speak, moving forward?
Now I’ve got HMG,
I just want to make that group flourish. I want to be putting out projects [not
just my own] from HMG, and eventually take a back seat. I do want to put a crew
together, but without me, just off of HMG. Not a ‘youngers crew’ but a crew of
new, fresh MCs. I’m older, so the wisdom I could put on to a young MC, could
help them better than it could help me. Them being young in the scene and born
in this social world, there’s a lot that they can do that I can’t do. They can
flex a certain way I can’t - guys like Aaze.

It’s been about a
year now, and we’re doing a lot. Little Aaze you know, 19! At that age you got your life
going on. I’ve seen him have ups and downs, but come back, through having a
team and family around him. He’s got brothers (and a sister) now – Grinz,
Dunkee, Kalorific, Bonnie (runs the HMG pages) and me there. All in the
Whatsapp group, everyone’s there; we’re all active, keeping each other up. When
one, or I go ghost for some reason, we hold each other down. But I'm gonna see
this family and people are gonna see the strength and unity. It’s mainly a
South team, and I didn’t mean it to be like that. But still, I'm trying to
bring back some of the joy and love on the scene in South. We don’t get much
grime, there’s no love for grime in South right now. I’m from Brixton man, I
don’t know none of these youngers that care about grime. But when I'm around
them drill youts, I'm like “You man are taking some liberties, talking about
drilly drilly. You need to come to some sets bruv”.
Do you have any advice on maintaining a healthy life/music balance?
Do you have any advice on maintaining a healthy life/music balance?
See me, I’ve got a terrible balance.
But it depends how much you want it and what you actually want. ‘Cause really
and truly, you have to be an animal if you really want it. And you could
probably ask any other MC in the scene.
"That would be my advice – don’t take it easy."
I work a full-time
job, so I barely go bed. Going sleep at 3am and having to wake up at 5.30am for
work - making a beat at 1am; recording at 2am; making the dumbest mixdown at
3am. And that’s regular, I don’t sleep. But
if you want it, it’s really like that. There’s no time, you have to move like
you’re going against the clock; don’t get comfortable. When I was younger, I
thought I was ‘there’. But you’re never ‘there’, there’s always more you can
learn, more you can do. Just keep pushing and don’t let up on the gas. That would be my advice - don’t take it
easy. Go to every radio set; go studio every time; go everywhere someone’s
inviting you too - it doesn’t matter what time, just turn up. Put your face
everywhere.

Doni Rampage: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
HellaHigh Music Group: Instagram, Facebook

Doni Rampage: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
HellaHigh Music Group: Instagram, Facebook