Virgil Hawkins

Name, where are you from?
Virgil HAWKINS, aka Ryoko aka Babydragon. Ivorian-born, French national, raised in south London.

Describe your style in three words?
Progressive, comfy, classic.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
BADBADNOTGOOD & MF DOOM at the Forum in Kentish Town, 2014. Two artists that I’d always wanted to see, their performances were crazy and challenged my perspectives on their music, hearing them in that context. I’d never expected to see people moshing to 'Hedron'! I broke my glasses and had to walk home blind that night... By the time I left the concert, I had so much adrenaline and a lot of ideas just whirling in my head.

If you could be on the line up with any two artists in history?
Kid Cudi - I don’t think I’d be making music without him. Playing with him is a lifetime goal. Santigold - She’s just hard. I love her energy. I think a lot of my music would mesh well with what she’s got. I also feel like there’s a lot to learn from her performance-wise. There’s something so casual but strong about the way she performs.

Which subcultures have influenced you?
Manga/Anime & comic book culture in general. I read so much; I think I’m always looking for escapism in some way and it’s one of the best ways for that. Videogame culture overlaps with that I think. I’m a big fan of Nintendo, its characters, its concepts and I definitely take influence when it comes to story-telling and creating worlds for people to get lost in. Also, although it’s quite a broad net I think that mid-2010s era of underground hip-hop was super influential for me. Odd Future, for example, merged a lot of different subcultures into one, showcasing an alternative vision of blackness and making it feel okay to be different, indie or whatever. Soundcloud and internet culture as well was a really influential part of that, seeing all these new scenes and sounds develop in real-time in front of me, I think that shaped my understanding of rap and hip-hop.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Steve Jobs, because I think he’s someone with an amazing mind who had a set of principles that I can respect - he wanted to create with the intention of helping other people which makes him someone I could learn from.

Of all the venues you’ve been to or played, which is your favourite?
I really liked the space at Brixton Jamm. It was a big crowd, and the sound was great - it gave me a really good idea of what my music is meant to sound like on a bigger stage.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
UnoTheActivist - I just think he’s levels above most of his peers who came up around the same time. Sometimes it’s the most complex, multi-layered artists that take the longest to be understood and appreciated.