Andrew Schulz's Flagrant with Akaash Singh - Top Boy Kano Talks Opening For Jay-Z, Meeting Drake, and Pioneering UK Grime

Episode Date: August 23, 2022

00:00 - Start 00:46 - Kano has White security 04:48 - UK v USA 07:42 - UK women are US 4s 13:40 - Andrew explains UK drill to Kano 16:25 - Kano, Grime and UK music 39:52 - Creative process and criticism 47:39 - Jay-Z inspired Kano’s performances 51:57 - Mo Gilligan Big Manned Andrew 54:32 - Top Boy - acting ain’t easy 01:04:48 - Alexx is 7-4 in the streets, Kano is 4-4??? 01:06:30 - Keeping Sully Authentic 01:16:09 - Prison/street Code 01:22:12 - Kano is an true Artiste 01:26:41 - Queen’s Endowment and Will Smith’s downfall 01:30:40 - Americans are DUMB 01:36:36 - Sneakers stopped stabbings in NYC 01:41:11 - Mark wants to dagger everyone 01:44:08 - Drake and celebrities appearing in hit shows 01:48:05 - White girls dagger the best

Isn't it sad, right? The Will Smith thing. Yeah, it's mad. You've heard about what happened, right? What happened to him? Yeah. Outside of the Oscars. He slapped her by like what he has to go through, what he has to endure.

What does he have to go through? Well, he has to watch his wife get her fanny rinsed. Bro, that's part of his life. Give me my computer. You can take a deep breath. He's like... I don't want to act again anyway. What's up, everybody?

And welcome to Flagrant. We're in the UK. And right now we're sitting down with, listen, one of the pioneers of UK hip hop. Okay. We're sitting down with one of the stars of the greatest show that's ever come out of the UK. Take that, Ricky Gervais. Okay. We got a guy who has made it

and I'll tell you how I know he fucking made it because he's got white security. Wow. Okay? This is how you know

you made it. He is a five foot two inch Popeye armed white security guard that would tear my fucking head off when I said hello. I felt absolutely terrified.

We have Kano in a goddamn building. Give it up for Kano. We got rum in the cups. How are you, brother? Yeah, I'm good, man. Everything good? Everything great. When did you start hiring white guys to protect you? When too much black guys were dying.

George Floyd, it was just... Wait, really? No, no, no. You know what's funny? Charlamagne said that to me. He's like, dude, I'm telling you, you know, I'm not joking. No, no, no. You know what's funny? Charlamagne said that to me. No way. He's like, dude, I'm telling you, you know that I'm safe if there's a guy, if a white dude is in like a suit and he has like a legal gun. Yeah.

Like he's like, yeah, that's how you know I've actually made it. Wow. When my security guards have legal guns. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But does he have a gun? He doesn't need a gun out here, right? I don't think you have guns out here like that. It can't be a legal gun for sure.

Yeah, I think you can have legal guns as security, but I think they carry them when they're looking after politicians and stuff like that. So the police don't even get to carry a gun? Police carry guns. They do. Yeah, yeah. Not every police man on the street. I saw this documentary about being a cop in the UK.

It's called Luther. I don't know if you've seen it. They did not have guns in this documentary. Yeah, they're Not every police I saw this documentary about being a cop in the UK. It's called Luther. I don't know if you've seen it. They did not have guns in this documentary. Yeah, they're nice coat though. They did have a nice coat. That's when I realized how good looking

Idris Elba was in that show. Yeah, yeah. We got like Trident that, you know, like the gun police and stuff like that. You get a Trident?

Like, yeah, we got like certain branches of police. Oh, got you, got you. Yeah, yeah. I thought it was the shit from The Little Mermaid. I'm like, dude,

this is next level, man. Poseidon? Poseidon, I hate you. Whatever, dude. Okay, yeah, we're still understanding like the gun culture here. I think that was the trickiest thing

for, you know, for Top Boy for me is that like the idea was like these like gangsters who was out in the street and they were like sharing weapons and stuff like that. And like to me

like weapons are just so available like everyone's got one yes like even a non-gangster mostly non-gangsters exclusively non-gangsters

yeah exclusively like you have to do something bad where the government goes okay you can't yeah yeah yeah nah if you're in England

and you're a non-gangster there's no you don't have a gun no gun maybe like shotgun some farmers or some shit like that yeah yeah but nah not, you don't have a gun. No gun. Maybe like shotguns or some farmers or some shit like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But not everyone's walking around with a gun. Really? Yeah. And then when the farmers have like... That's why people are so brave in road rage.

