Glasgow-based rapper Bemz on his next album and why he loves Scotland

“It’s quite hilarious. You both connect to it, then you just swipe left and right. Whatever names you both swiped right on comes up as a match,” he laughs. “We had a list of names and Nova was one of them.”

In April, Bemz released his third EP, Nova’s Dad, a heartfelt and vulnerable collection of songs touching on moments from the last two years who shaped the person he is today. Through eight tracks, he touches on family, redemption and lost relationships. As he’s introducing himself now, “regardless of whatever”, he’s Nova’s dad – and that’s what he wants people to remember him as.

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Speaking of that one extra special song on the EP, he says fondly: “Little Lady holds the most special place in my heart. And that’s because I want my daughter to hear that song when she grows older, so she can actually hear how much she really means to me.”

His daughter, Nova, already has taught him a few lessons.

“Patience and how not to be erratic and be more strategic. Because with a child, you never know what child you’re getting. One day I’ll pick her up, and she’s the happiest child ever. The next day, she just wants to fight me, and then the next day she just wants to just lay in silence. So you can never really plan too far ahead, you just have to take things as they are and enjoy them as they are.”

The rapper was able to apply those lessons in both his life and into his music. “I just appreciate every second, understand that there are things that I can’t change, but all I can do is just be the best version of myself at every given time. And whatever will ­happen, will happen, you know?”

Originally from Nigeria, Bemz (below) was sent to live with his aunt at the age of 14, a transition he described as the worst in his life. From the bustle of ­London, the teenager found himself in the quiet coastal town of Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway.

“I went from being one of many, many, many young black men in a school, in an area to be the only black person in a school or area, it was just a big culture shock,” he recalls.

Although, he says he’s surprisingly grateful for the experience. “It was tough, but I’m grateful for it ­because it taught me how to adapt to survive in ­different environments. I’m able to take those lessons into hit my everyday life. It wasn’t the most pleasant of experience, but I wouldn’t change it.”

After a while, Bemz moved to ­Glasgow. “I love Scotland I think it’s a very ­beautiful place, you know, and I just love the hustle and bustle of Glasgow. I love the grittiness of it, because it’s not as ­polished as ­Edinburgh,” he smiles.

At first, he never thought he would become a ­rapper. “I just rapped as a hobby, I never thought in a million years that I would be here on FaceTime with someone who writes for a massive paper ­interviewing me.

“It was never really the goal, but life just kind of pushed me that way. And then when I found out I was gonna be a dad, I had to make that choice there and then, because music is expensive, so it was whether I stop doing music or I do music, so it’s no longer a hobby, I need to make sure that it pays me,” he says.

Through his music, Bemz has touched on everything – the loss of his brother, the estranged relationship with his father, his mother’s passing, as well as his daughter and the relationship he shares with her mum. When it’s time to put his thoughts on paper, he says he treats music as a journal.

“I know in my heart that I’m not the only person going through these things. But because it’s my struggles, I don’t ­really see any boundaries.”

However, at times, he feels for the ­listeners who relate – and he wishes they wouldn’t.

“When I hear people singing those ­lyrics back at me, it’s a bittersweet ­moment. Whenever people tell me that they relate to what I say, I feel sad because I know I wrote that from a sad and dark place, so for you to be able to relate to that, that means that you’ve been in that position and I always feel for them,” he states.

According to the artist, music has to come from its purest form. Both a ­letter of apology and about taking back ­­control, his song Sweetest Girl, looks back on a past relationship. After ­noticing a ­reoccurring theme in his dating life and experiencing heartbreak, Bemz was “stuck in a battle” with himself.

Speaking of the emotional track, he ­explains: “The song is about the battle that I was facing. The first part of the song is more apologetic and that the ­reason why this ended was because of me. And the second part was me realising that, actually, the reason it ended wasn’t all just me.”

According to him, sometimes it’s easy to see someone as perfect. “It was quite easy for people to put the blame on me and for me to put the blame on myself ­because that way I didn’t lose the love and purity that I had for that person.

