Three Years Later: Zino Vinci For The Culture Crypt Issue II
The East London wordsmith-by-day, WWE action figure connoisseur-by-night returns for a second conversation three years after our initial discussion.
The Culture Crypt Issue II: Zino Vinci. Photo by Jayden Nelson.
What do a Stratford chicken shop combo meal, a Spider-Man notepad, and a North Face shell jacket all have in common? Well, they're all staples in the Zino Vinci cinematic universe.
Last time we chopped it up with Jefferson Okoro (better known by his rap alter ego Zino Vinci) he was about a month away from sharing his debut EP, Baby Blue. His four-track ensemble was a shining beacon of light in the shadowy UK rap underground. The EP featured Channel U-glazed flows, Cartoon Network-inspired beats alongside a lyrical magic trick or two. Putting Zino Vinci firmly on the map, Baby Blue was praised by outlets like GUAP, The Pit London and many more.
Now, after a string of successful singles ("Namaste", "CEO of the Friendship Group", and "First Time"), Zino Vinci is no longer underground: he's the future monarch of UK rap—and his latest project, Filthy & Disgusting is his coronation.
Opening on "Western Union", Zino gently tips his hat to the MySpace rap era—shelling out dense flows and cinematic chatter over head-jerking production courtesy of Earbuds. Putting listeners in the mind of young Zino, the rapper uses "Western Union" and a good bulk of the tracklist to take a nostalgic trip through memory lane. Reminding people of his comic book-like origins, Filthy & Disgusting also charts a course forward into the great beyond.
Oh, and that's just the music, by the way. Zino's CV boasts over a million streams in his back pocket, as well as an adored streetwear brand [Bawne London] and a plastic collectable empire under the Zino's Toy Box moniker. Zino Vinci is a modern renaissance man. The Culture Crypt caught up with Zino Vinci in Hackney, East London, earlier this year to hang out for the day.
Zino Vinci and The Culture Crypt team took in the concrete Hackney metropolis and headed into a local Nando's to talk about the rapper's latest project, his dream rap-action figure line and personal growth.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JANAN JAMA / Photography by Jayden Nelson / Creative Direction by Jazzy Newnham / Styling by Khurram Salim Rana / Graphics by Radhika MuthannaThe Culture Crypt: Zino Vinci, thank you for joining me. As this is my opening interview question, let's keep the topic of openings going. If you were a wrestler, what song would you choose as your WWE entrance theme?
Zino Vinci: "Interestingly, I was actually thinking about it the other day. I was watching an interview with Edge, and he managed to get the younger brother of the guy from Metallica, who has his own band [Alter Bridge], and they gave Edge one of the hardest theme songs ever made. But if I had to choose something that gets me pumped up, it would be a grime song. Actually, scratch that—I would say "Hard in da Paint" by Waka Flocka Flame."
You love comics and superheroes as much as wrestling and rapping. If you were a superhero, what design is a must-have for your suit?
"No capes, okay? My suit would probably be black, grey, and blue, or some variation of that."
Congratulations on your project, Filthy & Disgusting. Since the last time we spoke in 2020, so much has changed. Your Baby Blue EP was just about to drop. Reflecting on that time, how do you think your sound has developed?
"That's so funny [laughs]. I'm more confident now. A few months ago, I was reflecting on my journey. When I think of songs like "Real Thicc" and "Baby Blue", I intentionally made them relatively short because I didn't think anyone would want to hear me rap for over two and a half minutes. Even thinking about my beat choices and delivery—I've just evolved and become more confident. I've lived more, so I have more subject matters to talk about different experiences. But I still feel like the core is still there, you know, I'm still a guy that just wants to tell his story through rap, good or bad—I just want to evoke some type of emotion."
What do you want listeners to take from Filthy & Disgusting?
"I hope people enjoy it. To be honest, this project's been a long time coming. I've made friends and connections. That's been a big differentiator since the last time I put a 'project' together. I think this tape is the culmination of my growth so far, and has range to it. At the end of the day, I just want the music to do the talking. We even did CD copies for the tape, too. I think giving fans that pull-out comic and extra track really centres the tape in reality and the physical world."
Arguably, Filthy & Disgusting and its groundwork was laid by your song "CEO of the Friendship Group". Now, that track has well over a million streams. Did you expect the song to blow up like it did?
"Nah, I didn't expect "CEO" to become so popular. Initially, the song was meant to be an anecdote for TikTok, and we intentionally left it unfinished. I never thought anyone would care about it so much. I didn't have any specific idea in mind. I just wanted to write some lyrics and experiment with a type of beat I don't usually rap on. It was a way for me to stretch my legs creatively.
After I released the single, people started leaking the song on YouTube. I realised I needed to take action—so I decided to make a lyric video and see how that goes. I also want to give a shout-out to Naz[FromNewham], my manager, for supporting me. Naz is one of the great minds behind all of this.
