Words by Christopher Kevin Au
Mitchos Da Menace is one emcee who lives up to his name with unrestrained defiance.
While he’s been spitting casually since his house party days, Mitchos only started jumping on the microphone seriously around two years ago. In that time, his vicious and imposing verses have won him plenty of favour in his West Sydney heartland – leading to tracks with regional heroes like Kerser and Fortay, as well as grime heavyweights like Fraksha and Alex Jones.
The past 12 months have been particularly hectic for Mitchos, who now finds himself as one of the underground’s most favoured figures. Frequent freestyles, promo videos and collaborations have also created an undeniable buzz, setting the stage for an electric album release from Mitchos in August.
With a rapidly growing online presence that refuses to be ignored, we thought it’d be a good time to chat to Mitchos about his history, upcoming collaborations, and Air Max preferences:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0btQ3Ro5g8
You started freestyling at house parties in Doonside. Any memorable rap battles or stories from those days that you’d like to share?
Yeh I started with freestyle brother, no battles really. We just all got on the drinks and some other type of substances and then just spat. To be honest, the memories of spitting bars are all good, but nothing back then stood out that stuck in my head really. That shit was early days.
From those early days, when did you start taking rapping more seriously?
Fuck, only the last two years really. I was always into rapping and been spitting since Eminem fathered me, but the last couple of years I’ve started writing shit down. I’ve seen my progression since I dropped Straight Menace No Chasers and it’s made me hungry, so I want this.
Last year, recently collaborated with Kerser on ‘No Trusting Em.’ How do you think Kerser’s success has changed the mentality of aspiring West Sydney rappers?
He’s definitely made a wave of hungry people trying to come up. He’s changed a lot of mentalities by making them chase their passion, but with the west these days we’re chasing hard. Believe that. Me and my brother/fellow emcee on Menace Records, Kearve and all the At Large crew.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6gN40YeGWo
Speaking of At Large, a fan recently got yourself and labelmate Fortay tattooed on themselves. What was your first reaction when you saw this?
Yeah, that was crazy for me. I never imagined to see a portrait of myself tattooed on someone, let alone my name and with Fortay and Kerser in the same leg too. I couldn’t even talk me fiancé into get my initial on her, lad! But on the real, that’s a honour that my music means that much to someone. It’s gvng shit, straight up.
You recently started your own Menace Records label – what artists/releases can we expect from the imprint?
Yeah, I started an independent label, Menace Records with a mate/business partner Jesse V, still in association with At Large Productions and Fortay. We have myself and Kearve bringing out albums this year – mine’s looking like August, Kearve’s around November. Kozer is another artist just getting his shit together at the moment, and he backs myself and Kearve onstage. We also have 2 producers, Dizzie Dayze and Fasho. We will also be looking for artist/producers from December once we get our steeze up and running to plan.
You also started your own social media campaign to perform alongside Stormzy when he tours in July. If you could perform at a gig with any five artists, dead or alive – who would it be?
Yeah I have brother, haha. I want that spot. I’ve been going hard, putting that work in, so we thought we’d give it a shot. No word yet, but shit, that would be dope. If you got the hooks brother, let me in! My five would be Eminem, 2Pac, Biggie, Skepta and Big L.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c-1ZDnPJYQ
You’ve also been on the grime tip on tracks with Fraksha, Alex Jones & Sarm. Do you approach rap and grime songs differently in terms of songwriting and lyrics?
First off, it was dope to get that track out with the lads, for sure. I watched these lads for years, and to spit with them was dope. I approach them both the same really, I don’t look at them as separate subjects so to speak. I see rap styles differ and that, but yeah the beats are the difference for me, and flow. My approach is always to kill the track, I have to better my last project. I love that shit all the same. With grime, I feel my flow goes more natural to be honest, but I can flow to a lot of styles.
NTER hinted that he has a collaboration with you coming soon. What can you tell us about this track and what went down in the studio?
Yeah brother, it’s just in the works as we speak, just finding that heavy beat. We’re not in the studio as of yet, we’re still beat searching, but this gonna be big. We get on well brother, NTER is a good cunt – We both have kids, so we can talk about something other than street or rap for a change.
Besides rapping, you’re also heavy into your Nike Air Max & TN. Imagine that Foot Locker ask you to design your own Menace edition of the TN. What would it look like?
Fuck, you didn’t make this easy this one! I need a graphic designer to invite me in the office and give me couple of hours. So many colourways I could go for, you’re frying my brain. I’d put the Nike x Supreme snakeskin from the 98s on the TNs, with Menace somewhere on there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xql0eK11JY
What are some songs/artists in your playlist that might surprise fans?
I’m constantly listening to beats with this album coming, but I have some old shit floating around. I see Nirvana is in it with ‘Heart Shaped Box’ haha, there you go.
You have an album coming out in August. What can you tell us about that, and what’s on the cards for Mitchos for the rest of 2017?
Brother, I’m putting in the hours on this one. I want to make sure it’s all bangers, no fillers at all. I can tell you it will be heavy, that I promise. There’ll be more solo tracks, but it will have features from Fortay, Redbak, Tornts, Kearve plus a few more not announced yet, and an international artist who’s a fucking beast. He may or may not wear a raccoon looking ass hat on his head most of the time. Plus, beats from Dizzie Dayze, Rafle and Fasho as of yet. I’ll be aiming for 14 tracks on the album.
For the rest of the year, I’ll keep dropping promos and free shit. #MenaceGang
