"I am just one person with a vision" - 0161 Bowza talks his brand new album!

0161 Bowza has been busy working away releasing banger after banger over recent times, putting on for the grime scene in Manchester. Now, he drops his brand new album giving us more of an introspective look into the man behind the artist - Tales Of A Problem Child.

This album consists of some of the hardest grime tracks out in 2023. Back 2 Back with fellow Manchester MC and 016Onez member Niftz sees both artists trade bars over a heavy instrumental and stands out on the album. The title track of the album is the best track on the album without a shadow of a doubt, however. Produced by Blizzard, it keeps that grime energy whilst bending some of the genre norms and gives Bowza the platform to tell a story of his life and tie the whole album together. The album closes out with yet another outstanding track, with JC Stormz, Deanoh, Essmac, Tintz and ThatGuyLoui all joining Bowza on Bound For The Reload and trading verses, which makes for an outstanding grime banger and showcases the essence of grime brilliantly.

This album is definitely one to remember and is one of the best releases of the year so far. I do wish there were more tracks like the title track but that doesn't take away from how good this album is. Make sure to stream on all platforms above and check out the best cuts from the album on the Shapin' Grime playlists!

With this project being a standout release, I wanted to get a further insight into the mind of the artist behind the album. Read below for the interview with 0161 Bowza and find out what his motivations behind his album are!

What is the inspiration behind the title of the album?

Growing up in Manchester and being around a lot of top MCs in the early 2000s, my passion for grime has never left me. Born and raised in 0161, M14, I’ve seen the growth of the Manchester music scene and I’m just trying to leave my mark.

What were your main goals going into the making of the album?

When I jumped back into the scene I just wanted to show that I’ve still got it. So I dropped a 5 track EP with Adam R [Work Ah Run]. After I dropped the EP, I had a good reception from a lot of people around Manny, so I decided to put more time and effort into perfecting my craft as well as working with more producers and artists.

How do you think you have showcased yourself and grime across the project?

I think my style is unique to a lot of other MCs. Kind of like tequila, not everyone likes it but for the people that rate and support what I do, that’s what matters. I definitely feel like I’ve evolved since my last project and it is displayed on this album.

The 016Onez feature a few times on the project, how do you think you've been able to portray the Manny scene?

I’ll be honest, I am just one person with a vision but with that being said, the team I’ve got around me definitely share the same vision. The grime scene in Manchester over the last 10 years has been very hit and miss but I feel like there is definitely a resurgence happening and there are new faces that all share the same passion for the scene so I feel like the only way is up, as long as we keep supporting each other.

What were you looking for in the production of the album?

I went into this album thinking I want to out do my last project. So for the album, I linked up with various producers and feature artists and I feel like I got the right combination that made the project what it is. Special shout out to Blizzard who mixed the whole album down and got it sounding clean.

What was the fuel to the fire for the title track?

Again, the part of Manchester where I grew up, I’ve seen a lot from an early age, I’m not perfect and I’ve made a lot of mistakes but that’s life, everyday is a lesson. I feel like a lot of people that can relate to me and this album have probably been a little problem child themselves at some point.

Finally, what else can we check out from you and what can we expect going forward?

More videos, more features, videos, more grime sets and definitely another project, I've got more in the bag that's pending but right now I’m just enjoying learning and connecting the dots with artist, producers & DJs that are keeping the grime sound alive.

I just want to give a shout out to everyone that I had the pleasure of collaborating with on this album, big up all the artist and producers.