Music
As nine unsigned singer-songwriters are paired up with nine rising producers in Red Bull TV's new show, The Cut, we meet its host Tiffany Calver to discuss the magic of collaboration.
"I don't think I'd have a career if I didn't collaborate,” says UK DJ and radio broadcaster Tiffany Calver, reflecting on how pairing up creatively with like-minds has helped her realise her own ambitions. Collaboration is, she tells us, the key to unlocking creative potential. Just ask any of the up-and-coming artists taking part in The Cut – an intense, four-episode-long songwriting contest that Calver hosts with all the generous encouragement of someone who's already put the hard yards in.
So far, the Londoner's music career has been a series of firsts. She was the first woman to make a mix for Drake’s OVO Sound show on Beats 1 Radio; the first woman to have a hip-hop show on Kiss FM; and now she's the first woman to host BBC Radio 1Xtra's The Rap Show. Calver's ear for hip-hop magic makes for shows that ride the stylistic gamut from contemporary female MCs such as City Girls and Cardi B, and UK road rap like Giggs to old-school OGs like Mobb Deep, Biggie and Nas. She also devotes a lot of energy to promoting homegrown UK talent and was the driving force behind Jaykae, Dave, Fredo and J Hus taking to the stage with Drake on his 2019 trip around the UK – a tour that Calver herself was invited to open for.
Watch The Cut: Episode 1 below
"When the whole Drake tour happened, it felt like going to school or something," Calver says, recalling how she coped with opening for one of the world's biggest artists. "It wasn't as if every night I was like, 'Oh my god, it’s Drake!'. Me and my friends were saying that the other day, like: did that whole tour actually even happen?"
With an experience like that behind her and at such an early stage in her career, Calver has plenty of sage advice for the artists taking part in The Cut, who all need to find their own ways of handling pressure and dealing with high-stakes situations. In each of the four episodes, some of the most exciting up-and-coming singer-songwriters and producers from the UK's hip-hop, grime and electronic scenes are paired up to create new tracks together. At the end of each show, teams vote for their favourite track and the winners progress to the grand finale.
Figuring out what the best creative direction of travel is while operating under such an intense spotlight is a process that Calver can relate to. Taking over The Rap Show reins from big names Charlie Sloth and Tim Westwood in January, 2019, Calver became the first woman to host the show. All ears were on her.
Get to know the songwriters and producers taking part in The Cut
"Becoming the first female is hard to process," she says. "But I definitely understand the importance of it and I'm grateful that I'm able to be a voice or a figure that can help inspire many more women to want to pursue whatever they want to do. That's definitely the best thing about that title, but it's also the most intimidating thing – you're kind of holding that weight."
There are, of course, other big female names in the DJ and radio world to look up to, like Annie Mac and Jamz Supernova, but Calver is the first to specialise solely in hip-hop. "I'd always have to say, 'Think Annie Mac meets some hip-hop DJ', when I was trying to describe myself, because there wasn't anyone else," she says. "So, I'm happy I got to kick down a door and I'm definitely still kicking it."
When asked about her earliest heroes, Calver talks excitedly about New York City's Hot 97 presenter Angie Martinez. 'The Voice Of New York' played a pivotal role in '90s hip-hop, pushing forward the city's sound, mediating beefs between rappers like Jay-Z and Nas, scooping an exclusive Tupac interview in 1995 about the infamous (and ultimately tragic) East Coast vs West Coast feud and even appeared on tracks with KRS-One, Redman and Lil Kim. "That's my god, my idol," she tells us. "I did an interview with her that's going out on my show on International Women’s Day and you can really hear how I'm fangirl-ing out."
Like Martinez, Calver makes sure she keeps tabs on the ever-evolving world of contemporary hip-hop, ensuring that her listeners cop not just the catchiest tracks, but also the most cutting-edge. This ear for quality is something that she's worked hard to train and which she uses expertly to guide artists competing in The Cut.
