ABOUT

Tell us who you are!

Hamza Riaz, 23, Writer & Editor-in-Chief, Mic Cheque.

So what do you actually do?

I’m a writer, content creator and founder of MicCheque.com, a hip hop platform that publishes articles and social media material on British and American rap.

Across Mic Cheque, I write album reviews, insightful pieces and manage what articles are published by the rest of the team. I supplement my work on the website by making social media content that connects to the platform’s mission.

What has your career path been?

I’ve always been into writing. The subject I performed the best at in primary school was English, and that continued into secondary. I spent my childhood reading novels, writing short stories and planning my own books that I hoped to publish one day. So it became apparent early that my calling could be in the written field. But there wasn’t a realisation that it could be a career.

At age 11, I grew an interest in hip hop. Rappers from both London and New York were blowing my mind with the way they were piecing words together in such witty, clever ways. This made perfect sense because I was already into English where I was learning about all these literary devices that were also turning up in hip hop.

During my teenage years, I struggled to work out what career I could pursue that would be ‘realistic’. As a South Asian, there was always that ‘traditional’ mentality lingering around me, yet there were no academic subjects that really gripped me besides English.

In summer 2017, I decided to start a blog which I called Mic Cheque, to write reviews on rap albums and any other music thoughts I had. This was the start of me combining my passion for writing with my interest in hip hop.

Between then and now, I have written for other platforms as a freelancer. But a lot of my ideas were shunned, particularly when it came to writing reviews. Rather than demotivating me, I used this as even more reason to build Mic Cheque and prove the worth of my ideas. That has now led to interviews with artists signed to Universal Music Group, viral content and providing opportunities for like-minded people to write their own articles.

What is the best part of your job?

It enables me to bring worldwide attention to the brilliance of the UK rap scene as creatively as possible, with no limits. Whether it is an article or a social media post, someone somewhere is either learning a piece of history they were unaware of, or discovering the rabbit hole of UK rap.

Every other week I receive a message from someone who is totally unfamiliar with UK rap asking for recommendations. They then become aware that there is so much more talent outside of the big hitters in the States. Moments like these show that my work is paying off.

Why do you do your job?

It gives me the privilege to document history in written form. There is such a rigid structure of hip hop content over in America, but in the UK it is very scattered and unorganised.

Back in the day, if you wanted to find the relics of the grime scene, the only sources were YouTube videos and forums. No one was writing structured, comprehensive articles that would live on the internet forever in the way a Complex or XXL have been doing for decades. That has left massive holes in documenting the development of the UK rap scene.

That is what I want Mic Cheque to resolve. In five, ten years and beyond there will be legitimate articles on UK albums that can be read, sourced and referenced forever.

My aim is also to bridge the gap between British and American rap, both for music listeners and within journalism. I want people to enjoy both scenes, and I want publications to commission more articles about UK rap. There has recently been a slight surge in the number of reviews you see on UK rap albums, but that is only because hip hop has now become the dominant genre and they have no choice but to cover it.

Before 2017, there were barely any publications giving a platform for writers to grant British hip hop the respect it deserves. I’m here to change that.

One piece of advice for someone starting in your role?

Head into writing with integrity. In the social media age it’s very easy to write pieces for the sake of clicks and attention, but don’t fall victim to that mindset. Be knowledgeable about what you’re writing and don’t fake it. Always remember it is about quality and making a mark.

And don’t be afraid of hitting writer’s block. It’s completely natural and still happens to me to this day. The best thing to do is take a step back and let your creative flow recharge itself.

Any parting words?

Support writers like myself and the material we produce by visiting MicCheque.com and following the platform's socials! Find a piece you like and share it – a share goes a long way! And if you are looking to start your journey as a writer within hip hop or need any related advice, my inbox is always open.

Check out Hamza’s Twitter below!

DAY IN THE LIFE

I aim to wake up as early as possible, then take a look at my to-do list. I make sure I spread tasks out across the week so I don’t overwhelm myself with too much to do in a single day.

I get the worst task out the way first: checking emails. I’m either checking out music submissions or managing other communication to do with Mic Cheque. Any chores, personal care and new music drops are dealt with straight after.

By the afternoon, I’m gearing up to write some sort of content. That may be an album review (especially if it’s the weekend), an editorial piece or an Instagram post. I start off by briefly planning the content, laying the structure that I’m going for. I like to do this either handwritten or typing up in my notes. The choice really depends on which one I’m feeling like.

Once planned, I switch to managing the socials. This side of the day is usually nonstop, taking in any applicable news and communicating with followers. The Instagram page in particular has numerous segments to put out; story Q&As, albums of the week and much more. Although Mic Cheque is a platform, I personalise the Instagram so followers can connect with the page and feel like they are speaking to an actual human being!

The most active stage of the day happens in the evening. I tend to focus and write better at this time. I’ll take what I’ve planned and start fleshing it out into a full article or post, then set an appropriate day for its publication. If I haven’t finished a piece, or I’m experiencing writer’s block, I won’t force its completion and come back to it another day.

As the writing team is spread internationally, the evening is also the best time for me to communicate with them. This is when I enter editor mode, approve or give feedback on pitches and prep the team's articles for publication. By this stage I’ll usually have published some sort of content, but there are days where I will not publish anything and use that time to prep and strategise.

I’ll then shut up shop and have some me-time by watching my favourite YouTube channels, catching up on sports or watching that show that I’ve been putting off for months.