Q&A: Ragz Originale Has the Love Jones in Debut Album ‘Bare Sugar’
☆ BY Kristian Gonazales☆
Photo by Maria Pearly
MARCHING TO HIS OWN BEAT — North London–based multidisciplinary artist Ragz Originale wants to spread his wings on his debut album, Bare Sugar, which dropped on June 30. Stepping forward from his work as a producer for Skepta and his collective, MINIKINGZ, the singer and rapper applies the latter’s spontaneous approach in genre-bending. From grime and alternative R&B fusion into an ethereal and delicate sound, he adds more ingredients to the melting pot, such as afrobeats and electronic music to shed the mask behind the artist’s persona.
Originale carefully crafts a soundtrack fully covering the beauty and ugliness behind love, fit for after hours rendezvous and late night drives. With equal parts braggadocio and sexual bravado, alongside moments of vulnerability and affection, Originale keeps it real while navigating the jungle of relationships. Spanning from requited love on “long stay,” featuring Bakar, and infidelity on “troublin” to sensuality on “what comes next” and pure flexing on “girls like girls,” he is a playboy with a soft heart.
Bare Sugar marks the culmination of a gradual shift for Originale from grime producer previously known for helming Skepta’s 2015 hit “Shutdown” into a future posterboy for the UK’s alternative scene. Beginning in 2018 with Nature, followed by projects such as 2020’s txt ur x and 2021’s WOAH, Originale tapped into heavier adventures with multi-genre experimentation and bittersweet introspection. Now, he’s ready to push his country’s sound across the globe.
Keep reading below as Luna connected with Originale to discuss the making of Bare Sugar, the influence of London on his creative identity, and the internal conflict within dating amongst other details.
LUNA: Hello, Ragz Originale, it’s great to connect with you! How excited or anxious are you feeling with your debut album ready to drop?
RAGZ: Nice to meet you. The new album is out now and I’ve got so many emotions running through me… I don’t even know where to start.
LUNA: Is there any sense of feeling like a small fish in a big pond when finding yourself featured on bigger platforms such as COLORS and New York Fashion Week? Or do you think, “This is definitely my moment now”?
RAGZ: To be honest, it's that classic saying, “The top gets further the higher I climb.” I do think it is my moment, for sure, but it will be more than a moment. A new beginning, in fact. Even though I been doing this for a while, I’m still a baby in here.
LUNA: You’ve been building a name for yourself since way back in 2016 with your production for Skepta on tracks such as “Shutdown.” What are the most important changes you’ve made as a musician over the years with your mixtapes and EPs before getting to your first album?
RAGZ: With this album, the main thing I owe my progress to is my focus. I feel this time ’round I had to tap into a whole new gear, a place I've never been before, physically and mentally. I am drained but the results are lovely. It’s a fair trade.
LUNA: For American listeners who are discovering you for the first time, how would you describe the influence of London’s underground music and general creative scene on your style and how it mixed with the music you grew up on at home?
RAGZ: London is a small place with a lot of first-generation immigrants, so growing up I was introduced to many different cultures and many ways of life I learned to respect along the way. Personally, I think London has the most diverse music in the world right now.
LUNA: What sparked the initial inspiration for the process behind creating Bare Sugar?
RAGZ: I wanted to make something out of this world, incomparable. Something that would push luxurious sound forward.
LUNA: How drastic of a shift is your creative vision on Bare Sugar compared to that of your previous solo work and collaborations with your collective, MINIKINGZ?
RAGZ: Collaborations with others tend to have a lot of guidelines.With my own record, I can go crazy!
LUNA: Throughout this album, there seems to be a tug of war of sorts between the more sincere and humble side of relationships and an ego-driven and bravado-filled side. It ranges from infatuation on “long stay” and emotional healing on “ego” to full dedication and lust on “pay your bills” and pure swagger on “styles.” Could the sequencing of the project also apply to the cycle of relationships, where there’s an intense honeymoon phase followed by the navigation of issues like temptations?
RAGZ: Yeah, you're right — the whole album is a soundtrack to all the motions we endure through relationships and dating.There’s a song for every emotion, feeling and action.
LUNA: One track that grabbed my attention is “pretty girls luv supreme.” What is the most significant effect that fashion can have on how people perceive you when it comes to dating?
RAGZ: Man, you’ve gotta know how to dress to date someone like me… It’s essential.
LUNA: On a more affectionate song such as “flashbacks,” what is the strongest quality of Sampha as an artist that fits perfectly on the track?
RAGZ: His voice! One thing about Sampha’s voice is it’s gonna send us to the clouds.
LUNA: Out of all of the songs on Bare Sugar, which one speaks the closest to your heart at the moment?
RAGZ: “Wrist froze” is the one at the moment.
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