Rapman speaks on meeting Jay-Z, Earning His Spot to a #1 Show on Netflix & more

Rapman speaks on meeting Jay-Z, Earning His Spot to a #1 Show on Netflix & more

Episode Transcript

(00:07):
It's probably the five point one ibradman in the building today. Yeah,
they got on a high I wouldimagine right now. Yeah, yeah,
number one hat. You know whatI'm saying, So happy for you,
Thank you man. I appreciate Rapmancreated directed all the things made Supercell,
which is number like number one,noble number one as we speak on Netflix,

(00:31):
on Netflix. What does that feellike? My friend? Humbling?
You know, humbling, but makesme feel happy. Man. That real
that it got accepted in a waylike I made it for a niche audience
in the UK. So to seethat everyone else found something that they can
relate to all over the world,it just feels like wrang. But this
didn't just happen. You're not anovernight success. Some people might think this

(00:54):
is an overnight thing. This isnot this unless overnight is pining ten thousand
hours for ten years. But nah, I've been doing it for a long
time. I've been going for awhile. This is my first TV show,
but I've done a movie five yearsago. Before then, I was
uploading shoots off the shoot, offthe shoot on YouTube and this is just

(01:17):
this is just the next stage.Really. Yeah, it's definitely not the
you've been working for this moment fora long time. When we met.
How many years ago was that now? I was twenty eighteen five, that
long I remember clearly, Yeah,twenty eighteen. I remember James saying Samuel,
who's a mutual friend about James,like, Yo, you gotta meet
right man. He's he's the shipand you O care you gotta he's going

(01:38):
to be you know, James.Yeah, he gives you the big intro,
big, bigger. He feeling likehe's feeling like I told you,
tell everybody that you know. What'sso crazy that when I saw this happen
for you, and I saw thatit was doing so well on Netflix and
all this thing, I was like, I expected that of you because you
had been presented to me that waywhen I first met you. So I
was like, of course it is. That makes sense for it just took

(02:00):
a little longer than expected. Butso as you can't rush it right,
everything takes the time is supposed totake. And you've been grinding for a
minute. So what about those YouTubevideos for people who don't know, Like,
that's what that's kind of where youstarted, right. You didn't got
a film school, right, youknow, I didn't even know film school
was open or accessible to people frommy type of background. So I was
doing just being a fan of allthe story songs on albums that give Me

(02:24):
the lou and the week Ago andand Love and nothing. But there was
never videos to all the story songsthat I liked. Man, So when
I started doing music, when Iwas rapping, I want to do these
short films, like narrated music videosand put them on YouTube for people in
my neighborhood. And I was doingthat from like twenty thirteen, just regular.

(02:45):
What makes you pick up a camerawhere you said, you know,
you just wanted to see it.You know, sometimes you just want to
see stuff that no one else hasmade, so I want to watch it.
It's like Super So I made itbecause that's the type of show I
wanted to watch, and it justhappens to be other people want to watch
it as well. So I wantedto see these stories and YouTube because that's
the only access platform had access to. But how did you know how to
shoot anything without experience? Try tonever, Man, If you look at

(03:07):
my stuff from twenty thirteen to upto twenty eight, and you'll see a
vast difference of learning over the butyou can learn on YouTube. You know
what did you tell me? Butwhat did you do? You have a
camera? Do you have money fora camera? So my friend had the
camera, got it and I hadthe story and I was like, listen,
I just need you to shoot this. We can use the iPhone to
record the sound and we can justdo it edit and you kind of just

(03:30):
start off like YouTube would kind ofstart off just guying on trying the camera
talking. But after we was gettingactors. So I'll get all my friends
to act. Can couldn't afford noactors, so I'll get my friend to
come in and say, okay,just say this when I say this.
When I say say this, that'swhat that's what meaning. You walk in
here and you do that, andI'll get all my friends to do it,
and we'll shoot it in my friend'shouse or in my house if I
had time to do it there.And we just started doing that, and

