Slam Dunk Festival Preview // MC Lars

This weekend sees the legendary Slam Dunk Festival return for yet another two days of music, seeing a plethora of bands and partying. 


We caught up with MC Lars ahead of the event for a quick chat about why he loves the festival and what he’s been up to…

You’re playing at Slam Dunk Festival in a couple of weeks. We’ve seen you play there a few times before- what do you like about the festival that keeps you coming back?

It’s just so cool, it feels like a mini Warped Tour even though it’s different. I’ve done so much stuff with bigger pop-punk bands, like Wheatus who isn’t necessarily pop-punk but they have that audience, and I’ve never really done that with UK hip-hop artists. I love UK hip-hop but it’s always been rock bands, so I think a lot of people who’ve heard my name maybe haven’t seen me, so they come to Slam Dunk to see it because it’s really the only hip-hop thing. But we have Failsafe backing us up and Greg from Zebrahead playing guitar, so it’s going to be heavy. I’m really excited for that.  The UK is really renowned for its festivals and I love it. The music scene here is so vibrant. It’s because your country’s so compact that everyone is sharing that culture and I think it breaks up the monotony too. Not that the UK is monotonous, but I think music is more a social thing here.

MC Lars

You’re always involved in things beyond the music; I saw that you’re writing for Huffington Post and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention?

I think that hip-hop is really just the preservation of the oral culture of our world and I think if you want to talk about that then you have to be informed of other things. If you take hip-hop back to the West African Griot, like the rapper who would go from village to village telling a story, it rhymes because it helps with preserving memory. That’s why they used to say in old school rap “you’re dropping science”; if you can integrate other things into your rap and diversity your talents then it makes you so much better. I would be so bored if all my life was hanging out in bars rapping, that would suck. One of the most boring things about touring is lack of intellectual stimulation. So I try to keep it fresh and I also do a lot of teaching for kids who don’t have resources to hip-hop tools. Keep life interesting because life’s too short to be bored. I was bored a lot from ‘07 until 2010; I was bored and just touring. I love music but I want it to be a passion 

Who have you been listening to that you recommend that we check out?

I love this guy “Rittz”; he worked with Yelawolf who was on Warped Tour with us and Rittz is on my mixtape, a song with KRS-One and MC Chris. He’s a southern MC and really quick, nice flow; his new album is called “White Jesus: Revival” and he’s really cool. He’s one of my favourites MCs at the moment. So, yeah check him out.  

[to read the extended interview with MC Lars and live review click HERE]

Be sure to catch MC Lars perform at both Slam Dunk North and South-

Sinstar Bar 7.45 – 8.45pm at both shows.