Image Courtesy of Revenge Records.
AJ Tracey is many things—chart-topping rapper, fashion muse, football fanatic—but above all, he’s an artist refusing to be boxed in. Raised on a mosaic of vinyl and genres by a DJ mother, Tracey’s sound isn’t a product of any one scene—he’s a shape-shifter, a genre-fluid craftsman making space where there was none.
Now, with a new album that speaks to what it means to be British—truly British—in a post-colonial, hyper-connected, and often fragmented society, AJ Tracey is leaning into honesty more than ever. He doesn’t just rap about flex and success; he talks about race, roots, and the contradictions that come with being both proud of your country and painfully aware of its history.
Image Courtesy of Shamarke Abdi.
Image Courtesy of Shamarke Abdi.
SLEEK: You helped bring garage back into the spotlight—what music shaped you growing up?
AJ Tracey: All types of music honestly! My mum put me on to every genre growing up, as she was a DJ. I used to play vinyls of NWA, Prince, MJ, Mobb Deep, Biggie and more.
S: Do you see yourself as part of a specific UK scene, or are you pushing past those boundaries?
AJT: Not at all actually, I’m kinda just floating in ‘no-mans land’ in terms of the UK scene. I don’t have a particular sound, I think what makes me unique is that I sound like myself on any genre. That’s really my specialty.
S: You’ve spoken openly about your mixed-race background—at what point in your life did you become aware of the complexities of belonging or not belonging in the UK?
AJT: Pretty early, I think probably year 7 (which is when we start secondary, or high school.) It’s not easy being told you’re not black, and not white either. But as soon as I got to grips with my cultures, welsh, trini and english – I became extremely happy and confident.
Image Courtesy of Shamarke Abdi.
S: You’re touching upon the topic of being British in your new album. How do you navigate your identity in a country with a colonial history? What does being British mean to you?
AJT: Being British to me means being one with our culture. I get racists telling me I’m not british, which is hilarious because I’m literally English by blood. But with the UKs dark past, it’s a difficult one to navigate sometimes. Some black people may never want to call themselves ‘British’ because their ancestors were enslaved by the British, which I completely understand. For me, I love our country, I love the diversity, I love the way we set trends in music, in fashion. I also love the way I can go down to my football team’s home ground, have a beer with lads I don’t know and become mates. The UK is what you make it.
S: Your new album doesn’t have many features compared to others. What’s behind that choice? Is it about control, personal vision, or something else?
AJT: Haha actually that wasn’t intentional at all! I just picked the artists I get on with and who I thought would make good music with me. I also think it’s really important for artists to have well performing songs that don’t feature anybody!
S: Your new lyrics show more emotional openness. Was that a conscious choice to integrate that into a genre like rap for you?
AJT: Yes, for sure. I’ve been getting dm’s and messages from supporters my whole career, saying that my music has helped them through hard times. For me, that’s what being an artist is all about. Being able to make people relate, share moments of empathy and hopefully get people through tough times. I always try to wear my heart on my sleeve, but being honest it is difficult sometimes doing that in such a toxic male environment.
Image Courtesy of Revenge Records.
S: Do you feel pressure to balance vulnerability with traditional rap themes like toughness or flexing?
AJT: I don’t feel pressure, but I enjoy being tough sometimes and I most definitely enjoy the things i worked hard for. I think flexing is a funny word because, at least in my case – i’m not trying to act better than anyone else with my material items, I’m just enjoying them!
S: Do you flexing as a coping mechanism or a deeper form of storytelling tied to class and aspiration?
AJT: No, to be honest I see it as something that society has caused. It’s caused people who don’t have much to feel like because they don’t have these expensive items, their value is less. Flexing is a result of people finally feeling like they have value. and in my opinion that’s not the fault of the person/rapper doing it. Hopefully at some point they realise that the items they have don’t equal their value as a person.
S: In which ways can rap speak to communities in ways that no other media or genre can?
AJT: I think Rap allows people from impoverished backgrounds and places of hardship to be hopeful. It also allows them to connect, because I was once in their position and if I can do it, so can you. Mainstream media is too far gone now, I don’t think anyone really takes the news seriously.