"In many ways, I now can understand songs from different viewpoints," she explains. "I can easily file songs into different categories and know who it'll appeal to. I get sent so many songs that it can be hard to keep up. Actually, the best thing for me is when I find the song that I can't place. When I don't know what bracket to put it in, or can't explain it – when you find something that doesn't sound like the rest of the sea of everything else."
Listening out for songs with a difference, tracks with that certain, unquantifiable spark, is something that Calver has obsessed over ever since she was a teenager. Growing up in the West Midlands in the UK, she actually started out writing about music rather than playing it and in those early years found a kindred spirit in a still-undiscovered Slowthai. "I used to have a terrible blog," she laughs. "And when we were both 17 or 18, I would premiere his music. Even then he was experimenting – you couldn't place him. It's been amazing to watch his career develop."
Get to know the songwriters and producers taking part in The Cut
Whether it's teaming up with Slowthai, or encouraging artists to take the next step, working with others to develop and test out new ideas is something that Calver holds dear. "I'm a really firm believer that when you work together, learn from other people and create something new, that's the best way to go about it. I literally started by writing for other people, interviewing people and constantly learning from someone else." It's even how she learned to DJ.
Calver was initially "too terrified" to go near any DJ equipment, but friends on the decks would ask her to read the crowd for them and ask her what tracks to play next. She's been sneaking into clubs since she was 16, just to listen to music and observe the room. "I analyse a lot. I'm a really curious person," she says. "I'm always so drawn to the crowd. I want to see what moves them, what makes people react. To me, that's the fun part, so I think I was sort of destined to be a DJ, because that's your entire job. I think I'm only just coming into my own in terms of working with a crowd."
She talks about this relationship between DJ and crowd in terms of collaboration, too: "It’s me and the crowd, working to create the best energy possible."
Now that Calver is involved in The Cut, a show that celebrates creative teamwork, what does she think makes for a good collaboration? "Leaving your ego at the door. I think some of the best music my friends have ever made is like that. As soon as the ego is left at the door and people just collaborate and work with each other, the best music is made. Always. If you have a good vibe, you can unlock something new or bring out something in each other. You can't get that in isolation, not at all."
Calver enthuses energetically about the potential that abounds in the The Cut's lineup of rising singer-songwriters and producers. These include rapper Nic Da Kid, who combines hip-hop and Jamaican influences; Tokyo The Producer, who draws on everything from Prince and Bruce Springsteen to Kid Cudi, Travis Scott and Alicia Keys; Lily Kiing’s rich, sensual vocals and unique blend of trap, soul and R&B; and producer, DJ and Reprezent Radio host Melle Brown, who blurs the lines between neo-soul, jazz and mid-tempo house music.
Observing the collaborative process between these artists and the rest of the show's stars was a rare treat for Calver.
"I'm such a nerd," she laughs. "I'd stand behind the door and listen, or pop in and ask how it was going. What was really interesting for me was seeing how different everyone's process is. My favourite thing was watching the teams incorporate live instruments into what they were doing, because we live in a generation of bedroom production and manipulating sounds, so it was cool watching how excited they got about having any instrument they wanted. They were just going crazy for it and it was so nice to see how in love with making music they were."
Calver was also fascinated by the different relationships and working styles that played out through The Cut, watching people who'd never met before forming "such incredible bonds through music".
Get to know the songwriters and producers taking part in The Cut
"I could tell by the end, the way that they were with their team-mates was completely different to when they'd first been introduced," Calver says. "They'd gone through all that pressure together and formed great friendships. Actually, the most beautiful thing to me – because, at the end of the day, it is a competition – was everyone was still so supportive of everyone else.
"I'm really glad I got to be a part of it. They’re such raw, talented kids, who've never been thrown into a situation like this before, and the opportunity is such a great one. You can feel and see just how important it is to them to make music and be around each other. It was just a really sick experience."
So, after spending so long watching the collaborative process unfold up close, what would Calver's own dream artist collaboration look like? "Oh my god, I would love to see what Amy Winehouse, Thundercat and Kaytranada would've done," she smiles, after much deliberation. "If they'd made a mixtape together, I would probably play that at my funeral."
