You helped bring garage back into the spotlight\u2014what music shaped you growing up?<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
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Do you see yourself as part of a specific UK scene, or are you pushing past those boundaries?<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
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You\u2019ve spoken openly about your mixed-race background\u2014at what point in your life did you become aware of the complexities of belonging or not belonging in the UK?<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
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You\u2019re 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?<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
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Does being British and mixed-race shape how you express yourself in your music? In what ways has this influenced your perspective?<\/p>\n
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Yes of course, I’m able to talk about my lived experience as a mixed race man in the UK. That obviously includes a lot of Caribbean culture and English culture, so it gives me a good pool of things to rap about.<\/p>\n
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Your new lyrics show more emotional openness. Was that a conscious choice to integrate that into a genre like rap for you?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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Do you feel pressure to balance vulnerability with traditional rap themes like toughness or flexing?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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!<\/p>\n
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Rap often gives artists a platform to speak on systemic issues. How has having that voice impacted you personally and artistically?<\/p>\n
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To be honest it hasn’t really impacted me that much, before I started rapping (as a profession) my mother instilled in me that I have to speak up for other people. My whole sense of justice is from my mum and to be frank it’s just a case of human morality.<\/p>\n
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In which ways can rap speak to communities in ways that no other media or genre can?<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
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What role do you think UK rap plays in addressing or reflecting socio-political realities?<\/p>\n
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I think it plays the roll of whoever is rapping. Depending on who’s rapping you’ll get a different perspective. Some rappers live to speak on current affairs and some avoid them completely. I feel like I sit somewhere in the middle.<\/p>\n
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Flexing culture is a big part of rap. Do you see it as a coping mechanism or a deeper form of storytelling tied to class and aspiration?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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Your new album doesn\u2019t have many features compared to others. What\u2019s behind that choice? Is it about control, personal vision, or something else?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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!<\/p>\n
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