Rizzle get Kicks out of new sound

LAUNCHING a music career with your best friend, selling out shows, recording with major artists and landing a platinum-selling album — all within a few years — is a whirlwind many dream of living.

For Jordan Stephens and Harley ‘Sylvester’ Alexander-Sule, better known as Rizzle Kicks, this became their reality. The hip-hop duo shot to fame as teenagers in the early ’10s with hits like ‘Down With The Trumpets’ and ‘Mama Do The Hump’. Their 2011 debut album Stereo Typical climbed to number five in the UK charts while their 2013 follow-up, Roaring 20s, did even better, soaring to number three.

Despite their success, a few years later the duo stopped releasing music together due to problems including addiction and mental health.

“Putting Rizzle Kicks on ice came as a result of Harley having a series of panic attacks”, says Stephens, now age 32, who has spoken openly about his own experience with anxiety.

“There’s no amount of money or promise of notoriety that was worth my best friend feeling s***, the hamster wheel isn’t worth it, so we put it on ice. We wanted to not be broken.” 

Eight years since their last single, the duo has returned to release new tracks — titled ‘Javelin’ and ‘Gumdrops’. 

During this time, Stephens has hosted a panel show, acted in sitcoms like Netflix’s Feel Good, wrote the 2022 children’s book The Missing Piece and done some deep soul searching — which he has documented in his memoir Avoidance, Drugs, Heartbreak And Dogs.

In it he recounts his turbulent young adulthood, exploring his infidelity, struggles with drink and drugs, depression and ADHD to name a few areas. The effects of being thrown into the spotlight at a young age has been a point of concern for decades, and to this day rising stars continue to get caught in its vice.

“The entertainment industry is a violent place and my recommendation is that young people don’t idealise or glamorise the idea of infamy at a young age”, Stephens says, speaking from experience.

“I literally went through it. There are many perks, the large majority of them are material. Those material perks don’t do anything for the emotional existence of a person.

“So my suggestion is just that people are allowed to grow up, get a good set of people around you and and that should be the focus on life.

“And then when you do go into a space where you’re exposed to more, I think it’s the responsibility of elders around that person.” 

Stephens hopes being honest about his battles will help others feel less alone and that it breeds “vulnerability and connection”.

His relationship with pop star Jade Thirlwall — who can relate to the highs and lows of fame as she was just 15 when auditioning for The X Factor which formed her pop group Little Mix – has helped him open up about his experiences.

“I feel so secure in my relationship now that I’m able to look back at my behaviours in the past,” he says, allowing a glimpse into a part of his life he has kept relatively shielded from the public eye.

After taking the time to “grow up” out of the glare of the spotlight, Rizzle Kicks now wish to make music just for the love of it.

“There are 100 million artists all fighting and vying for people’s attention, and I just feel less bound by a desire to win that race”, Stephens admits.

“ We’ll put the music out, if people like it, people share it, then great. But ultimately, we’re not going to be getting as much attention as we used to.

“It’s a whole different world and there are people who are fresh in this and they’re ready to die for it.” 

The singer feels the “more funky” style of music they are releasing now is the best they’ve ever made, but he is not sure if it will hook their original pop fans who are looking for them to bring back their old style.

“We’re not trying to get a nostalgia back. But believe me, people think we’re are. ‘Oh, you guys haven’t got any money, that’s why you’re back’. It’s like ‘Right cool’.” 

Utilising his platform and experience in the industry to help the next generation of musicians is something that Stephens is passionate about. He was recently named the winner of the inaugural grassroots hero prize by the charity Youth Music, who invest in music-making projects for children and young people experiencing challenging circumstances.

After collaborating with the organisation for over a decade, Stephens says he felt “over the moon” to be recognised for his advocacy of grassroots music for young people.

“There’s a lot of people doing a lot of grassroots advocacy that deserve to be boosted and highlighted, and I understand my role as somebody with a platform, but there are people on the ground doing this every single day who deserve all the credit,”he adds.

Grassroots music venues that are fostering the talent of young artists are struggling more than ever.

A report by the charity Music Venue Trust previously showed that these spaces experienced their “worst year” for closures in a decade during 2023, with 125 venues closing or stopping hosting live music.

“Independent venues existing on high streets and not being able to afford the rent to just operate — in my mind anyway — that’s an emergency”, says Stephens.

“It’s a reflection of growing inequality… “We are known as a country for our creative output. Probably without our creative output, what do we really have other than some semblance of a monarchy?

“So much of the talent that has been nurtured in environments like grassroots venues, through youth centres, through youth music, even me, I went to Brit School, this is another state-funded creative hub, Brit School created Adele, arguably, is there a bigger economic resource than Adele?” 

Stephens is among many who are calling for greater support for the creative sector from the new Government to help protect the future of young people.

“I know there’s loads of other things to consider that go into a country’s economy, but my God, open places for people to go outside and see each other and exist and connect — That’s the point of being human”, he laments.

“I don’t want to be in a world where we are encouraged to sit in boxes and just fester. I don’t think that’s right.” — Youth Music is the UK’s leading young people’s music charity and believes that every young person should have the chance to make, learn and earn in music.