I sat down with Brand Consultant, Designer & Creative Director Mark James Scott who is making an Impact in the Hip Hop World, in both the UK and the US. We talked working with Artists from The Game and Music Mogul Diddy, to his own Music and more..

BY SASHA JENKINS

What sets you apart from others in your field?

I didn’t study Design. I studied Psychology for 6 years and gained my Masters Degree. I know what will capture people’s attention and I think that gives me an edge when I design.

Being an Artist and branding myself for so many years has given me a heavy lesson in what to do and what not to - having that experience definitely helps. I’ve got OCD on top of that which won’t let me half-ass anything. Whatever I do I’ve got to put my all into it or I won’t do it at all. It makes me pay attention to detail and it’s what keeps me improving with every project I work on.
I think that’s the reason I naturally fell into designing, it demands all of these things.

How did you start working with The Game?

I met Game in 2017. I told him what I did and sent him some of my work. At that time he was recording and thinking about a new Label name to release his Album“Born 2 Rap.” That year we went back and forth with about 20 different names for the Label and I think I did somewhere around 500 Logos before we settled on ‘Prolific Records’ - which was Game’s tribute to Nipsey Hussle just after he passed. I think that’s where we started building our relationship and realised we are on the same page creatively. He trusts my eye and he knows I’m going to give 1000% to anything I’m
working on.

Tell me about the Chain

It’s a big deal for me getting this chain with the Numinati Logo. Not just because I designed it. I walk around with it on in Scotland and it’s no biggie to most people here but to me it’s like a badge of honour.

To be honest it’s like me making a statement when I wear it, it’s like walking around with a middle finger round my neck.

Where I’m from there’s a general attitude of looking down your nose at anybody who does something different - people feel threatened by it. Your supposed to get a job and pretend your happy in that mould for the rest of your life. That’s not for me. The chain for me is a symbol of what I do, a symbol of being different and a creative. It’s a f*ck you to everybody who sees me wearing it.

What is the Numinati?

The Numinati is Game’s Label. He called me when he was in the Studio and started rapping Kanye West’s verse on their record “Eazy” to me, the part that says “This that Numinati B*tchhh..”

That’s where the name comes from. I sent him some Sketches of Logos that night and the one he went with ended up being his new Label imprint on Virgin Records.

How did you start working for Diddy?

I applied for the role with Diddy and his umbrella company Combs Global, but at the same time I text Game asking him to put a good word in for me. He said he would and I don’t know what actually happened behind the scenes but a month or so later I got it.

What is your Career Highlight to date?

It’s got to be being Art Director on Game’s last Album “Drillmatic”. I worked with him on the Artwork in LA last year and also on his Live Show. They live on a different planet out there and I love it. Your surrounded by creatives which is where I feel most at home.

Working on content for Diddy’s “The Love Album: Off The Grid” which was nominated for a Grammy has also been a recent highlight.


Being from Scotland, why HipHop?

Me and my twin brother fell in love with Hip Hop in 1999 - I remember that clearly.

I think the ability to say whatever the f*ck you like was the attraction for us. It was natural. I’ve heard people say that songs will come to you at the right time in your life - I think that happened to us with Hip Hop as a whole - we were 16 years old and it gave us a voice and somewhere to put our creative energy.

We used to raid the Library every weekend getting any Hip Hop CD we could, copy them and return them. We started writing our own lyrics and we were the first in Scotland to start rapping with our genuine accents. Hip Hop is still a massive part of both of our lives.


What’s been your Highlight in music?

We got into the Official Chart Top 40 four times - every time was a highlight but we did it twice independently which was crazy. We really built a genuine following quickly when we put out our debut Single with Sandi Thom. There’s nobody who sounds like us or writes like us and I think that’s why things took off.

Another definite highlight for me was early on - we were managed by Ronnie Gurr and Midge Ure. Ronnie took us to Munich in Germany to record with Nazareth - who have sold like 20 Million Albums. We recorded in an old war bunker which was converted into a top of the range studio. We had just been signed so we were nervous but the whole band were 100% down to earth and open to us and our ideas.

Got to mention working with R&B singer Angel on one of our Singles has been a highlight - he’s my favourite UK Artist. Working with Eminem’s group D-12 on separate songs in 2012 was definitely a Highlight also.

Most memorable moments?

I’ve had a lot of memorable and surreal moments for sure. Game’s House Parties - being at the bar at his pool and I look up and see 2 Chainz.
Then you look to your left and you see Ray J and Hit-Boy.

I once got a group facetime call from Diddy and Yung Miami just before I started working with Diddy - It was a Friday and they needed some content for that day. I’m not sure but it felt kinda like it was a test to see how quick I could work under pressure- I did a 3D model in about 6 hours - which is crazy because usually that would take 6 weeks.

I think other than that it has to be me and my brother signing a Record Deal and Publishing Deal with Sandi Thom and Sony. We’ll never forget that day because it was literally a dream come true. We worked on our sound for years before we got there.

Worst Career moment?

Going on the X Factor. It was a bad look from the start. We had just parted ways with Sandi Thom’s Label and got asked to go on the show so we couldn’t turn down the opportunity. I think we should’ve trusted our gut feeling about it though.

Everything went wrong from day one - the song choice and the first performance itself were both terrible but we still somehow ended up with four yes’s from the judges. I guess getting a yes from Simon Cowell & Nicole Sherzinger was a big positive but on a whole it hurt our brand.


What was the first CD you ever bought?

The first Tape I bought was Busta Rhymes “Woo Hah” in like 1999.

Something most people would never know about you?

I have an IQ of 138.

What’s your hip hop Top 5?

Game. Lil Wayne. Jadakiss. Eminem. Termanology. I care about bars. That’s been my same top 5 for over a decade by the way.

Any tips for anyone starting out in the Music business?

Grow a thick skin and have the blinkers on. Make your own lane. Thats what we’ve always done and it’s kept us going for a decade plus.

Don’t expect anything worthwhile to happen overnight and don’t expect everybody to love what you are doing. That’s something we did when we started and I think it slowed us down.

Plans for 2024?

I’ve been working on a Company with Game and some of his Team for time now - don’t want to say much about it yet but hoping to launch it soon.


Socials
http://markjamesscott.co.uk
Instagram @markjamesscott