Football and Music 1:1 with The Ragga Twins' Flinty Badman

Prepare to journey through football and music with our special guest, Trevor Destouche aka Flinty Badman, one-half of the iconic Ragga Twins. Trevor shares the riveting tale of his transformation from a Tottenham fan, influenced by his father, to a dedicated Liverpool supporter. His tales of childhood football matches on the streets of Hackney and his reflections on the unforgettable moments he's experienced as a Liverpool fan.

Switching gears, Trevor transports us into his musical world. Learn about the reggae and calypso influences that shaped The Ragga Twins and get an inside look at Trevor's brother's journey from an MC and DJ to a notable figure in the Acid House scene. Trevor takes us behind the scenes of his collaborations with Skrillex, sharing his creative process and the unique energy he brings to the studio. By the end of this episode, you'll appreciate the importance of evolving with the times and keeping up with younger generations. From football to music, this episode promises a rich blend of wisdom, nostalgia, and future plans.

The Liverpool Connection is an LFC podcast that aims to bring the story of our wonderful club to as many fans as possible around the world. The history, the passion, the music, the people, the City – we want to share perspectives on and off the pitch. We're delighted to have you here with us, be sure to Like and Subscribe with Notifications on for our latest podcast.

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Daz O'Connor, Steve Wilson, Nik O'Connor, Glenn Kewley, Julian Lane

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

Hi everyone and welcome to another episode of the Liverpool Connection podcast. This is the study podcast. I'm your host, azar, and I'm actually thrilled with the guest I have on today. I grew up, as everyone knows, I'm a 70s kid, but the mid 80s to late 80s is when the Acid House scene hit the UK and also I was listening to Stone Roses Happy Mondays and then all of a sudden this crazy breakbeat sound came out of a speaker and I was hooked and I've been hooked ever since. You know music, football and fashion go hand in hand. I've always said it. You know they're all connected, but I'm very chuffed to bring on one half of the Raga twins. It's Trevor flinty bad man. His brother's not on because his brother's a spare supporter and I feel sorry for him. But you know we get the best one and you're actually not twins, they're actually brothers. Who's the oldest one, trevor?

Speaker 2: 1:22

He's the oldest one. We are there, you go Well he's not the smartest one.

Speaker 1: 1:25

But welcome to the Liverpool Connection podcast, mate, we're going to dive right in. So you started telling me before you know, before our press record about you know how you became a Liverpool supporter, so if you'd like to you know, tell that story.

Speaker 2: 1:47

Yeah, so when it was, we grew up in North London and my dad was a big Tottenham fan so he used to take us to down to White Art Lane and watch games. And yeah, we was like we was young I was born 1966. So you know, we was young and so I was just like a Tottenham. I wasn't a supporter as such, but I'd go Tottenham. I was like a fan of Tottenham and one season 73 to 74 season Spurs lost 3-0 to Newcastle and at that time Newcastle weren't a good team as far as I was concerned and I thought I've had enough of this because they was losing quite regular. And I remember I was playing football. We have an alleyway to stand the road from us and I was playing football there and I said and then the score come to me and I said, right, I'm going. No, I can't have enough of this, I'm going to change my team.

Speaker 2: 2:44

So I went home and I looked in the paper. I looked at the fixtures. That was on that day, because they used to have they just have the fixtures in the newspaper. You don't have no league table or anything. And I looked at it and I saw Arsenal. Because they were North London, I knew they was from North London. So I said I'm going to support Arsenal. And then for some reason, I just kept scanning through the paper and I saw Liverpool and I was like I like that name Liverpool, that's a lovely name. Didn't know much about the team or anything, but I was like that's a lovely name, I like that, I'm going to support Liverpool. And we have a younger brother as well and I said to him, hey, I'm supporting Liverpool. And he was like, yeah, I'm supporting Liverpool with you.

Speaker 2: 3:33

So we all left, and actually my older D-man a couple weeks later Spurs must have lost again and he was like I'm changing team as well. And he went and supported Leeds. But then I don't know why, I think he always said he liked Billy Bremner and Martin Lorimer, peter Lorimer and them guys. So he supported Leeds. But that never lasted long. He went back to Tottenham. But me and my younger brother we stayed Liverpool. So from 33, 34, that season, liverpool fan. And that season they got to the FA Cup final and beat Newcastle. And you know that favourite saying of Keegan two, highway 1, liverpool three, newcastle, nothing. So it was Newcastle that beat Tottenham, got me to support Liverpool and then Liverpool beat Newcastle in the final.

Speaker 1: 4:32

I'll tell you what. Who was your poster boy for Liverpool In the?

Speaker 2: 4:37

70s I was like Callaghan and Highway, highway was just the done man, the way he just like lined up players. He kind of lined them up on the side and then he'd give the ball a drag and he'll just leave the left back, all right back for dust and then whipping across. And yeah, he was. You know, I mean, every time Highway got the ball, something was going to happen.

Speaker 1: 5:09

So Toschak and Keegan, I mean they, you know, I mean yeah, I mean for me, like Kevin, keegan is my boyhood hero, but my first match was 76. So he left in 77. So he really got to. You know, see Keegan for the year and I was absolutely destroyed by it, you know, because he was just he. Jota kind of reminds me a little bit of Keegan. You know it's small frame but he could get into positions and he could, you know, dribble better. Yeah, toschak and Highway were just, I mean, those teams back in the 70s.

Speaker 2: 5:47

You know the players were just, they were proper men, you know, proper players man, I mean, yeah, proper, proper players man. And I play football myself, you know, I mean I was a really good footballer. I could have been a footballer, not a musician, you know, and it was watching them guys, just watching them play football, that I learned a lot from them in my game, you know.

Speaker 1: 6:12

So yeah, so growing up in Hackney, I mean, were you? Because I mean for me, growing up in Formby, I played a lot of football in the street, were you? You the same?