“You know the way you see someone as the most perfect being, and for months, I tried to convince myself that I was the problem, that the perfect being could ­never do anything wrong,” he says.

Although, Bemz points out, he’s never rude and only aims to explain how he feels through music. “If they do hear it, they can hear that they were important to me enough to make a big impact in my life, enough for me to be able to turn it into something that I would share with the world.”

How does he deal with heartbreak?

“I don’t, I run away from it – and I write songs about it,” he laughs. “I’m quite a sensitive human being, you know? I think the type of music I do can be ­portrayed otherwise. I wish I didn’t get my heart broken so much, but here we are.”

Previously, the artist pointed out that being a rapper in Scotland was “an ­anomaly”. According to him, there has never been “that person” who paved the roots for other rappers to go with.

“It’s never been a full scene of it, ­whereas everybody else is getting ­platformed at a higher level. And I think it’s because nobody really writes rap ­music like that up here. And I don’t know if it’s because people don’t see it as financially viable, I don’t know if it’s because nobody cares about it. Who knows? But it’s tough being a rapper in Scotland,” he says.

After being hailed as BBC Introducing Scottish Act of the Year in 2022, there’s one thing that he’d like to categorically state – he’s not a role model.

“I’m not a role model for anybody ­because I am not a good example for anybody to follow. I’m just me, and what works for me might not necessarily work for others. I’m always there to give advice and make sure that whoever is coming up behind me doesn’t have to struggle the way I did. But I’ll never be a role model, I’ll just be that guy who just makes music. And if people wanna look up to me, they can do that at their own risk.”

Even though he grew up religious, for a while, Bemz stepped away from his faith. But once he realised he believes in God, but no religion, everything changed.

“I believe that my heaven father is up there and that he cares for me and looks out for me, because all the things that I’m doing right now wouldn’t be ­possible without him, because it doesn’t make sense,” he comments.

He doesn’t believe someone like him should be in the position he is in. For him, it doesn’t make sense.

“With all the trials and tribulations I’ve been in,” he pauses. “ Before the age of 16, I’ve lost my mom, my brother’s been killed, I’ve been sent to Scotland. I’ve dealt with like all before, reaching what you would call an adult. A lot of people who go through a lot of these things don’t usually own up well.”

And according to Bemz, this is all ­possible because of his faith. “I’ll always be a believer in him and I will always ­believe in him. But I guess it was just ­being able to separate my belief away from churches and the man-made religion aspect of things, I was able to go back to faith on my terms and not the terms of which society expects me to be.”

Speaking of expectations, the rapper notes that the music business makes some artists feel like they have to appear to be someone they’re not.

“I like the music industry, but I don’t like the music business. Even with all your vulnerability, there’s people ­trying to capitalise off it and still trying to get you to make music a certain way – ­because that’s how you make money. If you don’t have a song that can play the clubs, it’s not a hit. If you don’t have over 10,000 followers on Spotify, it’s not a hit,” he says.

THIS summer, Bemz will be releasing a couple of new songs that didn’t make it on Nova’s Dad, before vanishing to work on his next album.

“I’m in the process of putting the pieces of a body of work together, but I’m gonna put something out in the next month or so. It’s like three songs that never made the album, but they’re like really good songs that I like. They’re more upbeat and bouncy, just in time for summer. Then I’m gonna vanish and finish the album.”

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Before vanishing, he will host the M4 Cup 2023, a football tournament which will take place on June 17 in Goals ­Shawlands. In a bid to raise awareness about men’s mental health, the ­ artist teamed up with M4 to use football as a way to help local ­organisations to ­continue the crucial work they do and help change people’s lives for the better.

“It’s just me being my vulnerable self and trying to just let people know that it’s OK to not be OK. And what’s the best way to do that? Bring everybody else ­together as a community to play a game of football whilst raising money for local charities,” he says.

Although, he admits being terrible at football. “I’m so bad, it’s unbelievable. I’ve got asthma, I can’t run.

“If you happen to be in Scotland, come watch a graceful elephant kick a ball,” he concludes with a cheeky grin.