Diggaz Love Interviews pt4 ft Farma G

EdXL 'The Xaminah' has questions for Farma

1. Where did the moniker/pseudonym “Farma Giles” come from?

Originally it came from the fact that i was raised in the countryside (Dis - Norwich) for the 1st 2 years of my life, some of that time on a commune, then on top of that, the idea that as an Mc/Beatmaker I grow my own organic styles and cultivate them as a product and send them out to the public..like a farmer. Fuck knows where the Giles came from..haha. I have dropped the G from the name and am now happy to be known as Farma..which stands for FORTIFIED-ASPECTS-REPRESENT-ME-ALONE...if the G is used...GENUINELY!!!

2. Your Dad was in bands and was involved in music. How much of an influence was this on your own journey in music?

At the time it was just my mum and dad playing music on their guitars and singing, they had a huge record collection and there would be music of some sort playing everyday. It didn't really occur to me until my teens how much of an influence the years of absorbing these songs and Harmony's etc had affected my own musical tastes. I have been blessed with such an amazingly varied and open minded view of music..i owe this to my parents.

3. New Mic Order is a fantastic piece of work and a significant milestone in British Hip Hop: What in your opinion made it so good?

I can only look back on it and remember how angry and pissed off me and Chester were at the time..1998/1999. We hated the UK rap scene, we hated the artists involved in it and we wanted to rebel. The tracks that we recorded with Mark were almost protest songs but as the record was released it was misinterpreted and adopted as almost an Ode to UK rap haha..either way we didn't really care but it was strange that something that was so fuelled by hatred towards a certain element of the scene was in fact heralded as a masterpiece by the very same people we opposed. This same scenario carried on throughout most of our releases. Its a funny old game!

4. We know you as one half of Taskforce with your brother Chester P. What is it like working with your brother and do you have many artistic differences?

There was a time when me and Chester almost thought the same things, read the same books, smoked the same weed and cried the same tears but over a decade or more in the public eye we have grown further and further apart in a lot of ways and now don't seem to connect on many levels at all. We have always shared a fiery relationship and it can be difficult but as they say "nothing lasts forever". To me, he is my brother..he is not Chester P.

5. How did your involvement with “The invasion of…..” develop?
How does this new chapter compare with your involvement in music to date?

I was asked to put some vocals over some tracks created by this band as i knew one or two of the members and they had heard some acoustic folky tracks i had been writing, i agreed to try out for the band and on hearing what i had recorded over the tracks i was initiated into the band. I literally threw myself into the deep end because i had never sang publicly and was very un-confident about my vocal skills..yet they liked me? The band play music like nothing i have tried to deal with before and it was a challenge to adjust the quiet folk singing into loud rock singing. I love it! It is in my nature to force people to question who they think 'Farma' is..I'm not the HIP HOP stereotype and i never wanted to be. ROCK ON DUDE!!!!!

6. Your son Aaron (Remus) is continuing the “Coombes” musical dynasty? What is it like performing with your son and seeing his development from his early inclusions on MFTC all those years ago?

Aaron (Remus) is my souls inspiration, end of story. The kid has been so musically talented from such an early age that it is nothing short of a blessing. I stop and think about who he has become and his passion for the thing he loves and i see me and Chester but without the Poverty and the drug and drink abuse of our parents. He has been through hard times with me and his mum but now he is settled with me and we live in harmony as best friends, brothers and father and son. Performing on stage with your son, doing the same music, with the same passion is something not many people do in their lifetime..i am very proud!



7. “Tombstone sideburns, concrete hairstyles absorbing stone faces of statues of Farma Giles” I always liked this lyric. What is the favourite line or verse which you have penned?

Hahaha...wicked, ahhh..i have written so many bloody verses that its all been forgotten I'm afraid. I like the verse i did on God Nose on the Biro Funk album...something about "stop bullets like Pat Jennings" sorry mate I'm completely useless at the lyric questions. I usually write them, record them and then never listen to em again.

8. British hip hop is….?

for the individual to decide..But to me, Hip Hop as a worldwide sub-culture is one of the most contrived and hypocritical in existence. Why do i say this you may ask..well, To me it represents being a rebel, an outlaw, an under dog, a non conformist etc, but in essence it has more rules and regulations than any other group of people i can think of. You have to wear certain clothes..uniform! you have to conform to using typical 'street slanguage' You are controlled by these restraints and made to suffer and are mocked for being different..or not keeping it 'REAL' Funnily enough it is usually the fans that are the ones who construct these crazy rule systems and argue endlessly on forums about who is hard, or who sold out! Nothing remotely rebellious about that sort of behaviour. That is what new mic order was about, that is why i want to be the lead singer in a rock band...Cos i am HIP HOP! Nobody can argue with me about who i am and what i stand for, i am HIP HOP! i have lived it and breathed it since i was 9 years old..thats over 26 years of being Hip Hop! Rant over.