Speaker 2: 6:25

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we played a lot of football in the streets. As I said, we had an alleyway and then we had another set of an estate not too far from us that had like a square and they put up goalposts in there. We used to go there. Then they had a school. It was a Jewish school just around the corner from my house. We used to scale the fence, they had a big playground with goals up Anywhere we could kick a ball. I mean, even like when we used to watch FA Cup finals near my brother, near my brothers, at halftime our house had a wall in front of it and at halftime we'd go out in the road and like do crosses, headless shots, one in goal, one in switch it ran. We was just constantly playing football. We was in our house with roll up socks and put tape around it and there's three of us one throw the ball, one kick it, one's in goal, switch it round. We was just football mad. So you know anything to do with football. We was mad about it.

Speaker 1: 7:21

Yeah, those were the good old days. I mean especially just describing, you know, the rolled up socks. I don't think any kids would know what we're talking about right now. You know, or you know, if one of your mates played tennis you'd grab a couple of his tennis balls and you'd use those Like I mean, for me, for some reason my, our garage was the goals. My mum and dad weren't too very happy because you know the ball would smash against it. You know, and I'll put a few windows out and blame the few mates, you know, just don't see that much anymore. You know kids playing in the street just in their own little little match. You know it's a different time.

Speaker 2: 8:12

Yeah, different. They got free for now and it's always it's all under control at home. So, yeah, it was a very different time. And anything to do with football, we used to. You know you had baskets outside supermarkets and that used to Nick, nick to baskets. They were only small in it, nick to baskets, as he said, a tennis ball, and we called it mini football, right, one basket, one in one, the other end and play. He was just, but yeah, you don't see that on the street, no more. I mean it is. It is rough on the street and parents don't want to let their kids out and all that, and I can understand that. But the street growing up is it was definitely got us to be who we are.

Speaker 1: 8:53

You know, I mean street wise and everything you know Well, growing up in Hackney, like you know, even though I'm, you know, four hours away, like I just like I'm a million miles away, you know, from Hackney. So your youngest self growing up in Hackney, how was that?

Speaker 2: 9:14

It wasn't too bad growing up in Hackney. I mean in the 70s. He had the racism, but where I was it wasn't, it wasn't bad. And you know we had a. We had a like a big, strong community where we was. You know all the families knew each other, no matter what country was from Asia or Africa, and everything. The community was strong. So I never I never saw much trouble. But there was a lot of trouble. But myself I never saw that and we was like because the part of Hackney we was in it was like it was kind of like on the edge of Hackney, right, right in the middle. So we're on the edge. We was like at least East postcode, or my postcode was the end postcodes, so I was in 16 and Hackney is like East, e, E, e, 9. And that, so that's like in the middle of Hackney. So I was kind of on the edge of Hackney. But yeah, we grew up loving music, playing sound systems and that playing football.

Speaker 1: 10:26

When was your first trip to Anfield? Like the mecca of football, you know. For me, obviously any Liverpool fan that's your mecca. You know, it doesn't matter how many times you go to Anfield, I still get goosebumps.

Speaker 2: 10:41

Yeah, every time I walk in and I see the green and the thing, I'm like, wow, this place, you know. But the first time we went, so in the early, early days, we couldn't get to the green. So when we started doing the music, we was promoting our album Regales Mi Money up and down the country and we had gone to some record shops in Manchester and Liverpool. So when we was in Liverpool they were playing that same day. We was up there, so but we was doing the thing the time the game was on and so we didn't have to go to the green the time the game was on and so we didn't have tickets or anything. But we was like we went back to Old Street. You know, when you go to a rave and you blag it and you get in, we was like, let's go, there is half time Me, my brother, and the other guy was a driver, me and my two brothers, half time we've got there.

Speaker 2: 11:35

I can't remember. I wish I could remember who was playing, but I can't. But we got to the gate of the cop and we banged on the gate and the security keys opened the door. He said we can't come in and we was like, listen, mate, me and my brother. We're Liverpool fans, we're from London, we're up here just promoting our album, we do music and I've never been in there before. Come on, man, let us in. And he looked at the four of us and said go on then and let us in at half time.

Speaker 2: 12:07

So I remember the score was 0-0, right, this is so bad, it's so terrible. The score was 0-0. We had the driver waiting outside there and it's coming to that injury time and we're like, oh, he's waiting, you know, he's making up noise, he's cussing. You know what I mean? Because he didn't come in, he didn't like football. So we left, didn't it? And, as Liverpool do, scored a late winner. We was outside. We heard the crowd was like, oh no, can't believe it, we missed the goal. But yeah, when we walked in, the copy was standing at that time as well. So we walked in there and it was just amazing that the first time we walked in. Then, after that, you know, we knew a few guys from up in Liverpool and they started getting tickets for me and my brother to go up.

Speaker 1: 13:00

Yeah, it's tough these days to get tickets.

Speaker 2: 13:05

I've managed to grab a couple already for the Aston Villa game and Tottenham game next year. Oh nice, Always nice to get them secured, you know, yeah, yeah yeah, so hopefully I don't get called away on the tour or anything.

Speaker 1: 13:29

Yeah, well, I mean, you know, I've talked to a few musicians and Barry Ashworth was saying he used to have, like the laptop open while he's performing and then he went on stage to go get a glimpse of the match and stuff. Is that what you try and do as well?

Speaker 2: 13:47

Yeah, that's what we do If Liverpool's live, we've got a performance, kind of we're going to get it up on the phone and just meeting the phone up. Many times people have taken videos as they're watching football. We're doing our thing, but the football's on. It's got to be on. We've been on boat dances. Liverpool was in the Champions League final. No, no, it wasn't Liverpool, actually I can't remember who it was in, but football was on and we had to watch it and we was on a boat party and we just was on the boat watching football.