(03:51):
then eventually you took one out andYouTube actor would be like, you know,
I'll be in the next one.So you get one. Now,
what is the goal? Because youwant to be a filmmaker or because you
just you're trying to get popping onYouTube that was trying to be popping on
you. You know what is Iwasn't doing anything positive with my life at
the moment. Now was doing nothingpositive. So the YouTube thing was kind
of like, this is a nicelittle hobby. It's nice and I love

(04:12):
telling stories. So because I lovetelling stories, and why not And like
the people in my neighborhood that watchedit, they liked it. There's only
like fifty to one hundred people,but fifty tow one hundred people that was
having a good time. Man,Yeah, let me keep entertaining there and
then not turn to a lot more. What an inspirational story. There's some
kids sitting somewhere who has an ideafor a story that you have to start
it. So you know what Imean. You have to start somewhere facts,

(04:35):
and so the progression happens. It'scrazy. Then when do you say
to myself with yourself, wait aminute, I could be like a real
filmmaker and have it like a Ithink equipment and budget and get all the
professional actors. It's crazy because therewas never the point where I thought I
would become a filmmaker, like inthe time on the YouTube when I was

(04:55):
upload on YouTube. I did writea script, yeah, for a movie
called Blue Story, which I wenton to go, but I just wrote
that as this would be sick asthe movie. Let me try to see
what I can do. And itwas out in my laptop for years.
But when I've done Shadow Story,these YouTube shorts and everybody in the comments
was like, imagine this is amovie, Imagine this is a TV show.
I started thinking maybe this could besomething. And then when I asked
James, Samuel reaches and jay Zreaches out and Tie reaches out, and

(05:19):
they're all turning you the same thing, and these people that are doing great
things as well, so you startto thinking, Okay, all the people
are saying it, maybe I cangive this a goal shot my movie,
first time I'll directed anything real long, feature length, trialing ever really and
then that done really well in theUK and then on Netflix, and all
these other brands were interested to workwith me. So then I got here.

(05:42):
That's pretty great. So wait whendid I meet you in the middle
of all of that? You metme after Sharrow Story can come out around?
Yeah? Yes, already had beenpopping. Yeah yeah, yeah,
YouTube was popping by then, andI remember I think I remember trying to
telling you to watch it, togo watch it. But that was around
time. My movie wasn't at yet, but Sharrow's story was at think I
just signed with Rock at the time, and I was fresh. I think
that was probably the second time.Yeah right, I think I don't know,

(06:05):
I might not have met you know. I think I met him that
week. Yeah, I think wewere talking about that. I met him
that week. That's the week I'min that's crazy. But back then that
was the second time I've only everbeen in LA So I didn't even know
how Hollywood or medic really were.I just knew I've got signed popping on
YouTube and it's staying well in theUK. But I want to try my

(06:28):
hand at telling the biggest story ofinstead of doing a YouTube version maybe my
movie or maybe a TV show.But it was still such a dream then.
So to be sitting here now Poltmovie, Polst TV show, not
just I'll be back, it's crazy. I'll be back here in a few
years. Like you remember, we'retalking about that. Now I'm talking about
my oscars, about Evy, Sothat's that's that's how we're talking now.

(06:49):
I love that for you that's crazy. Sometimes when when we when we stum
stumble on things U and things happenedfor us, people could get like in
past the syndrome coming for you.Like, if you're on set with this
whole call and this big budget,do you ever feel no, No,
you just sometimes I want to sayyes, because every time people get asked
that question, that's what they're sayingit. But I don't feel that way.

