We were lucky to catch up with Mr Blarny recently and have shared our conversation below.
Mr, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
The fundamentals of rap is basically putting words together that rhyme, something I feel anyone can do or at least have a good go at. I mean who can’t rhyme ‘Ladies with Mercedes’ or ‘Yo with Bro’ haha. Being a professional Hip Hop artist is slightly more intricate however.
Structuring a song, piecing 16 bar verses with a catchy hook and delivering distinctive vocals that can resonate to a wider audience is when it becomes songwriting.
There was certainly a learning curve when I first started in terms of developing recording techniques in the studio, and learning the importance of listening to the feedback of others especially the producer.
You might have written the greatest song ever on paper, but if you can’t execute that idea correctly in the studio you might aswell be recording white noise.
Mr, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Mr Blarny and I am a North London rapper & songwriter of Irish decent.
I started recording and performing live shows in my mid-teens and eventually was signed to a major label.
Even at a young age I could see how people lost themselves within the industry and I always promised myself I would never loose sight of who I am. My passion for the art has remained my number one drive, it’s the fuel to my longevity.
I like to deliver a message and social commentary through my music, but always feel it’s important to decorate art with humour. Hopefully I offer a nice balance, that’s been my objective at least.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
Well firstly a lot of people need to understand that yeah there is actually a journey involved and for most of us creatives it is a journey into the unknown. You don’t arrive at your destination overnight and the road is bumpy!
If I could be reimbursed for the amount of unpaid hours I put in to practicing and perfecting my craft, we would be doing this interview on a private jet courtesy of Blarny Airways haha. I wouldn’t change the ground work for the world, but you certainly need to have a love for the culture. Also I wouldn’t discount Blarny Airways manifesting in the future!
Also it seems people confuse success with fame, if it’s clout you want then do a TikTok challenge. There are quite a few non-creative, untalented individuals who are famous.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Well lockdown confirmed the importance of artists and creatives, we seen that in the increase of online streaming for music and films.
When everything else stopped, entertainers found a way through social media to continue to entertain!
People need escapism and it’s a role that we as artists can provide, if we can also offerer inspiration through our art then it’s a nicely balanced bonus.
When it comes to online engagement, you would be surprised how the basics like commenting and sharing a new music video helps. That word of mouth recommendation is both organic and priceless.
Speaking of which I have a brand new single called Don’t Break My Heart featuring the amazing L.A based Brazilian singer & actress Carolina De Athey! We both add something different and the fusion brings a real international, good vibe feel.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: mr_blarny
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/aqJ13S4-efk