Speaker 1: 14:22

You've got to check the score. That's the thing. When Liverpool plays, you want to be a part of it. Any cup finals.

Speaker 2: 14:33

I went to the League Cup final where we beat Bolton 2-1. Yeah, yeah, matt Manaman got both. What was it? Matt Manaman and Fowler?

Speaker 1: 14:49

I'm not sure on that, but I remember we beat Bolton and it was off game.

Speaker 2: 14:55

Because that season I mean that season I don't know if it was the season before we were having problems with Bolton, weren't we Remember Bolton? Every time we played K, we played Bolton, they were giving us problems and they had just come up as well. It was like what's going on here and we had a really good team. It's a shame that team never got a title. I really like that team. Matt Manaman, fowler, redknapp, mcateer it's a shame that Collymore and Matt Manaman that's the thing, though, isn't it?

Speaker 1: 15:34

We've had really good teams that just haven't won the League. It's a big league. Just look at the Klopp squad. We've won one One. Yeah, I'm sure if City were playing by the rules, we might have got a few more. They put our players out amazing players. You can't harp on it for that. That's the thing. The 2001, the treble everyone else will say not the real treble, but we still did win a treble. That was a fantastic team, I thought.

Speaker 2: 16:19

Yeah, definitely In the 70s when we were going for the so-called proper treble and that was heartbreaking. Man Telling you that when we were finally was heartbreaking. I couldn't believe we lost to man United that day. We were so good that season, yeah.

Speaker 1: 16:47

Are you talking about the FA Cup final? Yeah, two wins. I actually went to that with my grandad. Yeah, I was still a young lad, my grandad for the kid. What was it? Seven or eight? What year was that?

Speaker 2: 17:10

That was 77, isn't it?

Speaker 1: 17:13

77,. Yeah, I was seven. I actually went up, went down to Wembley without my mum knowing my grandad was a shifty little bugger. I'll tell you that it took him a very long time to get over that. It hurt, but four days later we were in Rome and won the European Cup. It didn't hurt me as bad then just because I was just caught up in the moon. If it happens now, you're just devastated because a part of your soul they are. Yeah, that's right. We've just had so many heartbreaking finals but all you have to do is just keep going again and again.

Speaker 2: 18:07

We know they'll give us good times again. We definitely know that. We know they'll give us good times again.

Speaker 1: 18:14

Of course we will. I mean, you've got to. I'll say a million times a lot of people get too invested in Twitter. I've done it myself. I've got caught up in opinions, but then opinions turn into nastiness. We've got these. I call them Debbie Downers. They think Liverpool, that's it. We're not going to challenge again. We're not going to do this just because we don't spend this amount of money. We still have clop for another two years, till 26. Maybe it's the rebuild that a lot of people are looking for.

Speaker 2: 19:05

I still think our team is a good team. We need the best builders, but I still think we've got a good team. What has given me hope more than anything this season was the last 10 games of last season, exactly, and we've been about that. That has given me a lot of hope for this season, and I will be.

Speaker 1: 19:24

Yeah, I'm 100% with you. People, players don't go to crap like top, top players like Fabinho he had probably one of the worst seasons he's ever had Van Dyke as well, but they're not Overnight. They don't turn bad. The whole team just got affected by the season before. I'm sure for yourself and for your brother, and I've said this tomorrow you get platinum record and then you put another album out next year and it bombs. That's got to take, yeah, yeah, of course it will, and I think people really don't think about that. They came close to Godlike.

Speaker 2: 20:26

And they never got the respect they deserve for even coming close to that. They just got bombed by the people Like, ah, you never done this. Remember, we wasn't the holders of the Premier League. We weren't the holders, so we can't lose something that we never had. So we never lost the Premier League. We wasn't the holders of the Champions League. So we lost the final, yes, but we weren't holders, and it was a one-off game.

Speaker 2: 20:53

And Israel Madrid, you know what could you say? But to eat, to get to them positions in one season and to nearly do it. But that was nearly doing it. I mean, man city, look how much time we've had to battle man city, man, that meant that. I mean they've had to do that twice before and then do it again and still lose. That. That must affect you. Following on, you know, I mean it must affect you. And yeah, I saw that at the beginning, at the first game of the season against Fulham, I saw that these guys don't look like they're, you know their heads not really, because passes were going astray and everything you know. They looked like they was ready from what happened to them the season before.

Speaker 1: 21:39

Yeah, I just think cloppers, you know the hunger is still there, like I mean, it was great, just, you know, watching the lads see each other again. You know, for preseason, yeah, yeah, yeah, like after last season, I was finished with football. You know, which is hard to do when you actually have a Liverpool football podcast. I didn't want to talk about football, I just wanted to put it on the back bin and just forget that I was a Liverpool supporter for a couple of months, you know. But you can't, because you still got to talk about the.

Speaker 1: 22:13

You know how bad the season was and with you, you know, the last 10, 11 matches showed me that there's still a team there but there's still these amazing players. And you know, maybe the Jigsaw puzzle isn't quite put back together, but bringing in the two midfielders, I think it's going to help. And you know the store for maybe getting a centre back in or at least a DM in, I still think, for being you, like everybody saying, for being those lost his legs, for being you to me as a fantastic player. You know he had bad season and I think he can get back to where he was a couple of seasons ago If he has the players around him that can do the pressing, that can do the running.

