Sometimes less is more, and for Motive105, his art is all about stripping things back.
Motive105 hangs his arm over an orange plastic chair bolted to the wall, framed by the brown and cream hues of Castle’s Pie and Mash shop. The West London rapper tells me he likes the area because the train overpass reminds him of New York.
He mentions that Camden is a foreign land to his native stomping ground, but over time, the place has started to bring out a new side to his creativity. “I never thought Camden would keep me creative, but here we are.”
If the soul sampling of Larry June had a baby, and that baby had a bunch of 90s hip-hop records shoved into its hands as it was sent off to grow up in the UK, that process would end with Motive105. His sound wasn’t an accident.
When he first started making music, he was driven by pure expression; that hasn’t changed, but now he understands the business behind music. “As a creative, you branch out because we’re always thinking about new ideas, but my focal point is music. It’s always going to be music.”
His last full project HEARTBROKEN, BUT KEPT IT GANGSTER dropped in 2024 with some of the most notable voices in UK rap woven in, including Kojey Radical and Novelist. Since then, it’s been a complex road to the next one. Now, he’s on the eve of releasing a new mixtape, “Broke Baby”.
After five years in the game, he had started questioning his own motivations. Finally finding his long-lost bearings underneath a bridge in New York at a cypher.
Weaving simple words, letters and rhythm patterns together to impress an opponent; it’s easy to tell that the vividness of this raw moment is something that still sits with him.
“It’s funny, the irony behind the idea of stripping it back in order to push yourself. Sometimes you get so clouded by the idea of an album or a hit single that you forget people probably mess with you for the pure fact that you can just rap.”
Motive knew he had to separate himself from the optics of public life, to come back to the core thing he fell in love with: “Showing that you have the best 16 or best 24 and just urging that reaction out of people.”
The parallels between the New York cypher and the heavy steel Camden Road overpass a few metres away aren’t a far reach, and he identifies an instant connection with anything that drives him towards that feeling. “Every time I think about getting back to the root of just rapping, I think of New York.”
The US influence is undeniable; with a host of American rappers set to feature on his upcoming mixtape, and a title pulled from Mekhi Phifer’s iconic “Paid in Full” line, “I’m broke, baby! I ain’t got no money,” it’s fair to say Motive105 is back in full effect.
TRACKLIST
Motive105’s essential listens
SAMPLE FLIP: Oochie Wally (Remix) / Nas & Bravehearts “I want to flip this. Like, I’ve got to flip this.”
DEEP CUT: La Complicidad / Cultura Profética “When I first listened to it, I got introduced to Latin music. It was my entry point.”
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY: Who Knows / Daniel Caesar “If I made this song, I’d be happy and just at peace.”
GUILTY PLEASURE: Walking on a Dream / Empire of the Sun “I’m seeing guys on TikTok now that look like gang members listening to this music. So it’s not just me.”
ON REPEAT: White Lines / Kanye West “It reminds me of Kanye back in the day. It’s interesting that he’s re-submersed into versions of his music that I loved.”
Motive105 JEWEL CASE
We asked Motive to bring four things that define him. This is what he showed up with.
MCM TRAVEL BAG: “I got this bag from a friend of mine who had zero money at the time. This bag has been with me for maybe six, seven years; it’s gone through so many different stages of my life. I’ve had money, I’ve been broke, I’ve been sad, I’ve been happy.”
SKINCARE: “I was on a splash of water, cocoa butter, and out. Then I got introduced to skincare by my girl. Probably not what you expected from a rapper, but hey, we’re changing the game.”
NOTEBOOK: “I think it’s important to write how you feel. When you get time to lock in with yourself, write how you feel, and just go with the wind. Anyone can pen up.”
TOGA VIRILIS CLOGS: “There’s something about these that makes me feel like some Arabian prince.”
Featured image by Ryan Gardiner.