An interview with Christian drill producer Scotty C

Often described as the UK’s leading Christian drill producer, Scotty C here chats with Jake Owen about starting out in the Christian music scene, collaborating with other artists, and the recently launched Official UK Christian and Gospel Singles Chart. For the uninitiated among us, including the en editor, drill music is, according to this explanation, "a type of contemporary rap from Chicago. It came to the UK in 2012 and has spread from Brixton to all areas of the country. It's characterised by ominous beats, haunting melodies and dark lyrics. With roots in disadvantaged inner city London, it appeals to young people who grow up in deprived areas. It is a form of expression for otherwise voiceless communities."

JO: How did your passion for the Christian drill genre begin, and what subsequently inspired you to pursue a career producing Christian drill?

Scotty C: In the UK, one of the most popular genres was drill. I saw a lot of guys in the Christian scene doing it - like Konola, Zelijah Tishbite and Rev J - some really cool guys. But I would say the beats alone inspired me really. I wasn't a big fan of listening to drill but I was a big fan of making beats, and there's just so much energy to them. So I had a passion I think first and foremost just to make the instrumentals.

JO: What, if any, were the challenges that you faced at the start of your career, and how did you overcome them?

Scotty C: One of my challenges was how I was going to make my own sound. To start with, I was creating a lot of random style beats. Yes, I was making drill, but I tapped into some other genres too like trap beats, and learned how to sample boom bap beats. A lot of it was just trying to establish my identity, and I eventually did when I started working on drill beats on a very deep level, and I started to create some cinematic elements with the drill.

Then, I would say that one thing which really got me going was when I started working with more artists, like when I started working with Konola; that really established my sound a lot more. I would say it was shaped by a mixture of my own creativity, but then also the input of other artists I was working with.

JO: While you do contribute vocals on several of your tracks, you are primarily a producer. What led you to decide that was your preferred focus?

Scotty C: Not only vocals; I even started dancing when I was 16 or 17. I tried a lot of different things. I started dancing and rapping, but beats came a little bit after. I would say that making beats was something which became muscle memory to me, and at some point because I was making beats to start with, for me rapping, and even sometimes to dance to I was like, "Well, I've got some spare leftovers, I might as well give them to other people". It was never my goal to do that, but when I did I would say that definitely sparked a good love for doing that. Then in the end one of the guys I was dancing with stopped, and I didn't really have many people to do the rapping with, and in the end I stuck with the producing.

JO: Were there any moments where you first thought you could have great success as a Christian drill producer?

Scotty C: I would say working with Konola and Rev J was important. I remember working with Reblah was a big deal. I did a track with him and Eso, who is a rather big artist based in the States now, so that was a big song. I remember working with Still Shady, that was definitely a big one, called Proverbs & Beats, and that was with Eso as well. So there were a lot of songs along the way where I thought "Well if I can do one song like this, then I'm sure that I could do another song and another one and another one".

JO: What is your process when creating a track, from inception to release, and has this process evolved as your career progressed?

Scotty C: I started to do a lot of beats remotely and I sent them out individually to different artists. When I did, the main focus was building connections on a personal level with a lot of people in the scene, and once I created the beat then they would hop on. And that's generally been the process back at the start of my career, especially when I was in university. Now it still can be similar, but I do a lot more in-person sessions where I'd make a beat from scratch in the studio. Sometimes, it's also someone who comes to me with an idea, and then I create it remotely, but it would be more of a custom beat for them.

JO: Is there a track that you are particularly pleased with how it came out or how it was received?

Scotty C: In terms of a track which I'm particularly pleased about, I think there are two sides to that question. Some tracks are well received but I'm less pleased with; some tracks I’m well pleased with and aren’t as well received. I'd say some of the ones I did with Jo Joey were quite underrated. The track with Jo Joey and Reblah - Walking in the Spirit - that's a very UK rap track. I remember playing that with friends at church and they were just blown away by the song, so that's one I'm very well pleased with. I would say a track which is well received which I made working with DC3 and Still Shadey is Spiritual Sense, which has been well received in live venues. It was performed at Big Church Festival and a lot of people were saying, "I noticed your tag on that one, Scotty". Shout out to Jaydee for collaborating with me on that beat.

JO: The UK's Christian music scene, much like its churches, features a variety of theological opinions. How does yours impact your music, such as who you would collaborate with, and do you feel your Reformed convictions make you an outlier in the scene at the moment?

Scotty C: I do have boundaries definitely. A lot of people say, "Scotty, would you work with a Pentecostal? Would you work with this and that denomination?", and the truth is I care more about the individual than the label. Yes, I worked with loads of Pentecostals; that's not really an issue to me.

I think the issue to me which I've seen is the prosperity gospel. Specifically in Contemporary Christian Music (CCM), there's quite a lot of prosperity gospel and - I won't go into too much detail - but I have turned down some very high-profile figures, because I've been like, "Man, what you preach on a Sunday doesn't really sound like the Christianity I know".

JO: The Christian music scene has grown substantially in popularity, with the Official UK Christian and Gospel Singles Chart launched recently in response. Does this development excite you, and what opportunities and risks do you see it bringing to the Christian music scene?

Scotty C: I'm very proud of Dennis O'Neill for championing Christian artists and making it possible that there is such a thing as an Official UK Chart. One of the exciting things about it is it's creating some sort of backbone for the Christian music scene in the UK; it's creating recognition for so many hardworking individuals. As for the risks, we don't want another Glorilla and Kirk Franklin situation, in the sense we don't want worldly collabs. On a pastoral level, there may be some pride which can come in our hearts for these things. I'd say, when it comes to charts and achievements, it's very important to not make it about you; try to give glory to God whenever you get involved in that.

JO: What goals have you achieved so far in your music career, and are there any more you hope to reach?

Scotty C: I've recently won Rapzilla Producer of the Year Award, which has been massive because Rapzilla is a world-renowned platform for Christian rappers, so I'm humbled by that. I'd say other achievements would be working with certain artists like Hulvy, Tori D’Shaun, and Pastor Richard Lorenzo was really unexpected but amazing.

Also, I see it as an achievement to develop artists which people haven't really heard about, like Colonel Mikes and a5hstone. And it's been a blessing to give back to other producers too. A future goal is going to be creating different resources like loops and tutorials for other Christian producers to go from.

JO: What lessons have you learnt so far in your music career, and what advice would you give to those wanting to become a producer or rapper themselves?

Scotty C: I think learning from other people is very important. It's so important not to isolate yourself and think you can do everything by yourself. Knowledge and wisdom is immensely valuable, so try to get some from others. Throw yourself into uncomfortable situations, such as taking on a studio session which may be a bit above your skill set. There's been so many studio sessions I've been in and haven't been confident, but I’ve come out thinking, "I'm glad I did it anyway". I’ve made so many mistakes, but it doesn't matter because I would say in the gospel scene people have a degree of grace for you, especially when you're new.

Last thing is, just put all of your stuff out there. Whatever you do, don't keep your music on a hard drive - please, it drives me up the wall when I see artists and producers that never put out beats. You never know who is going to reach out back to you. I think one of the most life-changing moments for me was when I started posting Instagram reels and they started to take off. Don't be afraid of spamming your songs everywhere, because at the end of the day the more Christ-centred the music we have in the airspace the better.