Speaker 2: 23:00

That's right. That's right. That's right he does, yeah, he does. And he came. He came to nearly his own in them last 10 games as well. He was, he was, he was nearly back to his best. So you know, and they get a full preseason this season. You know we're, last season they didn't, and then you had the World Cup and everything. You know we're sweet and seen. Man Don't doubt, just sweet and see, there's been a lot going on for these ballers. You know what I mean. And you know, as we say man, he's got a team, we've got two teams, so you can't say nothing about that. And Arsenal, arsenal had a I'd call it a very freak season where everybody else wasn't doing too good than they was. You know what I mean. So it's going to be a hard season for everybody because everybody's stepping up. You know what I mean. Everybody's trying to reach the level. Man city is that, and it's going to be hard. But you know I have faith in Liverpool because there is still a bunch of great footballers at that.

Speaker 1: 24:00

Yeah, I think you know, Nunes, he scored 15 goals and you know, I think, when, when you compare them against Holland, holland, you know it's ying and yang. I mean a robot, I mean he is I. He's a tremendous player, but he'd already had quite a few seasons, you know, at door, and Nunes had only had one season at Benfica. Holland knew English, Nunes didn't, and still he gets we forget. He scored 15 goals, anthony. Anthony for man United was bought for 80 million and scored. I think he scored maybe three or four. You know, jesus for Arsenal, not, not not that great either, you know, but everything is always like when it comes to Liverpool is like times 10, you know, do Nunes, he's a flop and he's not a flop. You know, this season will hopefully be his breakout season and I think he's he's our captain. Crazy, I like to call him, he's just so chaotic. But I'd have, I'd have more issues with him if he wasn't getting in these positions to score.

Speaker 2: 25:26

Exactly Because that's what. When I was at like, I played for Charlton and played for Spurs and I played for Enfieldtown, and every coach that I was a striker myself, so every coach that coach me said be in the position to score. If you're not in the position to score, if you're shying away from the position to score, you're not doing your job. If you're there when you miss, you're in the position, something's gonna go in. I was a deadly striker at the end of the day, but that's what they always taught me and that's what he does. Nines does that. He's in the position, he makes the runs, he doesn't shy away and I mean he doesn't try and make the easy option. He tries, and I think that first season has bedded him in Well. You've got 15 goals and I'm sure he'll look to improve on that.

Speaker 1: 26:20

Well, I mean, I never, ever thought Gakpo would hit the ground running. I think he's been absolutely superb. So you know it's always good to you know a lot of people are asking. Well, you know we're all asking like, where's Nunes gonna play If Gakpo continues? You know what he's doing, but that's a good problem to have, isn't it? You know Exactly Four-club likes and problems.

Speaker 1: 26:49

Same with Jota as well, you know. I mean front three would probably to start against Chelsea, would be Diaz, gakpo, mo. Yeah, but it's great to have Nunes and Jota be able to come off the bench. Yeah, I mean, that's what you want, you know, and I think this season you're gonna see more rotation with the front five. And same with, I think you know, the young lad, doke. I think he's gonna get quite a few minutes, depending on how the season goes for the lad, but I mean for Klopp. You know I get a lot of people, just like you know, with Klopp letting Cavalio go on loan, people are gonna go at him saying he's not giving the youngsters chances. But then you've got Jones. He gave Churn to chance. You know, fairsmash, I think, was against man United. What better chance he's given Doke? A chance he is bringing these youngsters in as well.

Speaker 2: 27:59

Yeah, but just take it, yeah, he does, he does, he does. I like Cavalio as a player. I think maybe he needs to beef up a bit, you know, and maybe a good season on loan where he's playing, because when he played that season he put him in the championship, he was really good. So maybe a good full season on loan, get him to play in a lot of football, because he wasn't getting much football. But you know, it's called an important goal for us. So a couple of important goals.

Speaker 1: 28:32

Who's your breakout player for this coming season?

Speaker 2: 28:36

My breakout player for this coming season. I really think if Trent sticks to that position, he's gonna have an outstanding season. As the youngsters I would go. I'd transfer youngsters to London, but as the youngsters I would go with the Spanish boy Pachete Pachete how do you say it? Because I can't pronounce it all the time.

Speaker 1: 29:12

Some say Pachete, or yeah, I mean, that's how I pronounce his name, so I don't think it really matters, because you know, we kind of know who you're talking about. Yeah, I mean, he was absolutely outstanding, yeah yeah, definitely, definitely.

Speaker 2: 29:31

So, yeah, I'm looking for them to do well this season, but I'm looking for Trent to have an outstanding way where nobody's got a bad word to say it. That's what I'm looking at with Trent, like assists and everything like, and I mean he looks ready to go.

Speaker 1: 29:49

I mean he, you know anybody that cuts short their holiday because he was in. He was overheard in the States and often doing pre-season training away from, you know, the Liverpool camp. So he means business. He's an absolute, like I mean 100%. He's going to be captain of Liverpool at some point. I would probably say maybe the next four years. But yeah, whatever he plays, I think I don't think he's going to be put in midfield 100%. I think it just depends on the opponent. Ok, so I think he'll play the hybrid role. You know a few games then he'll play just right back. I just, you know, he just seems to thrive in playing that hybrid role into midfield. I mean just watching him last season and then even you know, when he played for England you know I watched the highlights. The lads is just incredible footballer.

Speaker 2: 30:54

Yeah, I don't know how he sees them passes like that pass to Saka. I was like where did you find that from? Like, the ball came to me, just went whoops like, whoops, right, and the guys thought I was like boy. I'm looking forward to seeing you next season.

Speaker 1: 31:13

Yeah, he's got eyes in the back of his head, but that's also like, I think, just knowing the players he plays with. You know, even though he doesn't play with Saka on a regular basis, he probably watches videos of Saka and knows where he's going to run to. That's game intelligence for me. You know, he's got an intelligent, especially for being 24 years old. He's got game intelligence. It's just absolutely amazing and the world's his oyster. I mean, I thought Gareth Southgate, for not playing him in the World Cup, was just a chavis-ty.

