Music > Interviews
$ebbuku
05/02/21
Outline’s Steve Plunkett caught up with the very talented, thoroughly charming and equally remarkable local born and bred (up and coming) rapper, singer, musician and producer Seb Bates, aka $ebbuku.
At just sixteen years of age, he is already developing an increasingly strong following of admirers and has both his heart and mind set on leaving an impact on the world. From spending 7 months in a mental hospital, he has a very dramatic story to tell around mental health.
With a wide variation of musical genres in his make up from dark trap, rap to alternative rock, expression is very clearly the main motive of $ebbuku. He is fast growing up both as a person and artist and at the same time following his dreams. Despite his youth he has already won Outline’s top tune twice, most recently for his track Sweet Killa.
So $ebbuku, tell me what are you up to today?
Well, as we are all stuck indoors at the moment with the virus I’ve been spending lots of time with my family trying to keep sane in these tough times, making new music which is always on my mind. Being stuck indoors means that I've had lots of time to work on my craft and start progressing in new directions, styles and genres throughout my music, really pushing and challenging myself. I have also been practicing to perform live after Covid passes, I think that performing is going to be one of the most important things for me to do once it’s safe again. Overall I am trying to stay as productive as possible and make the most out of this scary situation we are stuck in.
Where did the rest of the name come from, the buku part and use of the dollar sign?
I began making music in 2018, a very rough time in my life. I was admitted to a mental health unit for depression and suicidal thoughts. Music was a great escape for me and I wanted to give it a shot so I had to come up with a name. I am a huge fan of Asian culture and movies and the term ‘Seppuku’ was in my mind. Seppuku is where a warrior has lost a battle and chooses to die with honour by taking their own life. Due to my circumstances at the time I thought it rather fitting. I substituted some of the letters from Seppuku with my name, Seb, to form Sebbuku. The dollar sign comes from one of my favourite duos, the $uicideboy$, who I was listening to prominently at the time, so I wanted a part of that to be shown in my name. So $ebbuku was born! A mix of dying with honour, myself and my influences. Dark story, but it rolls off the tongue!
What and where are you studying?
From my time in hospital, I had missed almost a whole year of high school and didn't really feel very comfortable in my old school so I chose to retake a year in a learning centre known as Red Balloon in Norwich. I wish all schools were like the one I am currently attending. It is totally focused on tailoring to the students’ needs as a single person, not as a class. My mainstream school life was a huge factor in my depression spiral but Red Balloon changed my life by helping me get back on my feet. I am studying English, maths, physics, music production and an arts award. I would normally be year 12 but due to retaking a year I’m finally finishing school. I plan to go to Access in Norwich to study vocal arts and then use some of the other courses to enhance my career. Education is hugely important to me and I hope to thrive in a new environment in the future.
You have had some challenges in recent years with your mental health haven’t you? How you are right now and what advice would you give to anyone having similar challenges to what you have faced?
Throughout my life so far I have experienced lots of extremely traumatic events, and I went through a massive downward spiral in my mood in 2018 which caused me to be hospitalised in the Dragonfly Unit for depression and at risk of suicide. I was only 14 years old. I’m now almost 17 and my life has changed dramatically. I am in my prime with my social life, physical health and productivity. I had no wish to live past my 15th birthday but by doing so, I managed to start a new life for myself, a better and healthier one at that. For all those who are going through a hard and harrowing time like myself, know that you are not alone. Music saved my life. Find your passion, be it exercising, music, anything that makes you happy and be proud of your achievements. Meet new people, surrounding yourself with negative people will suffocate you. Try going to a club or meet someone through a friend. Tell yourself your life is worth living, it 100% is. You can achieve so much, but you have to start running to finish a race. Know that you are amazing and a visionary.
How has lockdown been for you?
Lockdown 1.0 was a very creative journey for me. I spent almost all of it making a collaborative EP called ‘Atomic Cocktail’ which is my favourite project that I have featured on to date. It was a real eye opener for me as I had time to experiment with lots of new styles and build my image as an artist. Throughout lockdown 3.0, I have been working on lots of new connections all over the world to help me expand my following but I am still finding it hard not seeing the people that I love. I miss my friends and family endlessly but seeing them again will be all the sweeter when I don't have to stay two metres apart from them! I have also started cooking for my household so that I can have a good knowledge of it before I leave home or go to university. My speciality is halloumi with couscous and a rose harissa and apricot jam sauce!
When did you start making music?
I began making music during my second month in hospital. I remember the moment it clicked my interest. I was laying on my bed after an overdose, very, very depressed. One of my favourite songs was playing in the background, Humble by Kendrick Lamar. I was thinking to myself, “How was this even made?” and I began watching YouTube tutorials on how music was made. Overall, I spent about 7 hours, every day for 7 months learning and making music. That’s around 1,500 hours. From that point on, I knew that I wanted to be a musician but only last year was I happy with the music I was creating and now I am very proud of my craft and can’t wait to perform. I learn something new whenever I make music and I still have lots to learn, it’s all a fun experiment.
