Artist Profile
Scroobius Pip
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Genres: Hip hop, Spoken word
Years active: 2005-current
Current members: David Meads aka Scroobius Pip (lyrics/vocals, some beats)
Number of albums: 2 (5 including Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip)
Number of concerts attended: 0
Notable cameos on artist’s records: Travis Barker (Blink-182), Sage Francis, P.O.S., B. Dolan
Scorribus Pip is an artist I came across while on YouTube around this time last year. I was listening to Sage Francis songs and I saw on the sidebar a Scroobius Pip song featuring Sage Francis and P.O.S. It was immediately afterward that I found myself looking more into his music.
Like Sage Francis and George Watsky, Scroobius Pip gained notoriety from spoken word performances. He was a fan of Sage Francis and Saul Williams. He was completely self financed and toured England after saving enough money to survive for an entire year (assuming shit went south).
In 2006, No Commercial Breaks was self-published by Scroobius Pip as a spoken word project. It was rereleased in 2012 as a double disc. Much of the work that is featured in this album is later on his first hip hop album, Distraction Pieces. One particularly poignant moment is in the track “Broken Promise” which posits the question “Is a lie really a lie if you mean it at the time?” This question has helped me come to terms with people who have changed their minds about things. The idea that our beliefs and endeavors are mutable and fluid is something that a lot of people struggle with.
Distraction Pieces in 2011 was an amazing album. I am obviously late to the show as I just discovered it last year but the words he says are ridiculously clever and thoughtful. The video below is “Introdiction” which is full of wordplay. In the video, he shaves his head and cuts off his beard while filming to prove that this was recorded in a single take. I particularly enjoy the line “You see a mousetrap, I see free cheese and a fucking challenge.” It speaks to me of the concept of taking risks and not being afraid of rejection. Also, just having the confidence to willingly charge into a situation with the knowledge that you will succeed.
I am really hoping that more work comes from this guy but it is obvious that he puts a lot of time, effort, and thought into his writing, so I will not be surprised if the wait for more material is even longer. I would also encourage you to take a look at Sage Francis, B. Dolan, and Saul Williams if you’re into this style as well as Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip if you want to hear him rapping over some electronica.
More artist profiles to come!