In the beautiful, haunting music video for “12.24,” the first single off his new EP Enka, Supreme Swiss is running for his life. Battered, bruised, and bleeding through his ripped T-shirt, we find the up-and-coming Canadian rapper and producer desperately trying to escape the police officer who had him in the trunk of his car—a brutal chase that, if you’ve ever watched the news recently, you won’t be surprised to hear ends tragically.
It’s a bleak and disturbing depiction of anti-Black racism and police brutality, but one that rings utterly true, particularly in the wake of the death of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter. And as a Toronto-based artist, Supreme Swiss isn’t afraid to remind listeners that these hardships are just as real here as they are south of the border.
Over the last several years, Supreme Swiss has been making waves across Canada for this brand of intense storytelling through music. Born Iehienka Ramsay, his songs frequently address hard truths and, as he puts it himself, avoid “the hype and what’s trending,” instead focusing on something more in-depth and personal. As a producer, he’s worked with rappers Vory and Charlie Black, as well as close collaborations with Drake-approved musician Preme, of Reps Up and OVO.
Now, after a few months back in the studio finishing up his new EP Enka, out April 14, he’s ready to share more new music with the world. Complex Canada caught up with Supreme Swiss to talk about the new video and what to expect from his new work.
Tell us a bit about your background as an artist.
I grew up in the west end of Toronto. My parents are Jamaican, from the countryside of Jamaica. I grew up near Albion and Finch. In the video for “12.24,” I depict the cop chasing me and kidnapping me—that stuff really happened to me. For real. I wasn’t battered up like that, but as a kid, no more than 15, 16, they would put me in their cruiser, drive me to a totally different neighbourhood, and let me out there, hoping I would get rushed or something would happen. A lot of the police were thinking everybody’s the same.
When did you first get into music?
From age four to age 12, I was into dancehall, all that stuff, influenced by my mom and cousins and stuff. But I really wanted to rap, and when I started making my own music, I forgot about dancehall and got really into hip hop. I started making music in class when I was 13. I was rapping. I was influenced by Lil Wayne, Cash Money, that’s what I was listening to. I liked New York rap, like Styles P, D-Block. I recorded my first song and then I never stopped.
“I was in the studio all day every day as a kid. No money, no nothing, just in the studio, hungry. When I say hungry, I don’t just mean I want to make money. I mean hungry because I have no food to eat, but I’m going to record.”
In addition to rapping, you’ve done a lot of work as a producer. How did that get started for you?
Honestly just soaking it up, around other talented producers and rappers. I was in the studio all day every day as a kid. No money, no nothing, just in the studio, hungry. When I say hungry, I don’t just mean I want to make money. I mean hungry because I have no food to eat, but I’m going to record. You know what I’m saying? Eventually it came natural. It wasn’t difficult to do. It was something that felt like I was supposed to do it.
When did you start working with Preme?
He was recording at a studio that my boy was recording at. He played Preme one of my songs, and Preme’s like, yo, call this guy right now! He video called me, and he handed Preme the phone, and he started telling me he likes it and we should link up. We have been working every since. It’s been good.
Who are some of the producers you were influenced by?
Timbaland, Just Blaze, those were the names that were popping then, you know? Those were the people that influenced me. But now, music is so different, the producers, they all sound the same. You can’t really say you like this guy’s sound, because this guy’s sound sounds like that guy’s sound. But yeah, DJ MO produced “12.24,” and he’s crazy talented. He works with Preme too. He’s really good.
What was the genesis for “12.24”?
The way I make my records is, I mumble a flow. Then I listen to it and I write. So once I got the melody down, I was like, this sounds like heartfelt music—I gotta talk about my pain on this. I started writing to the song, what I was hearing myself do to the melody, and it started going in that direction: “Thank God we made it…” It got real deep, you know? At the end we all listened to it and we were like, damn, this is hot.
Where did the name come from?
We didn’t have a name for it originally. But we made it on the date of 12.24, so we said, let’s just call it that for now. Then when we got it ready to release, we were tossing around ideas, let’s call it this or that. And it was like, why don’t we just call it “12.24”? We looked up what it meant, and it said perseverance, endurance. Like that’s what the number meant. I said, we’re not changing this. This is the name. This is what the song’s about.
Wait, so you were recording it on Christmas Eve?
Yeah! I don’t want to do anything but make songs. That’s where I’m happiest, when I’m in the studio creating. I’m in the studio on my birthday, working.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a project right now called Inca. That’s my birth name. I wanted the project to be about me, not about the hype or what’s trending. It’s like an introduction to who I really am. You get a piece of everything. I’m trying to surprise some listeners and also try to catch others that don’t know of me. This one, it’s a full push, all gas, no slowing down.