(07:10):
I feel like, this is whatI'm meant to be doing, and
I was doing it for free bymyself with a small little friend but small
little crew of friends. And sonow what I'm want to set and everybody
else is doing it, I'm like, now I've earned my spot. I've
been doing it for years. Sowhen I go on set, I'm with
the same energy. Man, I'mlike, yo, let's get this cracking.
This is what we're doing, this, this and this. I've made

(07:30):
my mistakes, I made them away. You'll watch my YouTube videos from twenty
thirty to twenty eighteen. You'll seethe quality start off terrible and Bill build
bill Bill build, or the qualityof the story. So I'm ready now.
I feel like I'm in the rightplace. I feel like i'm meant
to be a different What is thebig difference though, Like from how you
was operating back then into what's whatthe stuff you're making now? You know
what is Sometimes it's harder because whenI was doing the shorts, I had

(07:51):
control. I was writing it,directing it, producing it, everything,
so I knew everything was how Iwanted it to be. Now you've got
to delegate and you've got to trustothers with your vision. So you've got
like two hundred people on set workin few and you're like, how's the
bedroom gonna look? Is It're gonlook how I wanted it to look,
because yeah, we got your brief. And then when you go into the
bedroom, if it doesn't look likeyou want it to look, I just
think I should have done it myselflike I normally would have done. So

(08:13):
you have to start trusting the peopleyou hire, you know, and it's
hard to do when you're so usedto everything being exactly how you want it.
So that took some adapting to me. Okay, Well, so for
people who haven't seen the show yeton Netflix, the number one in the
number one super cell, tell themwhat it is. For anybody who has

(08:35):
a stumble then, so super solis about five people from South London who
unexpectedly come into superpowers. But they'resaying, your typical superhero type of show
with capes and spandex and trying tosave the world. These are very flawed,
very grounded human beings who used thepowers for their own personal gain and

(08:56):
just like how it would be inreal life, you know, like if
I have got powers now the farsaved the world, I'm trying to pay
some bills first, you know,I'm trying to set family up nicely first.
And this is kind of like whatthe show is is what normal people
would do in the situation. AndI don't know give away too much about
it because only I've only done twoepisodes so far. Yeah, I'm not
going to say to me, butit's about It's just about love. So

(09:18):
on top of that, everybody inthe show is using their powers to protect,
save, or help somebody that theylove daily. Yeah, but what
is the sickle cell component. Imean, that's beginning to spoiler territory.
Nobody's pretty because I'm only on episodetwo and I got that already. Okay,

(09:39):
that's cool, I can go intoit then. So powers and also
in the description of the show.It kind of says, know what,
you'll be surprised how much people didn'tget that tool. You'll be so soon
as the mother was sick and thelady. First of all, I don't
even know if this is true.Don't tell me if it is, but
this is one I'm gathering already becausethe late the white lady with the blond
hair who's running the sickle cell plateto me, you ready this something?

(10:01):
I saw her on the screen.I know she's evil. I mean,
I don't know. Don't tell meyes or no. I feel like she's
probably evil. You gotta watch itand see. Okay, watch, but
you're a real TV watcher, Ican already tell when you watch. You
watch, But most people don't watchthat. So yeah, for me,
the sickle cell in the show,the sickle cell is basically the source of
the power and the and the reasonfor that. It's for so many reasons,

(10:26):
but mainly I wanted to shine outon sickle cell disease because it's not
spoke about enough. A disease thatmainly affects dark skin of something I never
understood, something that I don't Idon't think is fair, and I feel
like you know what, if there'ssomething in this world that can weaken us,
I'm gonna flip on his head andmake it something that can empower us.
So I want people who are livingwith sickle cells to feel seen,

(10:46):
to feel strong, to feel proud, you know, to have that conversation
and yeah, yeah is it?How is somebody in your family? Or
I just knew a girl that reallywell who would never come into college coming
and then not coming up, Likewhy are you always missing? And she
explained it to me. She sentme a picture of her in a hospital
bed and showed me the massive bagof blood that she had to get transfused.