Who has helped you as a mentor / influencer on your career to date?
I have many influences but I taught myself how to make music on you tube. Producers such as Ocean, J Rent, Prod Xena and Crablord have helped me get to where I am in all factors of my music. My friend Jack Roberts (AKA Eric Surfe) has helped me endlessly too by producing me some amazing beats to rap on and he has also helped me with my production quality. My music teacher Maria Uzor has also been a great big help and a real friend to me too, teaching me how to work in the music industry and keep to a set brief. She is a member of the band Sink Ya Teeth which is a great help as she is very experienced in performance and touring which I’m sure will help me in the future if I have any questions about it.
What are you listening to right now?
At the moment I am listening to lots of rap artists such as $not, Bones, Hooligan Chase, Fat Nick, Pouya and Night Lovell. A huge love of mine is Screamo rap, with artists such as BVDLVD, Scarlxrd and Kamiyada leading the way. My favourite group at the moment is the rap group LOVESEPT consisting of BVDLVD, Kxzari, V.RI, and Hen$haw. It’s a new style of modern and gritty hip hop. My dream is to work with these people in the future!
Do you have any plans to release any physical material? A $ebbuku album maybe?
I hope that one day I’ll have some physical material! CDs and vinyl will soon be on the horizon but pressing and creating them is very expensive for a 16 year old. I hope that maybe one day I could be sponsored by a company to have some made and see my own work in an independent record shop or HMV! That would probably be one of the most important things to happen in my career. I have made a few mixtapes for friends of mine who enjoy my work and support me, I just hope that even people I don't know will one day have a copy of my CD or vinyl!
I can see that you are on You Tube with 4,395 views and Spotify with 114 followers and currently with 56 monthly listeners. Where else can people find your music?
My music is on all platforms! Apple music, Spotify, Soundcloud etc. You can find me by typing in $ebbuku or Ebbuku (silencing my dollar sign!) I recommend ‘Atomic cocktail’. You can also find me on Instagram where I am extremely active. Just look up Sebbuku music. You can then find my email for any enquiries.
Have the royalties started to drip in yet?
So far I have made roughly £150 which may seem small, but when a stream is now worth less than a penny, it all adds up! I've had around 90,000 streams across all platforms, including songs that are no longer around. So hopefully once I start getting noticed more royalties will come my way, maybe even enough for a vinyl release!
How pleased were you to have won Outline’s top tune twice? Have there been any other successes in your short career so far?
I was elated! When I won the 1st time it was huge as it was my first competition win, I then entered for a second time and lost to Red Wine Talk by 2%! I was then asked to enter for the 3rd time of which I won again! These wins gave me such a huge boost to create more work and get my name out there. A huge achievement of mine was getting onto BBC Introducing for my song Adonis, I think that really made me feel like I had made a huge achievement and that I was a ‘real’ musician. I have had a few interviews with the BBC to date which have also been great experiences. I also think my music going global was an amazing thing, who knew I would have listeners from all over the world!
Are there any plans for an album maybe at some point?
I have just completed my debut album ‘Nomad’ which will be dropping on March the 7th! I cannot wait to share it! I am immensely proud of it and I hope that Norwich and the rest of the world will be listening to it. It has 11 tracks, 9 executively produced by me and the whole thing mixed and mastered by myself. The whole thing is an audio experience to remember with a mix of genres from rap to rock, lofi, screamo and even an atmospheric documentary introduction! There is something for everyone to listen to and I have no doubt that if you listen to it there will be a song that you will enjoy. Lots of work has gone into making the project, from the cover being made by my friends Jack Barker of J2B films,taking the photos and my associate Phoney Ericsson making some amazing art for a few of my songs before and for the future I hope! Both of them are extremely talented people. I also have a few tracks produced by my best friend John Nicholls (AKA Junior100), who also features on the song Blood Rain. The project wouldn’t have been possible without my amazing team of friends, building it from the ground. So please be sure to listen to it from March the 7th, which marks 2 years since my discharge from the mental hospital.
Would you like to get out on tour at some point post Covid?
There is nothing more that I want in this world than to perform. I plan to go on a UK tour in 2022, traveling round the cities and Towns showing off what I can do, gaining some new fans and seeing places I haven't visited before. I just need Covid to vanish! I plan to perform in Norwich sometime this year but I really need Covid to move on so that I can finally show what I've been working on all this time. I hope that venues in the City will take me as I'm sure I can bring a whole new audience to the table. Waterfront, NAC, B2 and Open… I'm coming for you ha ha!
