Something is happening in the UK underground. A new energy pushed by new faces, wide ranging in taste and look and sound, is producing a wave of music the feels exciting in a way not a lot else does right now. Artists like fakemink, EsDeekid, YT— and: 19 year old rapper Feng.

Based in Croydon in South London, Feng is carving out a new road. Hard referencing early 2010s aesthetics in his photo style and dress, his music incorporates the electronic indie pop sounds of that era with 808s and modern production to create a sound that is weightless, a breath of fresh air, not quite like anything else we’re hearing right now.

His song ‘Walk in the park’ first caught our attention, and his recent album ‘What the Feng’ has established him as a force in the new London sound. The video for the album’s first track, ‘Kids from the west’, puts the look of this new scene on full display: skinny jeans, vans, chokers and snapbacks, the swag era distilled down to a style, referenced the same way the 90s are. It’s an old look, but choosing it is entirely new.

We called Feng ahead of his first trip to the states to discuss a number of topics, from his style, to the energy in London, to being a born-again Christian. Read on.

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Welcome: When did you start making music?

Feng: Like last year.

Welcome: Why did you start?

Feng: I was just bored and had nothing else better to do.

Who are some musical artists that have inspired you over the years?

M.I.A., Santigold, Foster the People. If we're talking rap, I would say old Kid Cudi and ASAP Rocky. That's my shit.

What's going on in that UK underground scene right now is so vibrant. What has created such a great scene?

In my opinion, it's so good right now because everybody stopped trying so hard to be American. We basically said fuck it, let's just do our own thing. So now it’s more authentic and British.

What is it like to be on the ground experiencing that firsthand? What's the energy in the scene like right now?

It's pretty lit. Everyone wants to see each other succeed, it's a good feeling.

A lot of your videos and covers reference a very specific moment in the early 2010s that feels nostalgic. But being 19, you didn't experience that period firsthand. How did you connect to those nostalgic elements? Where did you find them, and how did they end up in your visual and sonic language?

I grew up on the internet, so I’ve seen all these things. We might not have been at the age to properly experience it, but I've always seen it. I've seen my brothers live it, and I was like, "That's cool as shit, I want to be like that." And it's just better. Five, ten years ago, everyone was less serious. Music was better. I don't intentionally try to be nostalgic so people relate. I just fuck with the style. That's it. It's just me. I dress how I want to dress and do what I want to do.

How would you describe your style?

I can’t really describe my style, but I guess that's a good thing. I just wear what I like.

When did you start wearing skinny jeans?

I always wore skinny jeans. I never liked the oversized style.

What about the Vans?

I only wear Vans shoes. I don't wear anything else.

Do you have any rare Vans?

I have both of the Bianca Chandon Vans shoes. In blue and red.

A lot of musicians coming up get caught in the luxury clothing complex, but it seems like your style has stayed away from that so far. What do you think about luxury clothing?

Luxury clothing is cool. I like vintage luxury. But that’s for adults with money. I’m a teenager and have no money so I dress like a teenager.

Your beat selection is great. What do you look for in beats?

I like vocal chops, 808s and really simple hard hitting drums. My main producer Boxxy does this really well, shoutout to Boxxy. I also fuck with the electronic indie pop style, like Foster The People or MGMT. I have a producer from Paris, his name is Bilal. We’re working together to infuse it with our own elements and stuff, it sounds hard.

You've produced in the past yourself. Does that impact your approach to making music?

I have been using FL studio since like 2019. I never really know what I'm doing, but I have some sort of idea. I know what sounds good and what doesn't, so I just go with that.

How about songwriting? Do you sit down with pen and paper? Freestyle?

I write. When I'm on the train or at home I write the lyrics in my notes, it gives me more time to think about what I'm actually saying. I can also play more with themes and other complex stuff, it's like writing a story.

What social media apps are you using? Are you on Tumblr, Instagram, TikTok?

