A Taste Of BGourd: The Green-Clad Rapper Who's Turned Himself Into A Vegetable

Meet BGourd, the costumed rapper who’s given local hip-hop a new shade (Credit: Christopher Sim)

Hip-hop and shrouded miens is a combo that’s been around for a while now. Internationally for instance, MF DOOM has his metallic gladiator mask, while emerging drill rappers can often be found donning balaclavas to escape incrimination. Meanwhile on our side of the globe, we have a dude who’s transformed himself into a rapping vegetable.

BGourd knows how to make a lasting first impression (Credit: Christopher Sim)

Sprouting from the scene with an intrepid persona that instantly turns heads, BGourd is a Singaporean rapper who complements humorous chutzpah with sharp musicality that’s made him more than a prancing punchline. Fresh from the release of his debut EP, Veggie Wraps, Vol. 1, the green bodysuit-clad emcee exudes an ethic that salutes the charm of Golden Age hip-hop, made possible by collaborating producer and Powder Social Club member, Halal Sol. The resultant effort is a smooth collection of BGourd’s glib rhymes buffed by snappy, boom-bap percussions and lush, jazzy chords.

The magnetic entertainer has already made his presence felt at a couple of gigs in Singapore, including The Esplanade Concourse where he performed with Halal Sol, and when he opened for American-Chinese rapper, Bohan Phoenix. Represented by local promoters, North East Social Club, BGourd is on the cusp of an ascending trajectory that’s set to expose Singaporean hip-hop to a wider, uninitiated audience. And he’s taking it all in his stride, without taking himself too seriously.

I chat with the emerging rapper about his wacky persona and hip-hop roots, and find out if there really is any meat within the gourd.

When it comes to showmanship, BGourd is reaching high (Credit: Christopher Sim)

Hello BGourd. So to begin with a serious question… when did you decide to become a vegetable? 

Hello Kevin. I decided to become a vegetable about three years ago when the urge to become a rapper struck. Fun fact: Did you know bitter gourd is a great cure for hangovers and cleanses the liver?

I must say I did not know that. Thanks! Clearly, your out-there persona injects a dose of humour into a scene some might take a little too seriously. Is laughter a medicine you prescribe to your followers? 

I guess I try to not take myself too seriously when I make music? Especially when it comes to my brand of hip-hop. Being able to take a step back to laugh at myself is something I have to do; it helps me with the macro perspective. At the end of the day, I just write bars that make myself laugh and if some of it rubs off on my listeners, I’m glad.

Absurd humour is one of BGourd’s strong suits (Credit: Christopher Sim)

Beneath the aesthetic shock appeal, there is an authenticity in your music, from the eloquence of your flow to the boom-bap traditions you choose to associate with. Is there, indeed, a method to the madness?

I believe there’s a fine line between ‘not taking yourself too seriously’ and making well-thought-about music. I try my best to stay balanced on that line. So with respect to Halal Sol’s production, I had to research and experiment with different kinds of flow, so at least the resulting flow would complement the beats and vice versa. Really just considering the gestalt.

Speaking of whom, how did your collaboration with Halal Sol come about?

It happened three years ago, when Halal Sol reached out on a Telegram group looking for someone to rap over his new deep house-inspired beat. My brother, who was in that group, floated my name and sent me the beat – which I absolutely loved. From that odd connection, we ended up doing our first song in what would eventually become “Waste” in the EP.

Halal Sol is the ingenious producer behind BGourd’s debut EP (Credit: Powder Social Club Facebook page)

Of all the genres within hip-hop, you’ve championed the old-school form of boom-bap In your EP. Did you grow up loving that sound? 

Yeah, I did grow up loving that sound. However, I wouldn’t say that I champion it in my music. I saw this NYC-influenced style as the most befitting for EP1, but future releases will incorporate different styles. I would say I love all the subgenres of hip hop – from trap to Memphis, West Coast to experimental, sci-fi to horrorcore... you name it!

What inspires your lyricism? Are there any rap heroes whom you admire? 

I try to take inspiration from anything and everything around me. I typically rap about things I learn in school as well as daily observations I have of my surroundings. I try my best to translate my lifestyle into my raps. Lyrically, I try my best to follow in the footsteps of MF Doom, Earl Sweatshirt and Vince Staples, but flow-wise, at least for this EP, I took a lot of inspiration from Nas, JPEGMAFIA and Azealia Banks.

Expect lots of new music from BGourd in 2020 (Credit: Christopher Sim)

As its name implies, is Veggie Wraps going to be a recurring series?

You are absolutely right! Veggie Wraps, Vol .1 is the first of four editions. Each edition will be produced by different producers and hopefully all of it will be out by the end of the year!

Can’t wait! What are your thoughts on the local hip-hop scene in its current state?

Singaporean hip-hop is much larger than what general audiences perceive it to be. As per my understanding and research, Singaporean hip-hop music comes in waves, generally in line with the timing in which popular hip-hop hits global radio.

For example, in the 1990s when Wu Tang Clan took over the charts, the Sheikh Haikels and Kopi Kat Klans emerged. The same happened in early 2000s when Eminem and 50cent were super prominent figures on the global stage, and now in 2010 when hip-hop has found new prominence with trap music from Travis Scott, boyband hip-hop supergroups like Brockhampton and sadboy emo rap music from Lil Peep. You can see many young artists pop up from seemingly nowhere.

My only concern is that, these new artistes don’t have a very strong figurehead to look up to in the Singaporean scene, which might contribute to their music sounding a little diluted in my opinion. To clarify, when I say diluted, I’m speaking about a strong musical core, something that makes Singaporean hip-hop sound unique. To me it’s not about using slang or Singlish but rather translating the Singaporean experience in the most authentic way possible. 

Beneath his wacky persona, BGourd is an artiste who truly cares about local hip-hop (Credit: Christopher Sim)

Thanks for sharing your input. On to a more casual topic, how difficult was it to conceptualise your costume?

I knew that I wanted to wear a full suit and at one point of time, I even wanted to make my own bitter gourd suit but it ended up being too difficult. I would say I ended up choosing the green suit because it was simple and represented me the best. The suit is also a homage to MF Doom, one of my hip-hop idols and I generally try to apply his concept to my identity too.

What are some things that make you bitter in life? Or are you generally a positive person? 

Actually, I would say I’m pretty positive most of the time. But! When I rap, it’s a character, and this character processes the world through a satirical lens. So the performances, and the content in the performances, might come off as bitter. It all comes from a place of love, though.

You’ll be seeing much more of BGourd (Credit: Christopher Sim)

And to wrap up, how will BGourd evolve from here?

I would like to say that 2020 is the year of the Gourd. As previously mentioned, I’ll be making a lot of music, so stay tuned and keep your eyes open for more shows.

Veggie Wraps, Vol. 1 is out now on Bandcamp and Spotify. To find out more about BGourd and his upcoming shows, follow his Facebook page.