The trials and tribulations of man are tales older than time. On their quest for success, many fail; but not MiST. Against all odds, he’s risen to become one of the brightest stars in the UK scene. He’s lost close family members, served prison time, been evicted from his home while grieving, and managed to survive it all with his spirit in tact; probably why listening to his music feels so damn good! Viper talks to the MC bridging cultures through rap.
 
MiST’s cool, calm, collected yet charismatic personality bleeds through his music. He’s found the balance between the guy you don’t want to mess with and the guy you want to rave with. Listening to him and his boys get ready for his headline show at the O2 Forum in London, there’s an undeniable energy floating amongst the team. Following two sold-out tours, the tour was his third UK run taking place before he begins a run of festival line-ups lasting all Summer. Asked how he was feeling after the success he’s had in the past year, he replied simply, “feeling better, striving!” His relentless work rate and cinematic visuals have put him in a space that not many people in the UK rap scene can say they are apart of. On first hearing of MiST, I was shocked he was from Birmingham. After giving him a listen, I was instantly drawn to his music. The lyrics and the confidence with which he was rapping completely blurred the Birmingham accent, allowing me to really relate to what he was speaking about. MiST has actively broken walls down and built relationships that will impact both Birmingham and London in the near future. Even on tour, he put on for his city bringing Brum artists, Lotto Boyz and Mowgli out for the shows.
 
The Brummie rapper is notorious for his music videos, each release being more epic than the previous visual. At the 2017 MOBO Awards, MiST won best music video for his wild ‘Hot Property’ visuals, which saw him climb down a ladder from a helicopter and jump on a husky sled. I asked him about whether there’s more music videos from the ‘Diamonds in the Dirt’ project on the way. Taking a shot of Patron, he laughed, saying, ”Well, of course, we’re gonna drop more visuals. Then I’m gonna release a bit more from the EP just to shine more light on that and then probably give them a few surprises. I’m not gonna let off too much about what I’m gonna do but be ready.’’ The grin on his face suggests he’s been plotting power moves and is ready to see them come to life.
 
MiST’s story is inspirational to anyone that truly understands where he’s come from. His rags to riches come up has shown people that perseverance beats everything. MiST has stayed true to himself whilst finding a way to get him and his team out of whatever negative situations they grew from. He’s a leader and one that’s sure to have a rich career. As UK rap and hip hop continue to rise, MiST’s audience will grow. On his most recent tour, he had a sold-out performance in Manchester, which just proves that the man is on a mission and the people are supporting it.
 
This is an extract from Issue 9, The Get Money Issue of Viper Magazine. Read more from the magazine here. Buy physical and digital copies here.