9. In what direction do you see your music moving in the future?

I want to be a commercial success and make mortgage money. So musically i will do what it takes to reach that goal..Hip Hop is for the younger generations, i am old and happy that my son can compete with any of the artists we have in the UK its his turn to shine. I'm happy to experiment with new things and seek out new goals.

10. I recollect the “Chester P for Mayor” campaign. If you were London Mayor or, (since it’s general election time) Prime Minister, what would you do or change?

I, am the unpolitical half of the brothers McBane. I have no real interest in world affairs and try my hardest to focus on the people immediately around me. I have been accused of being ignorant and selfish but it works for me to be this way. I have never really wanted to be somebody who makes decisions or preaches on how others should lead their lives.

11. Taskforce were recently described as being “past it” and resembling the Gallagher brothers in a photograph. How have you handled small mindedness and criticism throughout your life? Are you sensitive or impervious to it?

We are all sensitive to criticism so i would be a liar if i said it doesn't sometimes make an already self doubting, un-confident person upset and even more introverted. As an adult though, we have to accept that people have their own ideas and perspectives on life and its participants and not to read to much into what others may feel about things..lets face it, its always going to be easier to sit behind a computer screen and anonymously critique the world around you than it is to stand out from the crowd and speak publicly about who you are and what you stand for.

12. I remember seeing Taskforce perform at a gig in Reading about 10 years ago. What was the best gig you ever performed at to date?

Every gig has its very own personal highlight but travelling around the world to places like Australia and all over europe are highlights for me, meeting people from all walks of life that appreciate your work etc is a blessing for me.

13. If you could work with any artist or producer who would that be?

I would love to work with Jack White (White stripes, The raconteurs, Dead Weather) I believe he is an amazingly talented and gifted individual. I would be happy to just sit and watch him in the studio for a few hours to be honest.

14. I recall reading about you quitting cannabis. What are your views on cannabis use, prohibition and legalisation?

People should have the opportunity to experiment with the illegal substances that flood out streets, pubs and day to day lives. I never ever want to come across like an ex addict who tells the world how bad something is and that everybody should steer clear. I smoked the wacky baccy since i was 13 and smoked every day which led to a serious habit that in hindsight destroyed me. I feel that i wasted my life and let countless opportunities slip away due to my fear and paranoia. I was agoraphobic. anti social. Paranoid. delusional. psychotic and above everything else, very unhappy. I lost everything that i loved during my years being blinded by the green haze. Bottom line...it was bad for me.

15. What is your biggest aspiration?

To live happily ever after. Nothing more.

16. What is your biggest regret?

Not giving up the weed much earlier in my life.

17. Did you ever want to do anything other than make music for a career; if so what?

I have a knack at being reasonably talented at anything i put my hands to but have always been drawn to music as my perfect occupation. Sometimes, If i cant make money as a Mc, Singer, Songwriter or Beatmaker then i usually teach mc or beatmaking skills to kids in Units (naughty school) which is rewarding but emotionally draining.

18. I liked the look you displayed on the recent Charlie Sloth video ft. you and Black the Ripper. Is this attire something you regularly sport nowadays?



Hahahaha...this video has drawn so much speculation to what i look like and how i choose to dress..its so funny. Ok, the track was called 'not like you' i knew that Charlie and Blacks would come in there usual type of garments so i decided to go completely the other way to accentuate the 'not like you' theme. It was not a joke as such but just an example of me antagonising peoples belief structures where Hip Hop is concerned (question 8) I own that jacket, i own those (very expensive) spectacles, i own that hairstyle, so i suppose that i dress that way..i had just never worn them all at the same time!
I remember when Kung-Fu was at its peak and i had grown my hair really long and i had a whiteman afro..all the other dudes wore a skinhead..a few years later all the dudes wore their hair long. I was wearing fitted jeans years ago and was frowned on and indirectly dissed by people..now the trend for fitted jeans in the so called "urban scene" is vast. hahaha..im not saying i set the trends at all but I'm saying that it takes one or two people to take the brunt of the criticism before the flood gates are fully opened and then everyone feels safe to do it (question 8). Like i said, i enjoy challenging what people interpret as the norm. Fuck normal!

Thanks for giving me a soapbox fellas and good luck with everything. Love, Peace and respectacles

Contact Farma or hear more music from him & 'The Invasion Of' at Soundcloud /Myspace / Youtube / Twitter / The Invasion Of