The lyric video went crazy. YouTube was always a challenge, but now I've got the hang of it. We got 8k views in just one week. With the lyric video doing so well, we did a music video, too. For my track to debut on Complex UK specifically is crazy. I grew up on Complex. To my surprise, the song was and still is a big hit. I can't lie, though; I've never got why people liked it so much. Nonetheless, I'm not complaining."
“I didn’t think anyone would want to hear me rap for over two and a half minutes.”
Considering your musical calling card started life as a 'TikTok throwaway', will we see any of your other unfinished TikTok tunes see the light of day?
"Obviously, there was "I Neva Knew Dat" from that batch of recordings. But there's a possibility that those other unreleased songs will see the light of day properly. It depends on whether me and my team think they're genuinely release-worthy."
Outside of music, you've got your streetwear brand, Bawne London and your custom action figure empire, Zino's Toybox. I want you to imagine you've been contracted to make a rapper-themed action figure line. You can only pick five emcees for the toy line. What five rappers would you pick, what features would the figures have, and why?
"Okay, I love articulation. That's the key. Sculpt, articulation, that's where the money's at. Ima go with a 7-inch scale for the line. There's a bit more size to them. Also, I can't forget about the accessories.
I'll draw for Skepta. Kendrick and Tyler, The Creator, too. I think Tyler would have some crazy accessories. Drake, as well, I feel he's always looking different whenever he pops up—and Eminem, back when he used to rock the hockey mask."
This toy line would be like the old Marvel Legends toys, where each toy comes with a component to make a special sixth figure. This figure is obviously Zino Vinci. The question is, what would the figure look like?
"Okay, so we're going to make the Zino figure have a smile. The fit would be a beanie, cornrows, earrings, signature, a North Face jacket, and True Religion jeans. On the feet, the toy would also rock the Corteiz Air Max 95s. Classic."
Wardrobe Coordination by Annum Mohammed / Clothing by 1036 Emporium / Art Direction by Neyha Dada / Commissioned by Naz HamdiThree years ago, you mentioned your desire to build things with your collective Village in the East, podcasting and improving your overall visibility. Fast forward three years, and now you're no longer pursuing podcasting, but instead, you're one million streams plus into your ascent up the rap monolith. Talk to me about your previous aspirations compared to your current ones.
"Looking back on what I said before, I have a better understanding of the industry and what it entails. It's something where—to a certain extent—you have to be selfish, as crazy as it may sound. Beast Lundun is like an umbrella term for anyone from East London. There are many talented individuals from the area, including sick artists like Tyrus Kane, tendai and Leaf Tyler. They're all beasts in their own right, making East London a hub for vibrant creativity.
With that said, everyone should focus on putting in the hard work and demonstrating their determination. Once that is achieved, more opportunities will arise as the industry becomes interested, and it will be essential to establish your marketing strategy rather than relying on someone else's. Collaborating with others in a mutually beneficial way is vital to success."
“I want to be like a limited edition Yu-Gi-Oh! card or something. Is that too much to ask?”
Talk to us about your brand, Bawne London
"With Bawne, I learned running a clothing line is a lot harder than people may think. Initially, I started because I wanted to wear clothes that I designed and liked. I remember wearing a t-shirt I made and people asking where I got it from. When I told them I made it, they asked if they could have one, too—so I started making more. Now I have to think about marketing the clothes too, which isn't a bad thing since I believe I'm fairly good at it. But it's definitely not an easy job."
Promoting music is easier than promoting a clothing line. This is because it is easier to describe music on paper than to sell a lifestyle with clothing. Corteiz has successfully positioned its clothing by emphasising its brotherhood culture. On the other hand, Virgil marketed his PRYEX clothing line by putting the PYREX logo on the back of a football jersey, uniting everyone as a team. Overall, I want Bawne London to stand independently and develop with and without me."
Does the 2023/24 Zino have any advice for the 2020 Zino in retrospect?
"2020? That's so wild to look back on. It's been a few years. Jesus. You were the second person ever to interview me. Big love always. O would tell myself to keep being creative and to push the boundaries. I'd also tell myself to limit my number of features, even though I do not regret any of them. If I appear too often, I become too common and oversaturated. As a viewer or listener, I can appreciate when an artist like Kendrick Lamar raps on every song, but it becomes even more special when he collaborates with his friends on certain tracks. You'd only see Kendrick pop up frequently on a song with his boys. I don't want to be too outside [laughs]."
Where do you see yourself three years from now?
"Stable. In all facets of life. It would be sick for everyone to know who Zino is three years from now—for a good reason, of course. I don't want to be peeing somewhere in the corner on a CCTV camera or stealing Lucozade from Tesco [laughs]. It would be amazing to be the first UK artist to have their own animated film. Something meaningful. Shit, I might start acting. Black people can really do anything."
Stream Filthy & Disgusting below:
