WHY I RATE: Motive105

Selected by: Aaron Bishop

Name: Motive105

Where He’s From: West London

When He Started: 2021

Genre: UK Rap

File Next To: Knucks, BERWYN, Dave

Sounds Like: “My writing hold no walls up in front of it. I’m not scared to show the several sides to me as a growing man.”

First Music That Inspired Him: “50 Cent’s ‘If I Can’t’. That guy was like a superhero who got all the women.”

If you take one scroll through the comment section on the handful of videos Motive105 has released to date, you’ll see comparisons to rap royalty in the vein of J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar due to the use of soulful instrumentals and contemplative and layered lyricism. That’s before we even get started on the arresting visuals, filled with as many double entendres and conceptual meanings as his verses.

The West London rapper was born to an Indonesian mother and a Jamaican father, with everything from reggae to R&B being played in his household as a child. But it was early 2000s rap that really resonated with him. “My house facilitated the correct musical palette for me to be as diverse as I am now when creating my own music,” he tells TRENCH. Motive has had an in and out relationship with music over the years (“I’ve been rapping since the playground”), but admits that 2021 was his “first year of actually releasing music to be streamed and to stay with the people indefinitely.” Having started off the year with his debut project, The Drive Downtown: Part One, he’s recently doubled down on his output, with the sequel set to drop at the end of the month.

The Drive Downtown: Part One is a personal affair, delving into topics such as finding himself, leaving his past behind to become something better, and reassuring his partner that the love between them is real. He also uses samples to great effect, injecting elements of his Caribbean heritage into the mix. Coupled with that are the effective use of melody and live instrumentation, adding another string to his bow while highlighting the strength of his musicianship to craft songs that tell vivid and meaningful stories.

All of these components make for intriguing building blocks in what has so far been a carefully-crafted catalogue of releases, which have resulted in him being picked for Billionaire Boys Club’s Class of 2021, setting him up nicely to kick things up another gear over the next twelve months. “I need to go through the process of making and releasing a full album,” he says. “Also, a big thing for me is to finally start touring and seeing the reaction to my music live.”

For now, though, Motive is focused on raising his young family and “making music to heal myself, let go, and heal others in the process” while “showing the several sides to me as a growing man.” It should also be highlighted that his journey has been an independent one, only further cementing the high standards and dedication he has towards his craft. “I’m proud of consistently putting out quality product nonstop for a year-long campaign and I don’t plan on letting up in 2022.”

TRENCH Highlight...


Posted on December 21, 2021