Speaker 2: 31:51

Yeah, definitely, definitely. I couldn't understand it myself, couldn't understand it, despite well, it's Gareth, isn't it? Gareth used to eat them on each other, but, yeah, couldn't understand it.

Speaker 1: 32:06

Yeah, I don't really watch England too much. It's just not my cup of tea, you know. But yeah, I think Trent is just an absolutely amazing player. I think if he has, you know, a top-top season, which I think he could, you know he could win football all of the year.

Speaker 1: 32:26

Yeah, yeah yeah, he's just on it, but I want to delve into you know your musical past. So, growing up, what was your family's music for me? Pretty much? One of my best mates, mark. His parents are from the West Indies, so you know I grew up on a lot of reggae and dub as well, you know. And then you know the specials kind of changed the way I look at music as well. And for yourself, what was played in your house?

Speaker 2: 33:07

Well, yeah, mainly reggae was played in my house, like John Ho, dennis Brown and them guys, them old school singers, and also, like in the morning when we're going to school, we'd have radio, capital radio, and that would be playing popular music. You know so, but yeah, it was mostly reggae. We grew up on reggae and calypso because my parents are from the smaller islands of the Caribbean where calypso really is their main music. So, yeah, calypso, reggae, studio, one, them type of stuff. My dad used to go out on weekends when he got paid, and it always every weekend he'll come with a new album or some seven inches and yeah, we just played them. You know what I mean? He'd say I've got this one today and you give it to us and we'll be on a Saturday and we'll just play music on a Saturday afternoon while till the football starts, because you listen to football on the radio.

Speaker 1: 34:16

So when did the MCing start? I mean, were you starting to hear American hip-hop?

Speaker 2: 34:26

No, it wasn't American hip-hop, it was the Jamaican reggae artists like Big U, u-roy I-Roy, prince Buster. So them guys were doing like toasting, where it's not fully lyrical and that is just like a hosting thing above the music. So the singer will be singing and they might say a part of what the singer says, but in the kind of toasting style of things and we was listening, a lot like that, and we was getting into that and D-Man, he was really getting into it. I was doing more football but I was still listening to music, but D-Man was really getting into it and he was like I'm going to do that one day, I'm going to be one of them doing that toasting. We used to get cardboard boxes, say, and make a microphone on a thing and then pretend we're a band because it's free of us. We used to pretend we're a band and play it for my mum and D-Man would always be doing the toasting and me and my brother would either do one of the other parts and then after a while D-Man started going out to clubs when he got a bit older 16 and that and he started going out to clubs and he'd jump on the mic because he started doing it at school. He was at school. He told me they used to go to music and all these friends could play instruments. But he couldn't play no instrument, so he just started picking up the mic and doing the toasting so in school, and then started going to parties and chatting on the mic. His friends would egg him on and say go and pick up the mic, go and do your thing. And they started doing that. And then I followed these footsteps in that, although still doing the football, because my dad wanted me to be a footballer and so I was still doing the football, but wanting to do what D-Man was doing, following your big brother, and I started doing it. And then he named Sean Major, resting in peace. He passed away a few years ago.

Speaker 2: 36:31

At school he said, yeah, I want to build a sound system. He was only young. He said, yeah, I want to build a sound system, I want me and you to be on the mic. And we had another friend named Victor and I want Victor to play the music, because the three of us were close and we thought, alright. So in Woodwork we built an amplifier case that would put our amps in and that, and we built one speaker box and we sneaked it out of the school because they wanted it for exhibition. But we wanted it to be last sound, so we sneaked it out of the school. We got amps in that, we put a speaker in it and built a little sound system and me and Sean we started.

Speaker 2: 37:11

We was doing the MC and May was playing the music. So we had our little sound system, what was called Sir Cruise, and then from there that little sound system was playing in the area. Our friends would come around. We had a blues. We'd call it a blues. It's like a party that you'd have on a Friday and Saturday night. It was in my uncle's house. He had a cellar, so we put the sound down there and every Friday and Saturday night we'd go in there and play music. D-man would come down now as well because there's a sound to chat on and we'd be doing our thing in there.

Speaker 2: 37:43

Then one day my sister met somebody who had a bigger sound and they was from the Tottenham area and they was called Jamarcus. And she said to him boy, my brothers are MCs. Well, at that time we're called DJs. We weren't called MCs, we're called DJs. So she was like my brother's DJs and they'd come down and like chat on the sound and this sound would play every Tuesday night in a place called Lecture Hall and they'd invite other sound systems down. So there'd be two sound systems in there and we started chatting on that sound and from there D-Man progressed to a big sound in North London called Unity and I think you've heard of them, unity High Power.

Speaker 2: 38:29

He progressed on to that sound and I progressed on to a sound called Gemmy Magic. It was from the Stoke Newton area, two big sounds, but Unity was a bit bigger than Gemmy Magic at the time and then we started doing our thing, getting a big name for ourselves. It happened one day there was a dance and Gemmy Magic was in the and Unity was in the same arena and the whole talking had me as like who's going to be better at D-Man or Flimty? Because he's on Gemmy, d-man's on Unity. You know what I mean. There was a big buzz and everybody came for that buzz. You know what I mean. We didn't clash, but you know what I mean and that was good for us and you know things were starting to build up and then I joined D-Man on Unity.

Speaker 2: 39:08

I left in Magic and went over to Unity because a couple of the DJs that left Unity, so me and Sean, we went over to Unity and it was me, sean and D-Man on Unity for a bit. Then we brought in Specky at the other, navigator, specky on the other, we brought in Navigator. So we started working on Unity and, yeah, unity was our sound for like from 1985 to 1990, so then after that, unity, big sound playing everywhere, getting lots of props, getting your name everywhere, winning awards and that. But we weren't getting enough. We wanted to make records. Now. We wanted to make records, we wanted to be artists and it wasn't taking us to the studio, we wasn't releasing enough records one a year or something and we wanted to release more records. Other sound system guys Tipper, irie, Tenor, fly Rest in Peace, all these guys they were releasing music and their music was even getting played in Jamaica. And that's the pinnacle when you're a UK artist, you want your music to be played in Jamaica and we weren't getting none of that. So we decided after the end of night night we were going to leave the sound and try and pursue an artist's career. We didn't have nothing planned or anything, but God was on our side. Where this is all going to be funny.

