“Seplar ljúka,” “Hvað er planið,” and “Tvöfalt glas.” Three songs. All hits. Together racking up nearly a quarter of a million plays. The common denominator? A feature by rapper 24/7.
24/7 (real name Hafþór Sindri) is, arguably, one of the biggest stars of the Reykjavík underground, gaining notoriety over the past year for his smooth, catchy hooks and lyrical wordplay. Mainly working in the trap genre, he’s recently transitioned from auto-tune to a more clean and catchy boom bap influenced trap. A champion of the new Icelandic hip hop scene, he initially burst onto the scene with popular collaborations with rappers like Birgir Hákon and Yung Nigo Drippin’.
Double glasses
Hafþór got his start releasing his music on SoundCloud in 2015, only to later delete it all from the site. “I just kind of stopped making music until Yung Nigo Drippin’ got me back into it,” Hafþór explains, sitting back in the CNTMP studio. “Nigo featured me on his record ‘Plús Hús,’ which blew up. It really motivated me to pursue making music again.”
And once he did start making music again, it was all over. One of his first songs, and undoubtedly the one that landed him on the map, was “Tvöfalt Glas” (“Double Glass”) with Yung Nigo Drippin’. A slimy sounding, hazy lo-fi trap banger tribute to the lifestyle which many hip hop artists live, or rather, have lived, “Tvöfalt Glas” was born out of the very first session between Hafþór and producers Hlandri and Ízleifur.
“I met Hlandri and Ízleifur at their studio. They showed me the beat to the song, and I just kind of blurted out the hook to it on the spot. We made it in one session,” he laughs. “And it kind of sounds like we did.”
The song was a massive success, which Hafþór is grateful for, though he doesn’t necessarily see himself in the track anymore. “I have a lot of love for that song,” Hafþór explains. “But I’ve matured a lot since it’s release, and I feel that the song isn’t really a good reflection of the person I am today.”
Undefinable
The person he is today, Hafþór finds difficult to define. “I’m not really a fan of putting labels on myself. I’ve been called a gangster rapper before, which couldn’t be further from the truth,” he laughs. “I’m just myself, 24/7,” he states simply.
The artist has been working day and night on his upcoming debut album, ‘FM 24/7’ along with producers BNGRBOY, Ízleifur and Hlandri. The album is set to come out later this year.
But while he enjoys what he’s doing right now, 24/7 does not plan on staying in the game indefinitely. ”I’m not counting on being a 30-year-old rapper, personally, though I find the thought a bit amusing,” he says. “I plan on educating myself more in the future. I want to study music management so that I can still be working around music when I’m older.”
But whatever the future holds, Hafþór is currently pursuing rap full-time. ”Whatever you do, just follow your dreams,” he says, smiling. “You have to do what makes you happy.” And for Hafþór, that means 24/7.
Check out 24/7 on Instagram and Spotify.
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