(11:09):
And I just thought she does thatevery two weeks sometimes more. I
thought that's crazy to live. Andshe started breaking down how it affects her.
And then I started hearing meeting morepeople over the years with it,
and I was just like, nah, no one knows about this. It's
like it's like you said, hiddensecret. You know a lot of people,
it's a taboo things. So Ijust wanted to shed up. Yeah,

(11:30):
and it made sense that the storyis so good, So what happens
now is there like celebrating Are youalready working on the next thing, like
what happens. Definitely, I've definitelycelebrated internally. I'm happy with this show
and you're in the moment right yeah, miss in the moment, But I
am thinking of the next thing.So I already just wrote a movie and
I've just got the notes back fromthe studio, so I've got to go

(11:52):
in and do another draft. That'sthe first I want to do when I
get back to London. There's beenwhispers maybe there might be season two.
It's not confirmed, so I'm thinking, do I starts down right now?
Let me confirm it for you,because no way, you have a number
one global, number one show onNetflix and they don't give you the second

(12:13):
season. That's what everybody. That'swhat everybody's saying. So I'm starting to
drop things down, like I alreadyhad the big idea for it, but
I'm dritting things down. So whenthat cool calms is like, I'm a
head of two schedule and I'm gettinga lot of interest from a lot of
studios right now. Man, wait, so what is the what is the

(12:33):
Rock Nation affiliation? Your manager management? They still manage? Yeah, and
are they involved in any of hasJ been involved in any of the early
screenings. But he hasn't. Hehasn't come on as a producer as if
anything. But what I know aboutJay, he gives good notes. No,
that's what everybody says. No,because he wasn't in the production notes.
Guy. Everybody says that. That'swhat James says. I heard that

(12:56):
he's sick. He ain't gave mesomething. He ain't gave me. No,
but he has had a chance tohe gets ever so so like the
show came out obviously a few weeksago. He had the episodes from December,
so he just got them early.And now say, we told me
how much he enjoyed them. Butbut they haven't come on board other than
as management. They haven't come onas a producer one of my projects.
Yeah yeah, but that's great.And then why are there so many amazing

(13:16):
actors in the UK? What ishappening? You know what it is?
In the UK. There wasn't thatmuch outlets of making it past. Okay,
I would in your nine to fivejob. There was becoming a soccer
player or becoming an actor. Thoseare like the two things you do if
you can't find a good job.We didn't have basketball players. We didn't

(13:39):
have baseball players, not people thatmade big money. And the rap scene
that was in early days you couldn'tmake a little money. Now it's a
lot different. You're seeing rappers comingover and doing really well. But growing
up, those are the only things. So soccer or soccer after soccer,
or you can double in the streets, you know. So if you don't
want to do all of that,that's crazy. That's so different exactly.

(14:00):
So everyone went to drama school alot, a lot of actors and trained.
They're trained, you know. Theywent to school, and they didn't
go to the school. They wentto classes on the weekend. It was
just a normal thing. So theycan do your accent, they can do
our accent. It's really unbelievable.They just mix up. It's really unbelievable.
And you've got a great cast.My god, I appreciate pick.
You picked all those me and mycast director and I have to choose it.

(14:22):
But they all put their heart intoit, man, so big them
all up. I love that.So what's next for you? Man?
I know you said movie and allof that, but I just feel like
you got big picture plans for otherthings. I want to do a movie
next. That's kind of that Iwant to go with it, but I
do want to I want super Sollto continue, So I'm trying to figure
out how I can do both ina timely fashion because I can't open a

(14:46):
message without something saying we're season two. So I want to feed the world,
but I need to I need tofeed the world make sure it's quality.
So I'm just kind of pushing forward. Man, I never stopped,
so the minute I get off theplane, I'll be back to work.
And I'm always trying to to keepon providing with high quality stories on amazing
congrats on everything, thank you,thank you, anything else that people need

(15:07):
to know about Noah, just goon watch super so It's for a few
weeks and it's not too late.It's still in the top. I have
a flight tonight. I'm gonna watchthree and four on the flight, and
then when I get to the hotel, i'll probably finish it. It's six,
right, so you can get forit quick watch it if you like
it, spread the words and yeah, that's all. You know. We
wanted to keep on going. Wewant people to enjoy it. Congratulations,

(15:30):
Thank you very much, Ratman.Everybody spout on the five point one