I have Instagram. I love YouTube. YouTube is my favorite. I also use Pinterest, I like looking at cool pictures.

What are you watching on YouTube?

I like this guy Peaks100, he does food reviews and vlogs. I also watch videos about lobsters and crabs. Shellfish is really interesting to me, I watch videos about them all the time. Did you know insects are literally shellfish but like a million years later? This changed everything for me.

What would your last meal be?

Olive.

You mentioned you’re a born-again Christian. Were you Christian growing up?

No, my family isn’t Christian. I started following Jesus Christ when I was like 17. I attended my friend's church for a bit too. I think it's important we all love God, He keeps you grounded in such a crazy world. There is nothing in this world more soul-satisfying than God.

Do you feel like you’ve encountered demonic individuals in the industry?

Yeah.

Where do you feel God? What makes you feel close to God?

When I'm thankful for the things I have, and when I'm kind to people. These two things are really important and bring me closer to Him. I might not be with God all the time, but He’s always there for me.

If you weren't doing music, what would you be doing?

Right now I’d probably be in University doing some useless degree. But if we’re talking career wise, I'd probably be a film director.

The first song we discovered of yours was "Walk in the park.” There are comments on that video about how it doesn’t have any bass. What was the decision for no drop?

Lowkey, I'm just edging everyone. I'm not going to spill the game, but I was edging everyone. Like if you want to hear the beat drop, you have to come to a show. That's it.

You direct all of your music videos. How do you think about video direction?

To me it's all about the idea or concept rather than the effects and everything. Like for example, the "Kids from the west" video. Me and my friend CTI came up with the idea in 10 minutes. I called all my friends. He called some models, I brought some random props and we shot it in two hours. We didn't even plan it, there was no script. It was basically a huge party and we just filmed it all.

Did you costume the people in the ‘Kids from the west’ video? Or did they literally show up wearing that stuff?

All my friends already wear that kind of stuff anyway. I just told everyone to be extra colorful and I guess they all delivered.

What are some things you're looking forward to doing in the next year?

Meeting interesting people and taking nice pictures.

Where does your creative inspiration come from?

The experiences of my life. I take an experience and make it sound interesting. Like my song XY. The topic of that song is not that interesting but I feel like I made it interesting. I take simple and relatable things and go really into detail. Because everything's interesting.

Does your creative process involve any drugs, drink, weed?

I think half of my songs, I probably made when I was high. I only smoke weed though, I don't do anything else.

What mediums other than music are you into?

I love film. I think I've watched every single film. Like all the good films, I've watched all of them. My favorite film is American Beauty.

What has watching films taught you?

There's beauty in the mundane things. Explosions and stuff like that just bore me. I don't like action because I know what's going to happen. Why do I want to watch a film when I know what's going to happen? But when it's films that go really into detail on a niche scenario, that's more interesting to me. So I try to use the same thinking when I'm writing lyrics.

What time of day do you feel the most creative?

Nighttime. I record in my bedroom with the lights off, that's where I flow. I’m disconnected from the world, nothing matters and no one can tell me what to do. It's just me and the music. 

Are there any conspiracy theories that you believe in?

I don't know if it's a conspiracy theory but I know dragons are real. Every society in the world has old art of them. I also think the ancient pyramids across the globe are connected and were used for teleportation. They were definitely more advanced than us.

Have you performed your music live much yet?

Yeah, I think like five or six times.

How has it been performing?

It's such a good feeling. I love seeing everybody so happy, getting lit and vibing with each other, that's what life is about. 

Do you have any pre-show rituals?

I pray before every show.

Who is your dream feature?

M.I.A.

Walk us through your perfect day.

Wake up, thank God for everything I have, get up, get dressed, put on a hard outfit. Chill with my friends in a nice park. Eat some food. Pull up to a cool party, meet new people, have fun. Go back to the crib, smoke and watch a movie about wildlife or some shit. Go up on the rooftop and watch the stars. Sleep.

Image Curation by Erild Kondi (@kondierild)