txt_Shawn Lawrence James//ph_Rahan Cotterel

Music, much like fashion, is formed around the intent of expression and constant progression. Rowdy is one of the few that’s able to thread the fine line of both and today he speaks with Stylistics about what helps him sew together a sound as abstract as the pieces he creates and collects.

Name: Rowdy Superstar
Better Known As: Mr. Sequin
Age: I think I’m 22?!?!?
Based: The Big, Big LDN/ Londontown!
Occupation: Artistic person! [Laughs] Rapper, producer, stylist choreographer.

Where did the name Rowdy come from?
I’m not 100% sure anymore. I know it happened while I was in school.
It’s the only name that has made sense enough to be my title. My previous name made me a junior and doesn’t suit me so I shed it quite quickly. [Rowdy] actually means spirited and driven.

Tell us about the various styles you draw from musically to make your own.
Musically, I draw from a bunch of different things, not just other music. I’m inspired by attitudes. [I’m inspired by] punk because its just about being raw in a “I done give a fuck!” kind of way. And that’s how I always live. Hip Hop because it’s a culture. It’s still new enough to still be budding, but old enough to have strong roots. And pop because it’s about having fun, being playful and taking thing too seriously.

Are those same styles used in your fashion?
My style in regards to the way I look I guess its a representation of my character, which is a culmination of the attitudes I just mentioned. I like to be seen so I guess what’s why me and sequins get along so well. To me, knowing your own style is more about how you wear it rather than what you wear. I got swagger! And that can save any old rag I throw on.

What song best describes your outfit from the shoot?
Of my own? It would have to be “New Day New Way” [But] I know there’s a Prince song but the title escapes me.

What would you say is your biggest misconception?
That people hear the title “Rapper” and pigeonhole me and expect to hear/see a Kanye, Jay-Z, or Dizzee Rascal type or for me to speak about stereotypical “rapper” subjects. I thin in that sense a lot of people (especially artists themselves) have forgotten that the power of Hip Hop was about it having no limits and more importantly being able to express yourself and your life in a way that’s true and real to you. Sticking to formula is not what it’s about – [now] its what it’s slowly becoming.

What do you love more: designing clothing or rhythms?
That’s hard for me to answer because they are two of the three ways of expressing myself! But out of those two, if I had to choose, I would have to say sounds. My music is my heart and soul translated. That travels further and connects with more people on a deeper level (I hope) sound can penetrate, clothes just sit on top.

What did you love most about your stay in New York?
Everything. I love everything about New York. The smell, the pulse of the city, the speed at which things move. The spontaneity, the fact that it felt familiar while at the same time feeling like you’re in a different world. I loved the love I got from people, blogs, etc. The lemon loaf from Starbucks, the peppermint pie from Burger King and the BBQ’s [Laughs]

Usually, the case with individualists is that they are their biggest competition. What keeps you motivated to continue to push the envelope?
I’m not sure if I do “try” to push the envelope. What I do continue to do is stay 100% true to what is me and I strive to have an understanding of myself as I grow, mature and change. In doing that, I guess I’m able to express something that’s individual. There is only one me! I have to be in love with everything I do I have no boundaries for myself. There’s enough of that created by others. I also made a promise to myself that if I do something by accident that is similar to something that I seen/heard, I have to delete it and keep it moving.