Speaker 2: 40:40

Yeah, so D-Man got a job working in a jeweler's, a pawnbroker's I think it was, or electrical shop one then and Smiley from Sharp and Dance, smiley and PJ, smiley from Sharp and Dance made that song Lamborghini. You know that song must know that song. He's made that song. And he sampled D-Man from one of the Unity cassettes. We used to tape our sessions and that. So he sampled D-Man. Just that little request to our little acid people then, because D-Man had a lyrics about the acid house thing and anytime before you start a lyrics on a sound system you'd say something to introduce the lyrics. Then you go into the lyrics and he sampled that bit. Put it in the song he's come to see D-Man.

Speaker 2: 41:30

At the record at the shop D-Man was working up to clear the sample. He says I'm going to put out this song, could you clear the sample? D-man said yeah, that's cool. D-man didn't really know him at the time. And then D-Man said to him yeah, but could you do anything for us, me and my brother? Man, he goes what do you mean? Can I do anything for you? Yeah, man, come down to my house, come and see me. So we went down to see Smiley. So this is where it gets interesting. Yeah, I've walked in the house and I've seen Smiley and I've seen PJ and me and D-Man both of us together goes, we know you. Yeah, so, smiley. Now where I've said to you, I had a sound system called Sir Cruz. Smiley had a sound system called Selena.

Speaker 2: 42:23

We brought his sound system down to the basement where we were a couple weekends so their sound system would play with us. So we've got to shop and dance now and it's him. So everything's not everything's like it's all you know, it's all. You're relaxed now because we're going into a new thing, the Acid House. So you kind of you don't know what's going on and that. But once we've seen him and PJ we went primary school with, so it's like something brought us all together where we all knew each other and from we knew that. We all looked at each other at that same precise moment and said this thing's going to work. We all said we said this thing's going to work. We all know we've all connected before. It's not like we don't know each other, we don't know we've all connected. They knew exactly what they wanted to do with us from hearing us on the sound system and we were comfortable because we knew them.

Speaker 2: 43:20

If you go into a studio, sometimes you don't know the person, you feel a bit uncomfortable. Although you know you can do your thing, you still got that little. Is he going to like it? You know that type of thing. Although he's called you and you know he's going to like it, but he's still without that kind of feeling. So, yeah, and they told us what to do and then the first song, splitfed, came out and it just got to number Number 40, just outside the top 40s, if I got to, as the first single. And, yeah, raga Twins were born. We didn't have a name for what we were doing because we thought we were just going to be Demon Rockers and Flitley Batman and they was like nah, go as a Jewett, go as a Jewett. If you go as a group, it's going to be stronger. We just need a name and we just came up with the name Raga Twins. And then Raga Twins are born. Nain, nain.

Speaker 1: 44:15

I just want to say the word spliffad. That's the first time that's ever been used on this podcast, do you?

Speaker 2: 44:23

have to edit that.

Speaker 1: 44:26

No, no, no, no. I'm just thinking in my head. You know, we've had so many guests with so many stories and I'm just like, yeah, nobody's ever used the word spliffad. That was a double A side, right? Yes, Legal gunshot, Legal gunshot, yeah. So like when you were in the studio, was it more? They just wanted you to toast or did you have input on? You know, the?

Speaker 2: 44:58

sound. They built all the music. They was because we did, we weren't building. They built all the music and they left all the lyrics to us. And then we started to do the spliffad. They just wanted a good sample, that catchy, and we didn't understand what we meant. We just wanted to chat with the tune. But they just said, no, we just need something really catchy, that. And so we just started saying stuff in the thing and I come up with Raga Twins, they're about. And they was like, yes, that's the one you can stop now. And me and my brother was like what they said yeah, we're going to just put that in this song, raga Twins, the bell, and that's going to be the one. I mean, that's not going to be the one we did go. But then we're like what just that? He said, yeah, but on the other side, we're going to do, we're going to billorid him and you can put your lyrics. So that's how the format was One side for the dance floor and one side for the thing for the clubbing and whatever.

Speaker 1: 45:59

It's crazy to think how, how you know yourselves and shut up and dance, because shut up and dance are legendary records. So both of you combined and I'm sure, like you know, not so much now, but pirate radio stations was a rinse that yeah, yeah, yeah, the pirates radio stations are rinsing their tune.

Speaker 2: 46:23

I mean, even when we'd done the first tunes, we had a few mates that was going to these acid house parties. We were still going to reggae dances. Even though we'd be doing the Singlish Up and Dance, we're still going to reggae dances. So in the week when we see one of our mates they'll be like no man. You men need to come to these dances. Your song's playing, being played, every DJ, every set. The DJ is playing your tunes. You don't need to come down there and jump on the mic.

Speaker 2: 46:52

And me and Dean, we still didn't believe what was going on. We didn't understand what was going on. It took us a few months because we started doing gigs. When we started doing gigs, we was doing the gigs, leaving the rave and going to find a reggae party. That's what we were doing because we didn't understand what was going on in the scene.

