Introducing Franz Von: The Voice of Empowerment and Evolution

Blending socially conscious hip-hop with the raw energy of soundsystem culture, Franz Von is an artist with a message. You may already know him as the electrifying emcee behind TC & The Groove Family and K.O.G. & The Zongo Brigade, but now, he’s stepping into his own spotlight.

Born in Jamaica and deeply rooted in Sheffield’s hip-hop, afro, and jazz scenes, Franz has earned recognition from BBC Introducing and DJ Target for his powerful fusion of rap, boom-bap, dancehall, and spoken word. His latest single, Go My Way, is more than just a track—it’s a call to action. Inspired by his work as a community activist, the song champions self-awareness, living in the moment, and harnessing love as a force for change. With producer Chris Mayall crafting a backdrop of Dilla-esque swing and dancefloor-ready electronics, Franz’s patois-laced flow hits with both precision and passion. As he gears up for his debut solo album, we sat down with Franz to dive into his journey, influences, and what’s next.

Your new single, "Go My Way," is described as an open call for awakening and self-awareness. Can you share what inspired the track and what message you hope listeners take from it?

 I'm always inspired by my personal experiences, my son and daughter, the people in my life and the situations we find ourselves in. One of these 'situations', the most impactful, is grieving for young people who we have lost to gun crime, knife crime and the prison system. Through my life and my children's young lives we have seen and felt the loss of friends and loved ones who were needlessly taken from us. I know a lot of other people who have experienced this same situation just in this city alone.

Go My Way was inspired in trying to understand how to navigate this situation and the need for change. I was further inspired by the young people I mentor at Tracks, a charity organisation dedicated to empowering and inspiring young voices, artists and musicians.

My hope is that listeners take away the message that we don't have to rely on the powers that govern us to make the change we all deserve. I feel it is important to recognise that the young people involved are all victims to some degree or another. The most vulnerable are usually the most affected and its our duty as a community to recognise these vulnerabilities in their multiple forms. Change can start with one person and their desire for better for themselves or others.  

You've been a key figure in Sheffield’s hip-hop, afro, and soundsystem culture. How have your Jamaican roots and UK influences shaped your sound and artistic approach? 

I definitely draw from my Jamaican roots, it's almost impossible not to. I've been around music my whole life and I've soaked up a lot of vibes over the years. A lot of reggae and dancehall from my early years in Jamaica and then moving to the UK and discovering hip hop, jungle, drum & bass and rave music. Witnessing the growth of grime, UK garage and Sheffield's bassline has been a beautiful experience. The experiences were not just limited to the music, it was also the different cultures around the music. I've recognised that the Jamaican culture permeates through most of these genres, you can hear it in the slang, see it in the style and the performances, it's the underlying thing that keeps it all cool.

From my extensive gigging and touring over the years I've developed a real love for playing and performing live. I love the interactions and participation from the audience as they are the main ingredient for a great show, I love how the exchange of energy between the audience and the band can feel almost overwhelming at times. These are the things that inform my approach of fusing the different genres and styles that I love. I try to capture that live feel in each song, whatever the tempo, style or subject matter. I want to make music that I enjoy, music that I want to go see played live, I want to hear meaningful creative lyrics that I think about after the song has ended.  

You’ve worked with TC & The Groove Family and K.O.G. & The Zongo Brigade, bringing high-energy performances to the stage. How does your solo work differ, and what new creative challenges have you embraced? 

I love the high energy of the recent releases with TC & The Groove Family. Songs like like 'Weh Dem a Do' and 'Wile Out' were really enjoyable to write and record, and even more fun performing them live.

There's always some real energetic fusion tracks in my solo work, but more heavily hip hop influenced and lyrics are forefront, just as strong, just as meaningful with the same message of empowerment throughout... 'we nah bow down to Babylon system'

A new creative challenge that I've fully embraced in my solo work is being more involved in the beat making, music writing process. I've been working closely with Chris Mayall on some upcoming projects exchanging ideas of the type of sounds and energy we want to fuse in each song. We've been able to write a lot of the music around my lyrics which presents an opportunity for the listener to really experience my outlook, how I see things.

We all have different perceptions and see things in our own way. In some ways we are facing increasing isolation from each other and we miss out on sharing our views. I know we share a lot online but it can sometimes feel more authentic in a face to face situation. We would benefit from listening to each other and sharing our experiences. I'm lucky enough to have music to share my views with different audiences.

The production on "Go My Way" blends rap, boom-bap, dancehall, and spoken word with dancefloor-ready beats. What was the process like working with producer Chris Mayall to bring this vision to life?

 Writing this song was definitely a fun process. We bounced around a few different ideas until we were both just on some heavy head nodding movements. Chris and I have been long time collaborators as well as band members playing shows all around the country. We have a great connection and amazing opportunities to test out new material with different audiences. Go My Way is one we made for the heads who love heavy hip hop sounds with a heavy message. 

Your work as a community activist and mentor plays a big role in your music. How do you see hip-hop as a tool for social change, and how does that influence your upcoming debut solo album?

Hip hop culture in all its elements has always been a platform for expression, whether it's story telling, for celebrating, for mourning, for healing, for activism or for empowerment. The music speaks for the voiceless. Through my mentoring work with young people I've experienced how it can inspire individuals and change lives. I know the collective struggles in our communities and our resilience.This has influenced almost everything I've written in my recent projects and forms some of the central themes in my upcoming debut album. I hope it will resonate a sense of solidarity and community.