Get To Know: Avelino

Our next featured artist is Avelino.

We caught up with him to find out a little but more about him and his music.

Check out our interview with the London rapper below:

1. For those who don’t know about you and your music, tell us a little bit about who you are and where you’re from…

I go by the name Avelino, I'm a young rapper from London. I fell in love with music some time ago and we are still going strong.  

2. Describe your sound in three words…

Eclectic, hard hitting and cool.

3. Who inspired you to start a career in music?

A few people inspired me. I don’t think I was inspired to have a career in music, I was just inspired to make music and that became a career. American rappers, with my older siblings listening to them in the house. 2 Pak, Biggie, Mase, even the Busta Rhymns stuff that use to come out. And then as I got older I started to hear MC’s with accents like mine that were wicked with words. For example, the Wretch 32s, the Kanos, and that really made me wanna write lyrics myself because I could identify with all of these people, it wasn’t alien because they were from the same place as me. 

4. Who are your biggest musical influences?

I don’t know, I never had a biggest musical influence. I let the music that I hear everyday influence me, because I’m very studious and I ask a lot of questions. So, if I hear something in treating or something that is new to me I ask, why? Or how? I always want to learn so I'm not too sure that I could say I have one biggest Influence. 

5. Tell us about the writing and recording process for your new single...

It's the same process as all my other songs. I go to the studio and create. To be honest the one thing that was different about this one ['Energy'] is that I asked my producer how we’re going to make something simplified but not dumbed down. So we did that and obviously got great features on there with me because we felt they suited the song.

6) What can we expect from your live shows?

You can expect my music to be bought to life, no pun intended, from my live shows. Expect me just to express myself to the maximum, you know what I mean? That's a great moment to be able to perform music, that you created in a studio, in that private space, in such a public manor.

7) What has been your biggest career highlight so far?

I'm not sure, maybe performing at KoKo in Camden with Wretch 32. If you ask me this in 2 months time, I'll probably say 'Energy'! 

8) Have you met anyone and been totally starstruck?

I have never been totally starstruck, no.  

9) What’s on your iPod/playlists that people wouldn’t expect?

I think I've got a lot of stuff on my playlist that people don’t expect, you know. Let me check, ummm, what lies in this playlist of mine. ‘Nuyorican Soul: I am The Black Gold Of The Sun'.

10) When can we see you live?

I'm doing some festivals this summer and I'm yet to announce my next headline show. 

Avelino's new single 'Energy' is out tomorrow.

You can follow Avelino on Twitter and Instagram - just follow the links. Let us know what you think of him over on Twitter @MTVMusicUK.