interview by Benedict Rolfe

Foreign Beggars are gearing up for a massive comeback tour of the United Kingdom, it only felt right to sit them down for a few questions about how 2011 is progressing for them and what the future holds, alongside their recent August pickNmix.

You’ve gained huge success with Vato Gonzalez recently on “Badman Riddim“, how did your vocals on it come about, did you hear the tune when it was doing the rounds last year and know you wanted to rap on it, or were you approached?

Yeah it’s pretty cool, didn’t expect to hit the charts but it’s real nice to finally get some proper recognition UK wide and especially by the more mainstream side of the music industry. We heard the joint around a couple times but as it was released didn’t think to jump on it, then Levels Entertainment / Ministry of Sound got in touch and asked us to throw down so we did and there you have the result.

You’ve collaborated with a huge array of great artists, Nosia, Plastician, Vato Gonzalez, Jazzstappa, Shlomo and Rouge A Levres to name but a few, who has been your favourite or maybe the most memorable to work with?

I think the most memorable and enjoyable collab was probably with Noisia because those joints were actually made together in their studio in Groningen, rather than us receiving beats via email and writing bars in airports or any other places to record to meet deadlines…Actually i lie, the Rouge A Levres one was cool as the label in France flew me out to Biarritz to meet them, so recorded that by the beach and filmed the video Near the Louvre in Paris.

The UK underground scene has been evolving and changing a lot in the past few years, and you’ve been there developing with it. How do you feel about where the scene is right now, how will it change in the future?

The scene is incredible right now. Finally for the first time in 20 years you are seeing rap music by UK artists in the top 10 consistently, new artists have real opportunities and can surf the underground and pop world simultaneously, and our generation of dance music since the jungle days has popped off and leads the way internationally. Just the 140 genre and everything that’s come from garage alone has major influence in the entire music world, not just the dance arena, and these guys are the same guys we’ve grown up raving, making tunes with or handing over to at the pirate stations so it feels special to a part of the source for once. It’s unreal and the energy and inspiration is strong with entirely new genres being born almost bi monthly. I think the power has been shifted from the majors back to the people and that’s an interesting thing to say the least.

What, if anything, is wrong with the current state of the music industry, both mainstream and underground?

I think it’s sad that record sales are negligible, but it’s the same with everything. People have to evolve to survive. I think that it’s sad that much of the underground stuff doesn’t get backed properly and doesn’t reach the masses like the diluted pop stuff, but as I said, it’s open game if people have the balls to back their own movement, their shit will go the distance.

Now with expanding success, Radio 1 daytime plays and the like, what are you planning next for more domination?

Just keeping it real to what we have always done, make more music and rip more stage shows. We have a project with Noisia in the pipeline and an array of interesting collabs coming. We have more remixes featured on never say die about to drop and some more joints too. We’ve just finished an EP with the dude Kid Kanevil. We’re looking to start our next full studio album soon as well. USA Tour with Skrillex and then our comeback UK tour in Oct/ November and beyond.

From the young and emerging talent you must see regularly, who are your top picks we should keep an eye out for in the future?

Yelawolf, Marger, Zomboy, Darling Farrah, Sox, The whole Grime scene atm, Earl sweatshirt, Submotion orchestra, Gentleman’s dub club, Reema Major, The list goes on…..