Oh. Road rage is probably way more fun. Yeah, yeah. But when you're in America, they're like, don't argue with no one. Yeah, that's true.

Like, yeah, that guy might just have a gun. I grew up in Texas. Everybody has a gun and they say, don't honk at anybody because that guy might get pissed off that you honked at him. Also, the nicest people in Texas.

Southern hospitality. Right? Think about it. The more guns, the more, hey, how y'all, how you doing? Yeah. New York, not that many guns. Yeah, go fuck yourself. New York laws are different, yeah?

Yeah, very strict. Okay. Because there's so many people around, there's going to be more interactions where you want to shoot somebody. That's true. How are you guys with the gun thing? You with it or you think that needs to change? I'm with me having it. Yeah, yeah.

Very strict, very strict. I want white security with a gun. That's what I want. I don't even want to hold it, but I do want a guy like you holding a gun, like the guy you had, Frank, is that his name? They're all Frank to me. Every British white guy is Frank.

Yeah. Okay. He wants a Frank. I want a Frank. Right? Because if a guy came up to you, like if somebody's harassing you and then like that guy just walked up like a fucking bowling pin just came up and he was like, all right, enough. It's enough.

It's enough. He's got to be British too. I feel like with the accent, you can scrap. You know what I mean? Right out of the, what's the guy's movie? Which one? Guy Ritchie. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Oh, Guy Ritchie. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. That's a good one right there. Guy Ritchie was snatching, isn't it? Snatched. Lockstock. Two smoking barrels.

Two girls, one cup. He did a lot of. That was a good one. That was a good one, right? Yeah, yeah. He's great with that. Yeah. Yeah, he's, I love his work.

Yeah, Guy Ritchie is just the man. So what do you see from English culture, like, before, like, Top Boy or whatever, or hearing the music or whatever?

Before, I don't think, before any, we didn't expect y'all. I didn't know that you broke the law. Yeah. So what would you see from English, like,

football or something? Yeah, yeah, yeah. We thought y'all were a bit sissy. Okay. Well, here's the thing. I didn't think you guys were sissy. I said Patty's past tense. I thought

you had everything you needed. You know what I mean? It's like, you get the house from the government, right? If you're out of a job. Yeah, council house. They give you the house. And then you have healthcare. Yeah, yeah. So then when people are out there robbing i'm just like why are you being greedy yeah you're

greedy you know yeah america like someone steals my jacket i'm like are you cold is there ever part of that growing up where you're ah, maybe we shouldn't do that. The government's so nice. Yeah. I don't know. It's like, it's mad because I guess like when you don't know any better, you don't know any different. You know what I mean? It is what it is. So if you haven't got any money, you just haven't got any money.

But sometimes you don't really see, you know, like, yo, other countries can't go to the hospital if they get sick. You know what I mean? It's like, so we're privileged in that sense. You know what I mean? But you don't really see it because that's all we know. Yes. Poverty is relative. Yeah, it's relative.

Yeah. It's relative. But council housing, you don't have council housing. We do. Section 8, we call it back home. Like, listen, they're not going to, like, let you live on the streets, but, like, people are a little bit more desperate, it feels like. Yeah.

You know? Yeah. Like, it's like, my, my mother's from Scotland. Right. And she said, there are people who just go on, I think it's called the dole. Yeah. Right. Like she had family members.

It's like, all right, we're not going to really work. And that's, this is the new job, which is the dole. Yeah. Yeah. The dole. I guess we have welfare, but it doesn't seem like we have a lot more homeless than here. Yeah. You guys don't have that many homeless.

Yeah. Maybe it's the weather. Maybe the rain keeps them out. We got to find a way to... Jews, make the weather more rainy back home, please. Shane Dewey said,

I'd rather be rich in America but poor here. Oh, 100%. Like you get looked after better. You know what I'm saying? I think there are people who will move back home. I think my mom even said that once.

She's like, I know if it doesn't work out there, I always go back home i know people whose family members come here when they need a certain operation you know i mean that they can just go to a and e for and get it taken care of yeah or like a girl has like a kid in the states with somebody doesn't work out comes back here what happened bro wait did that happen with you no dude i thought i hit on something relax frank relax did that happen no it did it did you knock up an american girl no are you sure i'm very sure i don't know if you're that sure dude i'm sure some of the girls

here oh wait what what what what they don't got the best looking that sure, dude. No, I'm sure. Because some of the girls here. Wait, what? What, Al? They don't got the best looking women out here. How long you been here? How long you been here? He's personally disrespected. Exactly 24 hours. 24 hours. And you're jet lagged.