Speaker 2: 47:12

And then it was only one night. We had one day. We had lined a big festival. The night festival was at the end of the time. It was a big outdoor thing in Essex County show ground and it was us and Prodigy the headline in it and there was about 25,000 people. So we're like it's a nice, hot, sunny day outdoor, first time we've done an outdoor thing with this, and we were like, yeah, let's just stick around and just see what's going on. And we stayed right to the end and from that day we never went back to a reggae dance again, just by bathing in these acid raves and going everywhere Up and down the country with our mates. Our mates were like living the hype because they were moving with the rag between them, our friends, it was just a good time. Everybody was happy.

Speaker 1: 48:04

Well, I mean, back then everyone was a bit more carefree. I mean, obviously ecstasy took a hold of the acid house and rave scene, but without the music there is no scene. That's right. It was just like just an insane time back then. I sometimes feel like I'm a grandad, sometimes talking about the rave scene because it does seem so long ago.

Speaker 2: 48:33

Yeah, and even when these guys talk because we didn't, we didn't you've heard about the.

Speaker 2: 48:39

M25 thing, where they always to meet up and then follow, then follow the convoy and everything. We missed them times. So when the guys like Mickey, finn, frost and all these guys, even some of my mates, brockey, and then when they talk about them times, you know, I mean I feel a bit sad that I missed them times, although you know we still caught a very, very good time of it from the 90s up until the jungle era and that was a really special time as well. But missing that like driving in the convoy and then a big truck, just when they say the big truck just pulled the thing and all you saw was speakers and the man just switched it on and off, you went, you know what I mean.

Speaker 2: 49:19

And then the police couldn't do nothing because there's so much people, so they just let it carry on. You know all that. You know what I mean. We missed all that. And when I hear people talk about it it even wells me up because you know what I mean being ragged twins, there's a lot of people that think we was at them times. Well, we have to tell them we wasn't and it's just a treat from it. I mean I can't say I was there when I wasn't.

Speaker 2: 49:41

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 49:44

I mean like just meeting up at petrol stations like before and after I mean anybody that worked at a petrol station during those years it must have been like I mean, can you imagine social media back then? Yeah, imagine if we had the videos that we'd take of a lot of these. You know bravers coming back to their petrol station and getting rislers and all that stuff and just off their heads. But it was a great time, you know. And then you know, obviously you know Margaret Thatcher. You know just stopping these raves kind of just put a dent in everyone's lives. But you know for yourself, I mean, you know you've been in the game for so long, you know you've got to. I always ask, like, do you scratch your head sometimes and say you know, people still love what we do?

Speaker 2: 50:44

Yeah, it's kind of amazing that people, even like younger, they're into us like, and sometimes you go out and you do a gig and they're just all young guys and they're really into our thing and we're like, we're like 50 odd and these new ravers are still feeling what we're doing you know what I mean and telling us where the best and all that. And like you've hardly heard me, I'll show you, but I'll be a coward. But the impression that we're leaving on people must be really good and that's what really keeps us going. And I mean, if it's not for the people, then who is it for? I mean, it's not. If it's not for your fans, who's it for? You know, I mean, and you know I mean. That's what gives us the inspiration to just keep doing what we're doing and entertaining until we take our last breath.

Speaker 1: 51:40

Well, how did the Skrillex collaboration come about? I mean, you know, talking of young youngens, you know Skrillex is at the top of his game. I'm kind of glad he's got away from the squeaky, squelchy dubstep, because to me dubstep is a bit more like scream for me, yeah, you know. And then Skrillex, kind of Americanized dubstep, yeah, like squelchy. How did that collab come about?

Speaker 2: 52:14

We've done a sample pack with Luke Masters a triple sample pack and he must have purchased it all quite, and he made a song with one of the lyrics and then, when he'd done the song, he wanted us to redo it. So he was over on to do a Glastonbury one in 2014, I think and he booked a studio and called us up to redo it and, yeah, that's how we got to do Regabomb. So basically, we have to give thanks for the sample pack, for that one. You know what I mean.

Speaker 1: 52:52

How is it working with him? Is he, you know, very, very strict? Because you know, I know some, like you know, I've listened to no Gallagher before and he says he's a nine to five in the studio and that's it.

Speaker 2: 53:05

That's it Is Skrillex more like Skrillex is all night. He's all night, definitely, but it was relaxing because we've got to the studio and he's got Dex set up as well in there and there's no rush, you know, just running in there and then started DJing, playing music, and then we'd have a chat and then it set up what he wanted us to do, set up the stuff. He done a thing that we've never seen before. He had like a bucket. So say, we had the mic in front of us, like in front of us here, and about 10 yards away he had a bucket with a microphone in it. So I don't know what it was catching, but he said it catches like when we're chatting, we're coming through the air phones, we've got their phones on, but it's catching the whole room, that's what. And it's dampening it in the bucket. So when that mic is picking it up, the mic's in the bucket, it's dampening and making a different kind of sound that he can use.

Speaker 2: 54:16

So that's the first time we ever saw that. So that was amazing. But he's very energetic jacket, jacket in there. We had a few mates out there. We couldn't see outside the booth that we was in, but when we came out my mate said he was bouncing all over the place. He was in that corner of the bounce over there and he's like, yeah, that's the one, that's the bit. And then, because we were doing stuff over and over, you know what I mean and yeah, he was really energetic and it was a real pleasure working with Skrillex.

Speaker 1: 54:49

Yeah, he just seems like you know he's a down to earth lad. I mean, you know, you see him now with Kieran Fortet and I didn't read again they just make a formidable, you know, triple threat. But he just seems like he's down to earth and you know he knows what he wants. I mean, I saw, I saw the like many documentary of him working with the doors. Okay, okay, I see that Just insane. Just the sounds you know he wanted, you know, and you're just going, you're asking the doors to. You know, obviously without Jim Morrison, but you're asking the doors like you know. Now, can you do that again? I mean I'm like you've got to have some big balls to like talk to the doors and say, hey, you need, can you call that by me again? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I love his enthusiasm, you know. You know, hats off to him.

