Helen Brown talks to rap artist EGO TRIP, alias Mark Naylor, about his unusual start in the music business after learning to play brass instruments with The Salvation Army

RAP artist EGO TRIP, alias Mark Naylor, has a success story on his hands and is looking forward to the release of his debut album this month.

Mark Stephen Naylor grew up in Consett, County Durham. His parents were both majors in the the Salvation Army, where Mark learned how to play brass instruments and also sang in the choir.

“I played a baritone horn, which is similar to a tuba, but I can play anything brass as well as a little bit of piano. It wasn’t until the back end of school that I decided to try and become a rap artist. Someone played an Eminem tape in class at school and I was listening to his stuff at home and it was such an inspiration.” he says. Mark was quite young when he left home. “I was just 17 and I’d met a girl, who I’m now married to,” he explains. “But I had to grow up pretty quickly, man up as they say. It was a difficult time because I had a new baby on the way and I had to find money for rent and food. I was a delivery boy at a pizza shop, for a short time, just so I could get enough to buy nappies and buy food.”

He also started writing rap songs.

“I loved writing poetry at school, so it was a natural sort of progression.”

he adds. “I met up with Stu Taylor who was running a local hip hop label called Hi Risk Records. It was there that EGO TRIP was born and found a home and a place to release music.”

After a few years of preparation, EGO released a series of free downloadable albums. The DEMO Series (Damn, Ego’s Mashing Out) received rave reviews, prompting EGO TRIP to start work on his official debut release, The Establishment LP.

The album features a series of producers, ranging from EGO TRIP’s hometown Consett, all the way to Germany, America and Canada.

The release showcases the gritty underground tracks that EGO has become known for, along with his more radio-friendly songs, such as the debut single My Victory.

This features singer CeeJay, from hip hop duo Click22, and Anna, an American-based singer. My Victory touches on the struggle’s EGO has overcome in his short music career, from rejection and being overlooked for various projects, to finally being accepted in the world of hip hop, and also headlining shows across the UK.

Not only does EGO have the hits on the album, he also has more dark and personal songs.

EGO, now a father of two, had to mature a lot quicker than other teenagers after becoming a dad at 18 to his daughter, Anais Faith.

Now married to his long-term partner, Gemma, and also father to his son, Ethan, EGO has more ambition to succeed than he has ever had.

EGO admits that he was influenced greatly by the Salvation Army.

“When I was in the Salvation Army we did a lot of slow marches, which is where a lot of my inspiration comes from.

“At the moment, I actually work in Tesco in the bakery department, where I have to get up at stupid o’- clock in the morning.

“I would love to work in the music business full-time, at least I’d get to sleep longer in a morning.

I’ve done quite a few gigs and my main goal is to become a little more famous in the North-East, but ultimately I’d like to gain a universal reputation for my work.” he said.

EGO TRIP may not be a national name yet, but he’s hoping to get there soon and his advice to anyone trying to get into the music industry is to “be yourself and give it 100 per cent”.

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