If you’ve been checking for drum & bass jungle since the 2000s then the name Social Security should definitely be familiar with you…
First emerging around 2000-2001, brothers Moses (Child Support) and Inzajeano (Crisis Loan) Latif made a big noise with a gritty sound that would stir deep deep deeeeeep into the jungle melting pot.
Named after the old benefits system in the UK (which pretty much anyone who came from working class background would have to rely on at points during the 80s and 90s) the community-minded duo’s sound was powerful, soulful and rolling with serious intent. It was a consistent signature throughout the 2000s and a decent chunk of the 2010s… And is now back for the 2020s.
A defiant middle finger to the current (and scarily escalating) Cost Of Greed crisis, Social Security returns after taking a break to focus on other aspects of life, including an ongoing acting career. Now with Moses rolling solo at the helm, he continues with the work he and his brother started all those years ago.
Fresh from dropping the hair-raising sci-fi odyssey Dimension X, last week, Social Security is ready to dish out another round of benefits for the scene at a time when we need them the most. Find out how it’s all going to go down in this interview and check this exclusive mix from Moses. Hold tight, this one is serious!
You’re in a good mood!
Yeah, I just came back from the gym. Did a circuits class and a boxing session. I’m pretty wiped out, but you know what? The endorphins are at another level right now, it’s like being high, but without the spliffs or whiskey. Exercise is my thing.
The best kind of high. When you’re in it, you feel on top of the world, right? You’re ready to tell me everything right now, with that kind of energy?
Exactly, man. I’m feeling like I’m on cloud nine right now, for sure.
Let’s dive in. You’ve had such a long journey in the scene. Take me back to the start of Social Security. How did it come about?
So, Social Security started back around 2000-2001. It was me, my brother, and a guy called Charlie, who you will know as Break.
Ah wow! You guys were the first to support Break?
We were really early in his journey yeah. I chanced on him in Camden Market. Really random encounter. He was just 15 or 16 at the time, playing me some of his remixes—Planet Dust and Phantom Force. I heard it and thought, ‘this kid is mad.’ We hit it off right away. He ended up being a huge part of the crew.
That’s huge. The rest is history for that legend!
Yeah man, you know it. Definitely! He went on to do his own thing and elevate his sound and the sound of drum & bass, right? I was super proud to see that happen but even before then we learned a lot from each other. I mean, Fabio started playing our stuff on Radio 1, which was massive. Warm Bass Rising was our first 12-inch. It was huge for both of us.
That tune still sounds great today.
It’s all about soul and energy, man. For me, the music has to be true. I’m not here for likes or views—I’m here for me. If people vibe with it, that’s amazing. But I do this because it’s who I am, not to fit in with trends. And this was always the way. I mean look at when we signed to Hospital. We were the first act of colour to sign to the label and they were so inspired by the sounds we were doing, they started a separate series.
M*A*S*H!!
That’s right bro. It was for emerging talent, in the same way their Med School label did a few years later. Our tunes Twin Peaks and Stop, Look, Listen were the tunes that launched that and it was a real moment for us. But what was always important to us. Whether we were releasing on Creative Source or Hospital or anywhere else, was to keep things true to our own vision and not be following something that isn’t ours or true to us. Same today you know bro!
It has to be! This brings us to the future… What’s coming up for you with Benefit Beats?
Well after my brother stepped back, I carried it on. This year marks 20 years, so it felt like the right time to relaunch. I’ve got an album coming out, Social Cleanzin. It’s got some big features—Charlotte Kelly from Soul to Soul, Curse, Shocking, the Three Wise Men, and Monty Joseph. It’s all about bringing that energy, bringing that vibe back.
Sounds like a real statement album!
Absolutely bro! I’m calling it a jungle funk album. It’s got all the flavours—soulful, techy, dark, vocal, you name it. It’s got that real vibe, that energy. For me, it’s about going back to where it all started, with a new twist. It’s about bringing the real jungle funk, the real soul and spiritual vibes, back into the music.
That’s powerful. I love the word spiritual. I’ve always felt like there’s a misconception about that word. Like it needs to be overtly spiritual in its lyrics or themes but it’s how it makes you feel, right?
Totally brother! You understand that! It’s a feeling, right? Our music comes from so many places—reggae, jazz, funk, soul, hip hop. And even the futuristic elements of it all come from the films and sci-fi. That’s where the Dimension X track came from. It’s that same vibe we all loved in the early 2000s, that energy. It’s an energy that I’m not feeling as much in today’s drum & bass.
I hear you. Everything changes and evolves over time. What do you think of what’s going on today?
To be honest, a lot of it I’m not feeling. I respect it, but I’m not feeling it on a deeper level. Music today seems to lack that soul and frequency. But, I’m not worried about that because the new generation are going to do what they need to do and I love the fact they keep this going. But for me, and the elements of jungle that I truly love? I’m just going to keep doing my thing. I want to take it back to go forward. You know what I mean?
Absolutely! That’s all you can do… Stay true to yourself but respect the bigger picture! Can I ask what you were up to during the times when you took a break from the music?
Acting bro. That took up a substantial amount of my time and energy and was my main focus for a long long time.
Oh wow, I never knew!
Yeah, acting’s always been part of me. I went to the US in 2007 to check out acting prospects. Ended up staying for a while, came back, did my degree in Acting in 2011. Acting has been a big part of my life but music always pulls me back in.
It’s clear that music is where you belong. I’ve had a similar one with my own journey and tried to leave music… But it lured me back! So what’s next? Dimension X has just dropped!
Benefit Beats is about to take over! Each release I’ve got coming out is different and I’m really excited about it. Dimension X is the first, but there’s more which will build up to the album which is almost ready. I’m pumped to share it with everyone.
So much stuff! Gotta say, Dimension X is wild. Proper old school Original Sin type of energy to it.
Oh, definitely. It’s got that old school feel, but it hits with modern energy. I wanted to make something that would smash the dance floors. It’s got a classic sci-fi sample, and I’m bringing back that 2000s vibe that people loved.
It feels like the right time for a comeback. I got a classic D&B theme Come B2B With Me coming up with Krash who’s half my age and the tunes he’s drawing for are all those big early 2000s wallops. Hard times need hard music!
Yeah you know what bro that’s so true. It’s been 20 years so with generations coming round the timing feels perfect. You’ve got the new generation of people who are into the older sounds. They’re the ones buying vinyl, you know? It’s a cycle, and we’re coming full circle.
What a great way to sign out. Any final messages?
I just want to keep the momentum going, keep releasing different sounds, and let the music speak for itself. I’m here for the long haul, and it still feels like it’s only just the beginning.
Be here for Social Security: Dimension X is out now / Follow Social Security on Instagram
