SS21 | KSI | Viper Magazine [Digital Issue]

This issue we get close-up with KSI as he talks us through his music career so far. Also making an appearance in this issue is Sean Paul, who’s celebrating the release of his new album ‘Live N Livin’’, which features a decidedly more hardcore Dancehall sound. He talked us through the foundations of Jamaican music and his cameo in Hype Williams’ cult movie Belly. I’ve been following Vic Mensa’s career for almost a decade so it was super special to have him model some refined Daily Paper looks in this issue. 

A$AP Ant appears too - an artist I met around 2011 in NYC. At the time he had an emerging clothing line, which is reaching new heights today thanks to his consistency and hard work. Reading his interview made me nostalgic, especially when he mentioned the Street Warz mixtapes that were popular in the early 2000s. Likewise, our LD made me miss the early days of UK Drill. Chicago’s newest star Lil Zay Osama tells us Kid Laroi put him onto UK Drill, we also spoke about emotions, Taylor Swift and the perfect day out in the city. 

For a long time, Buju Banton has been one of my favourite musicians and I have so much admiration for his consistency as an artist. We spoke about the 25th anniversary of his iconic album ‘Til’ Shiloh’. Speaking of Jamaican music, Alicai Harley is merging the sounds of her island with the grittiness of her other home, London Town. The Teeway shoot was one of my favourites ever, as Viper descended on a scrapyard on the outskirts of London for a shoot that was, quite literally, fire. Shooting with Aisa was super fun, there were four of us throwing balloons into the shot in order to create the Viper photos.

Interviewing Karl Kani was an enjoyable and surreal experience, having grown up in the nineties seeing the designer’s logo plastered across T-shirts worn by Tupac, Biggie and Aaliyah! In an enlightening phone call, he broke down his rise as the godfather of streetwear and his formula for success in the fashion industry. I became familiar with OriginalFani due to the affiliation with ATL’s rap scene, specifically via Two-9 who I interviewed at SXSW in 2012. Fani’s brand has grown beautifully, I have a lot of respect for his style and approach to fashion. We also caught up with one of Toronto’s finest, Jimmy Prime, the creator of one of my favourite songs ever, ‘Star Baby’! He models the latest collection from PRIME, and fills us in on the next steps for the brand.

Love,

Lily Mercer

Founder