Known for his dynamic presence as an MC and DJ, Inja has captivated audiences around the world with his unique combination of lively performances and thought-provoking lyrics. From her hip-hop beginnings to her cutting-edge hybrid, This Is Inja shows in the drum and bass scene, Inja has consistently pushed the boundaries of what it means to be an artist.

Inja has a long-standing relationship with Boomtown Fair, one of the most eclectic and immersive festivals in the United Kingdom. Over the years, he has become a staple of the festival, known for his electrifying sets and spontaneous appearances. Since her first performance with DJ Die on the Arcadia spider with her unforgettable This Is Inja set on the Origin stage, Boomtown has been a vital platform for Inja’s artistic evolution. His ability to captivate large crowds and create unforgettable moments has solidified his position as a festival favourite among enthusiasts and peers alike.

In this special interview with EARMILK, we meet Inja and explore the origins of her intriguing name, explore the artistic evolution of her hybrid DJ and MC performances, and discover the personal philosophies that underpin her art. We also return to her musical. roots, talk about her memorable festival experiences, and learn how she maintains a positive and humble outlook in an increasingly difficult music industry.



So the first question I wanted to ask you is: your call is an acronym for “what’s important never justifies anything. “Where does the inspiration for this call come from? 

Well, the name Inja originally comes from wit, my friends called me that because they say I can temporarily think with ideas, especially when it comes to the written facets of my life. They shortened it to Inja, because it was easier. Then from there I felt like I had to locate an acronym that suited me and what I would like to publish. Knowing that I am just a man, I have made mistakes. I made all kinds of mistakes that each and every human being does. So for me, making up the acronym “importance never justifies anything” is more of a reminder to myself, something I forgot. Sometimes it helped me not forget who I am and what my goal is here. Love is being spread. “Importance never justifies anything” means to me that my importance does not justify anything in relation to a living being, to an existing organism. But like I said, I’m just a man, I’ve made a lot of mistakes.  

Yes, of course, that sounds like thinking on your part. And I think we can do all of that, no one is perfect.

I am far from being very productive and that is something I would never need to be. Because to me the whole concept of maximum productivity is the creative thinking that gives you the idea that you need to be maximally productive. That’s when you have greater productivity, because you have the spark of a concept according to the Big Bang theory. At that moment you will be able to see your most productive vision. To execute this vision to the best of your abilities, you will have to get rid of all kinds of productions, because to get to the final result you will have to finish, twist and turn the original Big Bang theory. the concept. That spark of the original concept may not be what its final execution becomes. This will give you something to be proud of, anything you need to share with the world.

A clever example is that you fall into a date and think everything is going to be perfect. Then you get all the obstacles, the turns. Perfection is something I would never need to be around to, but I sense it. I’m not a perfectionist. I just need to do things the way possible, draw a line and then move on.

As an MC and DJ, you’ve developed a niche of functionality that allows you to do both on stage. In a recent IG article, Becky Hill called it a “genius” and I myself witnessed the functionalities at the Boomtown and Glastonbury festivals. Where did the inspiration to create this hybrid screen come from?

Yes, that made me very happy. Oh Lord. I know Becky, she’s amazing. We like. He we love everything he does, man. It meant a lot to me. Well, [This Is Inja] started when I went to New Zealand and Australia on tour in 2021. The promoter said they could find me another DJ in each city, but I thought that wouldn’t make it all coherent. So I did it myself. I was doing the first part of the first set, I just wanted to play and stop. Then, halfway through, I got a little familiar with CDJs and started mixing. I turned to Benny L to ask him if he is smart and if he shows up on time, he replied “Yes!”. So it all started from there, playing all my songs first, because some of the DJs I’ve worked with don’t play our songs that often. Our job is to make other people happy, but as a DJ it is also your job to play what represents them. But he made me think “wow! “, other people need to hear me sing my songs, so I did 15 concerts between New Zealand and Australia while learning how to use CDJ, without headphones and I have very bright memories of it. From the last show where A. M. C came to me he said: “Bro, You’re doing great, you know?” The tour definitely planted the seed for This Is Inja, it got wonderful feedback, so I told my agent I wanted to push this because it represents me, it’s something a little different. I’ve evolved. much more, I feel more comfortable with CDJs, so I can play not only my music, but also a lot of smart music that represents me.

I also wanted to go back to the beginning. You first got involved in hip hop teams early in your career. What was your first arrival at D

Well drum and bass was my first introduction to the love of music, I was MCing with one of my friends from school. My first measure, if I remember correctly, was a rap song. He wasn’t an MC yet, we were just into music and I’d stop by his place one Saturday at lunchtime, borrow some cognac from one of the local shops, he was a DJ and I was an MC. Drum and bass led me to hip hop, because drum and bass was for me the first position in which I heard British voices. For example, you have the Reggae kids who are of Jamaican origin, but they also have the London look or the Birmingham look, or the Manchester look, or the Nottingham look. For me it was the first position where I literally heard the British accessory basically in music and then from there I discovered British hip-hop like London Posse, Task Force, Skinnyman, Roots ManuvaArray Blak Twang, Fallacy, Phi Life Cypher, all those guys. They had an intensity to their writing that literally intrigued me. I love words, I’ve been passionate about words my whole life and the way those guys use words and grammar, it was ours, it was British, it was local and it gave me the urge to follow this path. I started as a reaspectnt MC at a local night in Cambridge called Warning. Then I got into hip-hop and started doing hip-hop parties. It was in hip-hop that I started writing music. Jungle and drum and bass were where I started MCing, but hip-hop taught me how to write and become a better MC.

I wanted to ask you about Boomtown since it’s festival season and I’d say you’re a true Boomtown veteran. What has been your most memorable festival experience so far?