Speaker 1: 55:50

It's not, it's not my cup of tea, like the dubstep stuff. You know, like I said, I'm more into breaks and the drum and bass side of stuff. But yeah, for me, you know you've been on labels moving shadow, batchett and Scarpa some of the best in the business. You know you've worked with Ed Solo, you know I mean I get a don of drum and bass, like I mean that's got to be great for you See, in the end of the like they've seen doing the jungle that came through. Then you're on breaks. You know records. Then you're on drummer based records and for your ultimate, you know, you did. You know your first artist album. Do you want to do like another, like full on artist album again?

Speaker 2: 56:47

Well, funny, you should say that we have an artist album in the pipeline, ready to be set in September, and the first single is going to be end of July.

Speaker 1: 57:00

Nice. I'm glad I asked that.

Speaker 2: 57:05

So yeah, so that was all, that was all done. It was actually meant to be released in 2020. But obviously COVID came and put us up to the plans, so we've got time to go back into it and make a few changes. And, you know, get it more up, get it up to date and more. And yeah, we're ready and it's finally done and it's coming out on nice up records and the album during September. But the singles ended July. The singles called not too much madness.

Speaker 1: 57:38

Now is it going to be like like full on, like dance, so you're going to, you're going to have some other variety of journalists.

Speaker 2: 57:47

So we have a jungle drum bass, reggae and hip hop as well, nice All mixture, because that's what we've been doing, everything. So you know, before we do that we have some good features on there, like we have Sweetie Iree, tipper Iree, daddy, freddy, tennafly, luciano, and a few more and a few more. Hey, you've said some good names already.

Speaker 1: 58:26

So what I like to do, especially with their musicians, is ask you your festival headliners for a Friday, saturday and Sunday sets Like you're dead or alive how many headliners?

Speaker 2: 58:44

How many headliners?

Speaker 1: 58:49

Do one for Friday night, do one for Sunday. I always love to know musicians who they would want on there, dead or alive.

Speaker 2: 58:56

Yes, I'd have, I'd have, I'd have, I'd have, I'd have, I'd have a pot there. I'm just trying to work on that. I'd have Bob Marley on a Saturday. I'd have James Brown on the Sunday and on the Friday. I would have On the Friday I think I had Snoop Dogg.

Speaker 1: 59:43

Nice. That's a good way to kick off a Snoop.

Speaker 2: 59:47

Dogg picks it off, slices them up, and then James Branget. Then Freak on a Sunday.

Speaker 1: 59:56

There's nothing like a bit of a freak session on Errol Nassau Jordan the day as well for us all folks. I also wanted to say who would you choose from past and present Liverpool players to be an MC? And I'm pretty sure I know who you're going to say, because there's only really one MC that's been chatting for Liverpool, so go on.

Speaker 2: 1:00:26

Johnny, if you hear this, hit me up, mate. We've got a combination to do. Yeah, johnny.

Speaker 1: 1:00:34

Pog yeah, 100%. I thought you were going to say Andy Robbo for a minute. Oh, is it? No, it's got to be Barnsey, hasn't it?

Speaker 2: 1:00:46

No, if I was going out on a night, it'd have to be Robbo, because he's got your back.

Speaker 1: 1:00:58

Yeah, he is. He's a family man, but you can defo probably have a good night on the lash with him, yeah, but, shed, it's been absolutely amazing. I mean, again, it's great to talk Liverpool with you, but it's also great to talk music, because you're from my header and I'm probably telling all our ages now just going on about the rave scene Blah, blah, blah, blah. I just don't go out as much anymore. I've got four little ones, so I'm a homebody now. But the rave scene has changed so much.

Speaker 1: 1:01:42

Again, with social media and saying that you're supporting Liverpool with Twitter, you do something that's on Twitter or Instagram or on YouTube or TikTok. But for me, I just wish kids would put their phones down and live in the moment, and I wish more artists would actually tell these people like, look, if you want to take a quick photo or video, take it at the beginning and then put it in your pocket and enjoy the moment. I think that's where there's a disconnect for me. When I go out and hear DJs, I mean I go to dance, not stand there and spend the time. Why not stay home and watch it on YouTube? What's?

Speaker 2: 1:02:34

the other way, or someone's live or something. But I'll tell you what. You are exactly right, because we've done a gig in Bristol and they said no phones, no phones. I had to take the phones away and that was one of the best gigs I had in that age is the noise everything, because everybody was concentrated on what was going on. So you are exactly right.

Speaker 1: 1:02:59

Yeah, that's what it is, and same same, I think, at the stadium as well. I think there's too many people that go there and get the phones out. It's like just enjoy. I understand a lot of them, it's your first experience, I totally understand that. But then I'm like now it's time to put the phone down. Why are you recording the whole match? You could have stayed home and watched it on the telly. Yeah, it's like just put it down. But again, I'm showing me age and probably I'll get some comments later on going, are you old fart? Who cares? But again, you know, trevor, it's been absolutely boss to have you on and out Liverpool. And about the Raga Twins, please, please, go check out. You said the single at the end of July, the singles at the end of July.

Speaker 2: 1:03:52

Too Much, Madness, Nice Up Records.

Speaker 1: 1:03:55

And then the album drops in September and then you'll be seeing Trevor's brother, probably not very happy with their spare season coming up. Will they or won't they sell cane, it just depends. But we'll have a much better season than Spares, I guarantee that.

Speaker 2: 1:04:16

Definitely, definitely 100%. But I'll tell you the truth he still would have loved talking to you. But I get what you're saying. He still would have loved talking to you, but yeah, he's.

Speaker 1: 1:04:28

Oh yeah, of course, because we're all involved in football and music. So we're telling good luck for Spares, because he'll need it. Thanks everyone for listening and please like and subscribe and we'll see you later.