Where have you been? I don't know. I never see you. I never go out tonight. Oh, okay. Wait, why? Al, what are you into? What type of girls do you like?

The pretty ones. The pretty ones. I haven't seen them.? What type of girls do you like? The pretty ones. The pretty ones. I haven't seen them. But there are pretty girls here. They were beautiful last night. What are you talking about? Yeah. Al likes...

Oh, they were with us, you mean. The ones that we brought. There was one. Shortage house, sushi samba on the 60th floor. And you didn't find the women attractive? No. Really? Yeah.

Why is this? I mean, what do you mean, why is this? I didn't find them attractive. But there wasn't find the women attractive? No. Really? Yeah. Why is this? I mean, what do you mean, why is this? I didn't find them attractive. But, like, there wasn't one that passed? No. Do you think there's just something that happens here in the water? Right? It's like... I ain't trying to get shot by dude outside. Yeah, I've never seen Al intimidated ever.

You're talking about my mother! Okay, now, you've traveled, obviously. Do you think the women get better looking in other areas? Be honest. Nope. Nope? This is the most beautiful.

What about Jamaica? I heard you lie. I heard you decide to lie. You laughed, and then you said, you were going to be honest, and you said, nope. Nope. You got somebody you're lying for, and I respect that. It's London. I'm sure they're beautiful. I'm sure they're beautiful.

I'm sure she is beautiful. Typically, American women, very beautiful. English women, not as much. You think? My mom's from Scotland. Your mom, gray tits. Thank you. Gray tits.

I mean, it's facts, bro. Why do you think I'm 6'2"? You should have been sucking more. You know what I mean? You sucked yourself to 5'7". I need to grow up, you know? I stayed on that tit till I was like 14. But no, for real, my mom is a very attractive woman from Scotland.

From Scotland, there you go. Like a six in America, but like a Scottish. It's a Scottish nine and a half. The conversion rate was tough back in the day. No, no, no. My mom's a dime, dude. My mom's a fucking dime. About five pence. But no, she's a hot chick,

smoking hot chick from Scotland. I think British women are very attractive. I don't know what you're saying, but maybe you don't like freckles, Al? Is that it? But when you say British, you mean like English? Just say it. White English.

White English, yeah, yeah. Al only likes white women. That's another thing. That's a thing. He won't admit it to you. You would think I would like one out here. It's nothing. It's too white for you.

Yeah. But there are certain women here that they look like the fish at the bottom of the ocean. Like they're that translucent. Like an angler fish? Yeah. Is that a good description? certain women here that they look like the fish at the bottom of the ocean like they're that translucent angler fish yeah we have them too back home like a portland in portland it's like yeah yeah portland san francisco disgusting women yeah but like real just fucking say what don't you have to go there yeah we do we do but they actually sell more tickets when i say this it's the fucking weirdest thing. But it

is a little thing here. So we're not saying it's specific to, you know, London. I think the women here are beautiful. I think you're a racist. That's what I think. I'm black. I can't be racist. Wait, why not? Just the rules. Oh, those rules don't apply here, buddy. It's different over here.

Can you be racist? Uh, no. I'm with you. It's different out here Can you be racist? No, I'm with him In America It's different out here, bro No, there's different rules, man There's different racial rules, isn't it? Like, is anybody here black? Or is it What the fuck?

No, no, no I'm about to make sense I'm about to make sense I know what he means Would you identify first as black? Yeah Or do you go, I'm Jamaican? Yes.

Or Nigerian or whatever. Like the way I'm Indian, not brown. Yeah. And not Asian. Yeah. Was you born there? No. I would say I'm black.

You would start with black. Yeah. I thought that was an American invention. Yeah, me too. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah. But then, yeah. Yeah. Jamaican. Yeah. I thought that was an American invention. Yeah, me too. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, but then, yeah. Yeah, Jamaican, Caribbean.

So it goes black, Jamaican, British? Black, British, and Jamaican. Black, British, Jamaican. No, that's it, yeah. You're a black British. Yeah, yeah. My mom's born in Jamaica. Do you ever wish you were just American, bro?

Do you ever sit back and wish? Sometimes I wish I was born in Jamaica. Really? Why? I don't know. Did you ever live there? Did you get to film out there? Yeah, I filmed out there.

Just not for the show. No, I wasn't a part of those scenes, but I've done other stuff out there and that. But I don't know, man. It's just like, yeah, I love it. I went there a lot as a kid, spent a lot of time. We used to go there for the six weeks for the holidays and all of that.