The first time I played at Boomtown was around 2012, with DJ Die at Arcadia Spider, when the whole position was very different. I think we had over 10,000 ravers around that spider. I will never do it because it was one of the scariest experiences going up and down the spider that has a small rope like a rail on all the legs and I try not to fall but also to enjoy it in its entirety. live in combination and love. We have to make way for DJ Die, a lot of people don’t realize that one of the reasons I am who I am is because of him. He found me at a club where I teamed up with him, asked me if I wanted to work with him and I said, “Damn, you’re DJ Die!” So I started surfing with him, which was amazing and my first Boomtown experience was with him.

Boomtown was really one of the first ones that allowed me to do the first carnation of what I’m doing now called Page To A Rave. It was at a place in Boomtown they called Wandering Word where other people can just come and read poetry. Late at night they would let me see what I was doing, where I would start reading poetry, then I would get into reggae, then hip-hop, dirty dubstep, until I got to BPM, ending with drum and bassArray. I would. on my own through rush play, which is what they let me do for a few years. Then I met Kelvin and the Born On Road crew, who knew I would be there, would let me know what sets they were doing and if I could go see them. Then, over the years, I went from one or two sets to 12 sets in 3 and a half days. I definitely lost my voice in the last set! I played as many sets there as I could, which led me to betting the Origin level for my This Is Inja set, which was one of the most productive thrills of my life! When I finished, there were almost 30,000 other people in the audience.

I think in 2022, on that hot weekend, I don’t forget each and every drum and bass set I attended, you popping up and jumping over the mic. . . I wondered where they gave him that power!

I’m just friends with a lot of other smart people and they tell me, “I, Inj, are here, go through it!”And I say “okay” because everyone knows my energy.

How to keep your voice intact? Do you have lemon and ginger on hold?

Well, actually, on that topic, this component of the interview will be made up of quotes in red letters for all the promoters and all the events, so that everyone recognizes that if they have singers, rappers, MCs, whatever they classify as a singer, PLEASE start stocking up on local ginger, lemon and honey for the singer, because we would really appreciate it, especially the purchased ones. A little overworked. In fact, we would appreciate it if everyone would make us spicy lemon, honey and ginger before and after the set. My God, you’d get more out of us if you did that! 

How is Boomtown different from other festivals? What helps you keep coming back each year?

For me, Boomtown differs from other festivals because of its idea, its philosophy and the message it conveys. How they present themselves among other festivals, how they evolve, how they evolve over time and how they try to give a small reflected image of society but of the component of society that while we are there we can react against it!But they make it fun, there are many things to do and many other paths you can take. It’s another kind of festival experience.

How do you have a positive and humble outlook on life in the industry?Can you share any tips on how to manage intellectual well-being?

I think it may have a lot to do with the personal treatment I’m receiving lately, but I have a smart counselor. I feel like everyone deserves to find a smart advisor because we all want one. Those who deny it probably want a little more. I feel that because I have seen, been and felt so many other things in life, I am using my platform and incarnation as Inja to do the best I can to uplift other people and give them a brief moment away from social norms where they can let go and feel free, even for a brief moment, to relieve all your tension. Remind them that they can let go of all their tension and that right now we are free. I think it’s very important to encourage other people and give them that moment of joy. I want to do everything I can to achieve this because I know how difficult things can be.

I think it’s comforting to have someone like you in D&B with your voice to deliver incredibly vital messages (“She Just Wanna Dance”), as well as fun, tongue-in-cheek songs like “Funktown Rhythm” and recently “Spray Tan. ” ! I would like to know what your favorite song from your catalog is and why.

What probably comes to mind right now would be “Not Broken” or “Small Threat. ” “Not damaged” because so many other people have tried to break me and even though I say I’m not damaged, I’m not. I am very damaged, but I am willing to get up and try to fix myself. Every time those things happen, I have to start over and try to get back up. “Little Threat” because we are all suffering with private Demons, we want to get back up because no one else will and it doesn’t matter how many people help you. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t force it to drink and it’s all up to you. That’s my challenge, not yours. This is my challenge that I have to solve.



I enjoyed your canopy of Serum

My functionality doesn’t change, I’m just more excited! It gives me something extra to recover from, because when I’m alone, I’m stuck in my own head with what I think those frequencies deserve. When I’m with other people, I’m aware of the frequencies they deserve, but since I love freestyle, they say anything and then I get over it. There’s a lot of laughter and an atmosphere so I feel like I’m alone. It’s cool, but it’s very internal and when I’m with other people it gets really exciting because you never know where you’re going to go, I love it.

You are also a highly sought after employee! Is there anyone else on your dream collaboration list? If so, who and why?

That’s a very undeniable answer for me. Her name is Jenna G and I personally think she is one of the most productive singers this country has to offer. She has the most productive level of presence and is one of the most productive performers I have ever seen. I love her deeply. I’ve wanted to work with her, from admiring her as a fan to someone who is friends with her. Definitely check out DJ Die’s remix through Netsky and Jenna G “Moving With You” and DJ Die, Jenna G “1000 Soul Songs”, is also the director of the Fabio



What other interesting releases do you have coming up this year?

I have a song coming up with Mandidextrous in August with Born On Road, I still love Mandi, I still love the vibes!Then I collaborated with an amazing American DJ-producer called Blossom, that is, with Drum

Haha, you might get a Guinness World Record with the number of series you did there before. . .

Well, you know, I’ve reached double the numbers in a weekend of sets!

Finally, just an immediate laugh, Q! Who would be your three most sensible guests at a dinner party, dead or alive?

Maya Angelou, Capleton and Tom Jones!

Connect with Inja: Facebook | Instagram | Spotify

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