TîMMY the FIRST is a rapper, songwriter and producer based here in Ōtepoti who has been creating music for years. Critic caught up with the graduated neuroscience student to chat about how he got involved in the music scene as well as his upcoming projects.
It all started when a mysterious keyboard was left at Timmy’s childhood home. Timmy began to teach himself how to play melodies and songs on the keys, eventually creating his own original music. “I would randomly write songs with my sister, just for fun. I found myself recording melodies and hooks on my mom’s phone. This is when I was probably like nine, or ten.” Growing older, music remained a grounding force in Timmy’s life. For a time he considered it a side hobby, though he continued making beats and freestyling with mates, uploading his videos to Instagram. It was this and the community it brought that caused Timmy to reconsider music as a core part of his day-to-day life. “I was kind of going through a dark phase and music was that one thing that brought me out… It just felt great. Being able to create something and put it out there, watch people interact with it and connect with people differently… I really want to keep taking it further because I feel like it’s something I’m meant to be doing.”
Hip hop was Timmy’s introduction into making his own music, and the style allowed him to also blend together his passion for poetry. “I used to keep it low-key but I like to do poetry. Hip hop or rap music was the first genre where [I could find that mixed together, music and poetry].” Timmy’s music reflects his own experiences, feelings and self. His most respected artists are those who write about their own lives but are able to create space for the listener to relate through their own experiences. “I could talk about anything but I guess the anchor is something that’s real, something that I really resonate with… A lot of my songs are just something that’s been in my head, that I wouldn’t say but I’d be able to express it to music.”
Although hip hop is where it started, Timmy’s latest music delves into a range of different genres. “[Hip hop was] the first type of music I could make, and the music that I’d listen to most of the time… Nowadays, the demos and the songs I’ve got in my vault are everything from a ballad type of track, a rock type of song, hip hop and R&B. All that.” Timmy has various processes in creating his tracks. If at home, he’s able to build his own melodies and beats starting from keys, otherwise he might work together samples from his own older material or online. He then works with a producer to elevate it to the final product, though on occasions, Timmy has made tracks entirely in-studio with the producer.
Ōtepoti’s hip hop scene is under the radar compared to the more dominating DnB and rock scenes. Still, artists who work in this genre here know that local audiences are keen for the scene to flourish. Pre-pandemic, hype was being generated as Timmy, along with four others, put on their own hip hop shows as Vorscé. “People were actually so excited for it. It was a crazy Pint Night show…I feel like people are actually keen to hear something different. I guess It’s just a matter of the scene and Dunedin opening up to allow hip hop to shine through.”
Follow TîMMY the FIRST at @timmythefirst1 to keep up with upcoming releases and gigs.