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More on KentOnline
Hands up if you’ve heard of chap hop.
No? Then let Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer enlighten you at the Style and Winch in Maidstone's Union Street on Bank Holiday Monday.
The former Kent Institute of Art and Design (KIAD) student, whose aunt and cousins live in Maidstone, has been forging a pretty unique path into chap hop for the past 10 years, after previously playing hip hop in the 90s and also in a dandy punk band. “It was a happy accident really and it seemed to work,” he said.
His persona as Mr B involves a well-spoken English accent, and much tweed and facial hair, but it’s not far removed from his regular self. He does always insist on wearing a suit, for instance. “Prince insisted his band never wear jeans and they’d be fired if they did. If I had a band I’d do the same. It’s just me though.”
Classing himself as a rapper, he sees Mr B to the off-stage him is what Slim Shady is to Marshal Mathers. Now working on the second volume of his Chappy Style, which he describes as “garage infused chappy style”, Mr B plays the banjolele and says: “I am a rapper – what I do is rapping. If I’m in front of an audience who’ve never seen me before they are usually pleasantly surprised.”
He has quite a following on YouTube, where he posts videos of his songs. He also once featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal as a result of a “chap hop beef” with a rival chap – but the pair are now friends, meeting for a beverage occasionally in their home town of Brighton.
There will be no set playlist when he heads to Maidstone. “I will wing it,” he said. “I usually test the water and then think something else might suit the venue so change it a bit. People want to hear some familiar stuff so it does mean you get to play some favourite stuff, which is great. It’s just me so I can change it.
“I once played with a 27-piece orchestra in a pub and they wanted to stick to the music, because they were reading it.” His banjolele arrived by chance, after he went to buy a ukelele for his godson and was smitten.
He plays the Earl Street pub at 9pm as part of its steam punk-themed day. “There may be goggles. People will certainly be looking good there that day,” he said.
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