Yeah, so spent loads of time. Love it. Yeah, love it. I think a lot of people in London really connect with like where their parents are from. Yes. That's kind of what I'm trying to get at. I see that less in America. yeah you know a lot of people they're african they're american

right well they don't really they don't unfortunately because you know the fucked up shit america did they don't really know what to connect with yeah so they could 23 and me and be like oh you're from the congo yeah it's not like they can like call somebody up in the congo yeah and be like what happened back in the day that I'm here? But people living in India, what happened? Right? But people here really have like a direct connection, whether you're Indian or Jamaican or African. Well, typically you're probably one generation deep, maybe two, right?

There's not people that are here like four or five generations who are like, oh, I'm Jamaican. That's it, yeah. Was the neighborhood you grew up in with a lot of like Caribbeans? The neighborhood, I can Caribbeans? The neighborhood. I can't believe I said neighborhood. What do you call it? The road?

The ends. Oh, the ends. Yeah, but the area I grew up in was probably majority Indian. Oh, really? Yeah. G's up, yeah. I'm sure you're aware of this about, like, what's happening right now in America and how popular UK drill is becoming are you familiar with this? not too familiar but yeah

bro bro I'm not I'm not dude I'm serious there's a song by Central C do you know Central C?

you've heard of him do you know Central C? I have to teach him about drill do you know this rapper in England? Listen, there's a genre of music called UK drill. And Central C is a young bloke. Is that what they're called? He's the mandem. Yeah, he's one of the mandem.

The bloke, you know. Is bloke a good word? Yeah, bloke's more like a security guard. Yeah, like an English thing you would say. Like a white English thing. Oh, he's not. Well, what is Central City?

He's half Guyanese. Yeah. Whoa. He's like a quarter Indian probably. And then what's the other half? I think Irish. Don't quote me on that.

He's part bloke, right? He's half bloke. Yeah. He's bloke-ish. Yeah, I think he's bloke-ish. He's bloke a little bit. Half of his family's like

He's oak at least. Yeah. Half of his family's ake-ish. Yeah, I think he's bloke-ish. He's bloke, a little bit. Half of his family's like... He's oak, at least. Yeah, you know? Half of his family's a little... Anyway. Okay, so he had this song, and then the opening lyric was just so catchy. Yeah. How can I be homophobic?

Yeah. Right? And then immediately, you were like, I would like to know how you could be that way. And then he has a good answer. His bitch is gay. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. He keeps explaining it to him like he doesn't know.

But he keeps looking at me like I'm explaining something. I think he's like, is this dumbass really going to explain to me? Like, I don't know the song. Listen, a lot has changed since you started hip hop. Listen, you started hip hop. I know this. Hip hop didn't start in the Listen, you started hip-hop. I know this. Hip-hop didn't start in the Bronx. It started in East London.

Yeah. Okay? With the nasty blokes. Listen, it was a crazy time back then. You were into hip-hop. Right? No, I remember. I'm with this.

This is the version I remember. Yeah. Wasn't it crazy? Because originally, like, you know, we can go back. We'll tell the mandem about it. I'm with this this is the version I remember wasn't it great because originally like you know we can go back we'll tell the man about it

so you know back before that before there's grime there is what was it there was garage or something UK garage

garage and then before that what drum and bass or something jungle we called it jungle back then

but that's am I allowed to say that yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah okay so it is a little bit yeah jungle uh jungle. Okay, so we have Grime pops up. At this time, is nobody rapping here? No, people are rapping. People are rapping, but more like what you would consider rap, like hip-hop. So Grime represents the first version of rap that is like authentically i don't want to say to this them that were doing that

but it was in our own voice yeah you know i mean from our like our own perspective you know dressing the way we dress just just it was more it was more british yeah you know i mean yep but there was rappers before but it was more like boom bap, kind of inspired by what was going on then in the early 90s or whatever. 100%. And ours was like different BPM, like completely different way you would perform. It was probably as inspired by Jamaican dancehall music as it was American hip hop.

Yeah. You know what I mean? Do a lot of people know that, that like rap is a version of this Jamaican dance hall music? Like rap rap. Rap rap. Like even early on. Yeah.

I think, who's like- Like Herc and that. Yeah. Yeah. Jamaican. But is that more known here? I don't, probably not by a younger generation. Right.

Okay. Okay. No, it's not really a story that's told. I feel like that's kind of lost in the States as well. Yeah. I don't think they know it. Yeah. I feel like people are like, Curtis Blow started rapping and then that's where it began.