I understand that you have been working with some other artists, what more can you tell us about that? Who are Lil Moist and Eric Surfe? How did the collaboration’s come about?
I’ve worked with Lil Moist twice now, on a remix of Sweet Killa and my most recent drop, BAD MOOD. We first messaged when he responded to a question sticker on my Instagram account asking to talk with me. The first thing we talked about were our accents as he is from Kansas City. From that point we formed a great friendship and began working together. My friend Eric Sufre and I met at a Halloween party in 2019, I was dressed as a screamo rapper and he was Rick from Rick and Morty. Overall, we naturally had the best outfits there of course. One day he messaged me out of the blue and sent me three beats of which he wanted me to rap on. I made what would soon become my favourite song Adonis. And so began the ‘Atomic Cocktail’ project. Easily the best thing that we have made together.
Are there any artists that you would like to work with in the future?
I hope to work with some of my inspirations such as Denzel Curry, Lovesept and Slowthai. I also want to work with my favourite producers, Prodbychase, 42clo and 19 Akira. Working with more local artists is a key aspect for my progression and I hope to work with several bands and rappers such as Big Leg, Sleemo, Coll and Sleep's cousin. I think rock and rap is a fantastic mix so we will just have to see what happens in the future.
Have you sampled any other artists?
Not yet as I don't have the money to clear samples but I see lots of producers using old Bollywood records so I may have to jump on the bandwagon. Sampling really does interest me but I find making my own melodies or using sample packs much more effective for my style of music.
Some of your music videos have been shot on the Norfolk coast and in Norwich, was this important for you to record these locally?
We live in a beautiful part of the world and I try to show my heritage in my visuals. They make for jaw dropping backdrops, especially in my visuals for No Matches. Recording videos in local areas such as Norwich and the North Norfolk coast at places like Salthouse and Burnham Overy Staithe shows another part of me, it is where I was raised and where I am growing up as an artist too. I don't know any huge faces in rap from Norfolk right now so showing off my style of music is almost like apersonal PR campaign for myself, standing out from the crowd as a rap artist.
Where does your inspiration come from for your music? Does living in Norfolk help you draw inspiration?
The inspiration for my music comes from my emotional experiences and I use it as my main form of expression. Norfolk really isn't a hub for rap culture, but I haven't met a single person my age who doesn't listen to it. Every teen in Norfolk is influenced by it, so I aim to give them someone to look up to in the community that is close to home for them. The goal is to put the Norfolk rap scene on thewider map and inspire other people like me to start a new wave of artists to help give Norfolk a new staple style.
Do you play all of the instruments?
Nearly every song that I have released has been produced by myself. I play guitar, piano, and drums and tend to use my own skills on these in the tracks. In songs such as Loving On My Own and the as of yet unreleased track Even Angels Cry I play the guitar and programmed all of the drums too. I want my music to sound as original, real, authentic and as hard as possible so the drums have to be perfect even though I don't have a kit. When you are a producer, you can have every sound at your fingertips, so no I can't play brass instruments live, but I can on my synth.
Where do you record your music?
My mother was an artist before she passed away and she had an art studio in our house. After she died we turned it into a man cave with a television and other recreation things but once I started making music professionally, I turned it into a music studio with studio monitors, interfaces, instruments and lights. It’s my idea of heaven. If I put a bed in there, I think I would never leave.
How are you promoting your music to the wider audience?
I have a very active Instagram account which has just passed 1,000 followers after starting a new account in 2018. I have also done professional photo shoots and musical previews which also helpsto bring in new people and listeners. My music visuals are also a great way of bringing people in as they are extremely well made by my friends and editors. Interviews like this are also great way of finding new fans and creators (thank you Outline).
What is the ambition and aspiration for your music?
My ambition is to give people a voice to express themselves. I show feelings that people struggle to say and express a lot of the time so I hope that my young age and story can be an inspiration to the youth that listen to my music and show them that you can be who you want to be if you follow your passion and believe in yourself. I want to be a prominent face in the Norfolk rap and music scene and be known for my music and work that I put in, for the people. I want to be recognised for my actions and story globally as a mental health icon for the youth and adults alike. I aspire to inspire everyone who doubts themselves. You are special and you need to follow your passions. Be the person you want to be, not someone else's vision.
$ebbuku’s favourite charity is here should you wish to make a donation.
Check out the links to his music
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0WfW41u04X9YXmD8L3VZZ0?si=wPN6YPjdRkSPZaD4jl4tsQ
https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/%24ebbuku/1460071989
https://soundcloud.com/user-955973001
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Bk_35WVhDuaG3CGmIDVvA
Listen to $ebbuku’s interview with Outline Magazine -https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/top-tune-encore-%24ebbuku/id1519324198?i=1000492301300
Links to social media – Find him on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/sebbukumusic/
Sebbuku - YouTube