*Exclusive* Introducing Dead Crow - The 12 Year Old Welsh Rapper Who's Stirring Up Swansea

Words: Linn Branson

"24 hours/7 days a week/All year round/Slam the ground."

Remember the lines above, because hear this debut track from Welsh rapper Dead Crow just once, and they will become so firmly stuck in your head that you may require surgery to stop their going round and round and...on repeat.

The lines to 'Slam The Ground' are simple enough, and damnably infectious enough to warrant a few plays, but when you learn that the main Crow man here, Ethan Browning - he of the gorgeous red/gold curls (hip hop's answer to Ed Sheeran!) - is just a mere 12 years old, well, not only is it likely to make anyone over 20 feel positively ancient, but it is also inevitably going to raise the interest factor.

Having made his radio debut on Adam Walton's show on BBC Radio Wales this past weekend, this is undoubtedly the start of big things ahead for the young Swansea rapper.

In his first interview, we started off by asking Ethan about the 'Dead Crow' moniker.

"Well, we were a visit to Ireland, and me and my family were talking about giving me, as a rapper, a record label name. My mum said the record label could be called Dead Crow. Then my brother - who is in a band called Laruso - popped up and said, 'that's a great name for Ethan!'"

And the two brothers are not the only musical Brownings. "My dad - Stick On - is currently in a band called Lost Tuesday Society, and when he's not with them he's always making music at home," Ethan tells us. "He sings the chorus on 'Slam The Ground', recorded the track and basically did most of the music. Rivers, that's my brother, is also on it."

For someone so young - "yes, I am still only 12! But will be turning 13 soon, on December 10" - it's surprising to learn that Ethan is already something of an old hand before embarking on 'Slam The Ground', after being inspired by Eminem, Dr Dre and Brother Ali.

"I've been rapping for years now and I really wanted to make my first song - as my dad has made many. While we had been in Ireland my brother had made a lovely tune on guitar, which I started to rap other artist lyrics over. When I got back to Swansea I started writing lyrics, although I struggled a lot. I did all of my recording in the summer holiday, including making the video. We filmed that in Victoria Park's skate park and in Cwmdonkin Park."

'Slam The Ground', currently online on Soundcloud here, will also be featured on a forthcoming album 'Pitchfolksnhoes'.

"Random is one of my dad's friends, and who is also on the track," says Ethan. "I'm also close to him because I worked on Swansea's community farm with him for awhile. 'Pitchfolksnhoes' is his album. This is a huge honour for me to be on it."

Whatever transpires from 'Slam The Ground', Ethan is not wasting any time in the interim. "I'm going to start recording again soon. My next song might appear as French style. It's going to be just me, playing the accordion."

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