18 Questions With introduces 1883 readers to the brightest young artists, actors, creatives and beyond. From childhood memories and guilty pleasures to their latest ventures and upcoming projects, our goal is to bring you closer to the people who inspire and entertain us. 

Berlin-based hip-hop artist Basil Panagop is a true multidisciplinary talent. An artist, designer, and lyricist, Panagop crafts music that weaves together the power of vulnerability and the beauty of powerful prose. His latest release “Running,” pulled from his upcoming sophomore album 6AM showcases his prowess as an artist perfectly.

Basil Panagop sits down with 1883 Magazine to discuss his new single “Running” and more.

What’s one exciting thing that happened to you this week?

My homies From Canada visited Berlin, we’re still recovering!

What was the last thing you read?

The Creative Act, By Rick Rubin.

Favourite memory growing up?

Sleepovers with my cousin Dimitri, especially when Vice City came out.

Where was the last place you travelled to?

London, for a gig at The Grace.

What was the last thing that made you laugh?

Seinfeld, Season 3, Episode 6: The Parking Garage.

What’s your nighttime ritual?

Crest Whitestrips and memes!

Who would be on your dream dinner party guest list?

Joe Pesci, Francis Ford Coppolla, James Gandolfini and my Dad.

Favourite quote from a film or TV show?

 “It’s all in the game yo”, Omar Little, – The Wire

What’s your go-to karaoke song?

Bennie And The Jets – Elton

Favourite item in your closet?

A black Acne Studios anorak, but it’s getting colder now so imma have to layer under it or put it away till spring.

Can you tell us about your new single Running?

The single itself is a pretty strong detour from what I’ve done in the past. I’m trying to experiment with different sounds to see how I can expand my musical reach, while staying authentic, or not losing the core of who I am. I mean the song is pretty trap-influenced, but at the same time I’m trying to still keep it quite personal in terms of the delivery of the vocals, as I’ve always tried to do. 

What was the inspiration behind the track?

In a short version, it’s me describing one of those dreams that we’ve all had where someone is chasing you. You never see they’re face, and you can never actually get so far away that you feel safe. The music itself sort of came as a backdrop of those lyrics but from the perspective of the waves of an anxiety attack.

How did you conceptualize and imagine the video for the song?

I sat down with Eric from Humble Studios in Glasgow and once we listened to the track, and I described what it meant, and we ran with that. The darkness, the brutal nature of the shots of concrete. The lights blurring, it’s all sort of meant to make you feel a bit claustrophobic in a way.

Are you the type of artist that comes up with visuals as you’re writing/recording?

I think as I’m writing the song the idea for visuals come to me, it’s sort of creating this space for the music to live within, almost like a movie soundtrack, I find it also helps me in writing because if I visualize it I find I can come up with a better overall track.

Was there any certain musical references that helped you create this track?

New Magic Wand, Tyler, The Creator for sure.

How would you say you’ve grown as an artist since your debut?

The easy way to put it is I’ve become better at idea execution, whether it”s a live set, or the recording process, to clothing I’m making. In every facet as you keep doing something over and over and over again, you start to fire into everything. You become more efficient, I’ve become more emotive, production wise as well since my last project the quality has seen a large jump, and that’s mostly because as you get better at something, your capabilities expand your own personal possibilities with your projects.

What do you hope people take away after listening to Running?

That we’ve all had that dream, we’ve all run from something, we’ve all felt cornered.

What can we expect next from you?

More Music, More Shows, More Videos, and a clothing drop from my line IVTPVIT this friday. www.intrnitdesigns.com . It’s go Time.

Running is out now, follow via @basilpanagop