This Is Guernsey

By Thom Ogier

Hip-hop artist MLC is advising other music lovers to pursue their ambition. (Picture by Zoe Ash, 0611856)

HIP-HOP artist MLC is hitting it big in the UK.  Guernsey-born and Les Beaucamps-educated Matt Le Clercq, 17 (pictured), has already headlined a music festival and his first video has been viewed nearly 70,000 times on youtube.

‘It feels really good to be getting such recognition for my music,’ he said. ‘The other day I was in Southend and people were stopping me in the street asking if I was MLC, which felt very strange and very good.’

On 19 July, he headlined his first festival, Summer Explosion in Hertfordshire. ‘It was the biggest stage I have ever been on and I had to keep moving around just to try to fill the space, but then I just really got into it, it was great,’ he said.

He has also played gigs in London, Bolton and Nottingham as well as locally at Rogues nightclub. ‘I think there is more demand for my genre of music in the UK but the crowd in Guernsey were very supportive and got into it,’ he said.

MLC began listening to hip-hop when he started secondary school but started rapping himself only 18 months ago.

‘I recorded some tunes at a mate’s house and put them on Myspace and then I guess word must have got out,’ he said.

ºHe recently topped one of Myspace’s UK unsigned artist music charts for alternative acts and he is hoping to release his first single, Who Am I To Say?, through the iTunes website in the next few weeks.

Despite the attention he is receiving, he insists that he is not the loud person that some of his fans might imagine.

‘I’m quite a quiet person in general and keep myself to myself, but with music it’s different. I don’t get nervous on stage because I am confident in what I do,’ he said.

He said that thanks to support from friends and family, his ambitions of being signed to a label and recording a successful album are possible.

‘My mum supports me quite a bit, my step brother has always been there for me and friends have travelled from Guernsey to England to watch me perform,’ he said.

‘I would be very happy to be well known in the UK for my music, especially as I write my own lyrics, based on situations involving my friends and me.’

MLC encourages any other youngsters thinking of pursuing musical ambitions to forget their fears and just go for it.

‘People always doubt you at first but if you work really hard at your art, you will do well eventually so don’t worry what people may think. Believe in yourself. Just do it,’ he said.

Article posted on 29th July, 2008 - 2.29pm