No topic is too out there when it comes to writing songs about it. The world has seen music written about aliens, clowns, cars, famous architects, and anything in between. If it’s possible to sing about it, there’s someone who will like it. Still, making a memorable song people will enjoy because they identify with it takes some skill, and it’s one of the fortes of the young up-and-coming rapper Turk N16.
This London-based rapper has drawn significant attention for his art and skills, as well as the fact that people easily find themselves in his lyrics. His recipe for relatable raps is simple: he talks about the things he knows, and he tells it as he sees it. Living in one of the world’s largest cities means there’s always something going on to draw inspiration from. Being immersed in the local community also helps to find the threads he’ll use to weave his rhymes.
For Turk N16, rapping is very much about telling one’s truth through poetry. If that means saying something provocative, that’s okay. What’s provocative for one person is eye-opening for another, and Turk N16 knows that he can’t win over every single person he addresses through his lyrics.
Some of the time, he’ll rap about mundane things in the most lavish, out-there way to make them more interesting and unusual. Often enough, however, he’ll present a simple point of view on a complex topic, giving voice to the people he sees every day trying to grapple with the harsh realities of life in the major city. Relatability shouldn’t be its own cause, but if he manages to pull it off so effortlessly, it doesn’t hurt to use it.
At some point, however, Turk N16 expects to take the route many big names in rap have taken once they’ve outgrown their roots. At that time, he’ll see other things and live a different life, much like stars like Jay Z did, and he’ll write about the new things his life revolves around. Until then, Turk N16 will remain the voice of his generation, rapping about the things his community finds important. So far, doing so has served Turk N16 very well.
Follow Turk N16 on Instagram.
