MOSS MEDIA - SOUND AND VISION
Medway videographer Moss cuts a niche with his keen directorial vision elevating the UK urban music scene
“I don’t do what I do for money – money just happens. My whole life I always chased money, but as soon as I chased my passion I noticed I didn’t have to worry about money anymore”
“For the first few years it didn’t work. No one knew who I was or trusted me. It’s a world where your passion has to be persistent.”
Many of the people ‘cene encounters daily can relate to that statement. And for Andrew Moss, better known as Moss, or Moss Media, persistence and believing in what you do no matter what has led to a dream career in shooting music videos for some of the UK’s hottest rap talent.
“I’ve always been into making movies, right from when I was a little kid,” says the Medway native. But it is a long road from hobby to vocation and after a month-long course learning the basics at college, Moss took out a phone contract that had a free laptop sweetener and started pursuing his dreams, starting with a placement at the infamous Unit 10 Studio in Walworth Road, Peckham.
“I was around a guy called PacmanTV,” explains Moss. “He was shooting a lot of music videos for artists around at the time. He inspired me a lot, but I always thought I could do better.
“I understood that people had cameras and stuff, but I always felt I could paint people in a better light, even on my phone. It’s not always about the best equipment, it’s how someone sees you. If I had to make a cardboard box look amazing, it’s all about me and how I see it... you could rent a camera that costs £300,000, but it doesn’t mean you can make that cardboard box look good.”
The fiery passion to be better had already begun to burn bright and the videographer set about furthering his knowledge and contacts.
“It made me invest and then I just started shooting music videos,” he says. “I will be honest –in the beginning, I would go everywhere. I was approaching artists. But it was actually Instagram that changed my life. I started following a lot of directors and I’d see stabilisers in their hands, I’d see them fly drones, all these different things, and it blew my mind.
“I reached out to a video guy called Frost and I went along to a video shoot. It was a Ghetts video shoot first, as an assistant. I wasn’t getting paid or anything, but I’d always go to learn and to watch how the director would handle it.
“And that’s the advice I would give to young people: reach out to someone who is doing what you want to do! You can learn in a month something that might take you five years on your own.”
KNOWING THE SCENE
Anyone who follows Moss on Instagram (@mossmedia) or YouTube (@mossmediauk) will know of his specialism of shooting UK rap in its many forms, from grime to drill. Crafting a reputation of producing videos that wrack up monster view numbers, Moss continues to keep an eye on the underdog, the ones bubbling under, ready to blow up.
“Working with UK rappers, I know instantly what to do,” he says. “I feel like I know what the market wants and what the artist wants. If I had to work with a female jazz singer from Sweden, I might not know what to bring her, I’d need to do a bit of research! But I’m very comfortable in the UK rap world.”
And, of course, it helps if you’re into that style of music, too.
“I believe that anything like this, you have to have a passion for. It is in the eye of the beholder. If you’ve been listening and watching rock music your whole life, you might not know what the rap guys want.”
Social media is virtually unconquerable for us mere mortals, but making an impression there has launched the careers of hundreds of musicians and artists, and a big part of that is the videography released with new music. But there is going viral, and there is going VIRAL.
“There’s one video I worked on with a guy called SL [for the track Gentleman], that video is on something like 58 million views now. That song’s been played everywhere now. My daughter will be on TikTok and playing it and I say ‘How do you know that song? I shot that song three years ago’. The power of social media? Insane.”
It is fair to say that Moss has had a hand in helping promote up-and-coming talent to whole new levels – something he uses as motivation.
“With SL, he was like 15 when I met him. He was in his area, just with his boys, balaclavas, tracksuits and whatever. After that one song, I watched his life completely change,” he explains. “To see a young boy’s life change is very inspiring for me. It makes it all worth it. It’s an amazing thing.”
Moss has had a huge range of clients, such as Kent artist MDotR to UK talent like Tremz. But arguably the most high-profile collaboration was with British rapper, grime MC and internationally-known activist Black The Ripper, who died in Montserrat in April 2020.
“I did a lot of good things with him,” explains Moss, who even featured on the Black The Ripper track Higher. “He was a very unfiltered man. He was someone who did what he wanted on his own terms, at all times. And for me that was very inspiring because most people don’t have the balls to do that.
“We made a song together and when we wanted to shoot the video, I was talking [about shooting it in] Barcelona or Amsterdam, he was talking L.A. I was in L.A. with Black The Ripper and them times changed my life.”
Black The Ripper, who was behind record label, clothing line and cannabis accessories brand Dank of England, was officially ruled to have died of a heart attack while on holiday. But friends and fans have been frustrated by a lack of further information.
“A lot of us have unanswered questions,” says Moss. “All I can do is keep pushing his legacy the most I can. I loved him, all I can do is make sure he doesn’t get forgotten about.”
NEW DOORS
For many in the creative industries, the pandemic has forced a change in the way they operate and for Moss it has been no different. His passion for marijuana has led him in a new direction – working with CBD product companies in the UK.
Moss will also be starring in a judging role for the 2021 Cannabis World Cup Festival (known as the Canna Cup) in Amsterdam in August this year.
“It’s one of the biggest events I know of, regarding cannabis,” says Moss. “For me to be acknowledged and chosen to be a part of it is quite big for me. It’s still in a grey area in England. But in L.A. and Amsterdam, these are the places where it is legal, where the scene is at.
Moss is a ‘pre-roll judge’ at the competition, which is entered by known growers from around the world.
“It comes down to the people you work with. For me, working with Dank of England, Black The Ripper, MdotR, without even realising it I’m part of that game. It has been natural, heading into that world. So many doors are opening within the canna industry now. All the vape shops are capitalising off CBD – it really is changing things.”
But for Moss, the rule is the same – be passionate about what you do.
“My whole life I always chased the money, but as soon as I chased my passion I noticed I didn’t have to worry about money anymore. My passion makes so much happen,” he explains.
“Be persistent, never give up. Without you even realising it, it all makes sense.”