I didn't know it. Growing up in Texas, I didn't ever hear that. Yeah. So, I don't know. That's what I was always understood, that the influence came from these Jamaican dance hall kind of DJs who would rap slash DJ. influence came from these like jamaican like dance hall kind of djs who would rap slash dj because when we done it we would like you know run instrumentals and you would like you would constantly like you would mix instrumentals like one after the other like mix

into each other and everyone would just go back to back and then you'll get a wheel up you know i mean but that was more like how they would do it in dancehall music you know i never really heard like in the stuff we was listening to at the time like i don't know would be like the nazis and the jay-z's and whatever was very much like them just kind of freestyling over over a beat yeah you know i mean it wasn't really it wasn't really like i don't know maybe maybe maybe i'm wrong but it wasn't really um like 10 guys going back to back on the instrumental if you know i mean yeah they didn't have that too many times yeah and like sometimes they would

have like a gang record where it's like um this person's crew and this person's crew come together and it's almost like a competition of who really has the best verse on the track. Ah, yeah. Those are like far and few in between when they would do stuff like that. Yeah. I feel like they do that a lot more in, especially dance hall.

They do that a lot. Where it's just a bunch of dudes. Yeah. They'll have like a rhythm. Yeah. They have a rhythm and everyone will go on that same rhythm. Yeah. Ah.

Like, yeah, I don't really see that in like American hip hop. Well, I didn't see that when I was, you know, coming up. So that's where we took influence from. That, you know. Right. And what's the biggest difference in your opinion that sets Grime apart from American hip hop and even Garage?

In its early, from American hip hop in its earliest days was the BPM, like the tempo of it. That's another thing. Like everything was at 140 BPM. Everything had to be that speed. Like now it's like different. They call stuff grime, but it's not really technically grime, but grime was 140 BPM.

And hip hop was a lot slower. And from garage, the difference between grime and Garage was Garage was more like and Garage MCs because Garage was more like vocal Garage so it would be like a beat and then like someone singing

and then you have this space where there's like 8 bars where the beat would drop and you've got 8 bars and then it would go back to singing so as an MC, you just had to attack that eight bars.

You know what I mean? And for the rest of the time, you're just hyping up the crowd. You know, you're more like a host with a good eight bars and whatever. And I'm super like playing down,

but not this and that. And we was more like, we are the song. Yeah, we're the song. We're spitting verses, chorus, we're storytelling. You know what I mean?

And that was kind of taken from American hip hop. Now there was a song that came out. I don't even think this is the real name of the song, but pow. Yeah. Pow is the name of the song, but it wasn't a beginning. It's called forward rhythm.

Yes. Why do you know? You Googled it. Nope. So my understanding of Pow is that like this was one of the first songs to be like banned almost. Like there was like signs saying DJs don't play this because there were like mosh pits and shit. Do you remember this happening? And do you remember feeling like, is that the first sense of like, oh, there's a real authentic thing that's kind of happening in this UK hip hop?

Yeah. of like oh there's a real authentic thing that's kind of happening in this uk hip-hop yeah i remember i don't remember feeling oh this feels like something's happening it was just quite annoying you know i mean that we couldn't you couldn't even play everywhere we were playing was getting shut down you know i mean why was it getting shut down because police just didn't want it to happen really you know i mean it's just which was weird because there would be like fucking rock concerts with white guys moshing but when it was like 2000 black guys moshing it was like oh no no no that's a problem yeah you know i mean so it was annoying at the time but yeah looking back it was like there really was something happening but you

know when you're in something you don't you don't know what's going on. You're just in it. You're just doing it. We're going to the pirate radio and just, we're building something, but not like we're building a company and we're seeing results. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just, this is just what, you know.

Yeah. You should let white people have mosh pits. Leave that to them. Now, did you think that people were attaching, as you look back, do you think that people are attaching themselves that they felt like represented them, that there was like their own? I'm not saying that this is like an Eminem thing, but like, you know how like when Eminem came out, I think there was a lot of white people that outside of just seeing like a white person, they also felt like someone talking about like the angst. This happened with Nirvana as well. And like just touched on like a chord that people are feeling.

A hundred percent. A hundred percent. It was the first time people had ownership over what they was listening to. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like they felt like it was their stories being told. Yeah, yeah.

And as much as we love American hip hop. It's not your stories it's not so we're we're listening to it like we're watching Boys in the Hood or something

and learning about you know what I mean LA like hearing Nas and how he describes Queensbridge and you just fucking think fuck you know it's almost like

you're smelling you're imagining it you know what I mean but when a guy is spitting and talking about round the corner and that guy up there and you know who that guy is and that shop that he goes to and whatever

and the beef that's happening and he's talking about it, you're like, fucking hell, this is our shit. For once, we've got our shit. You know what I mean? So it was like, yeah. Do you like the music now? UK?

What's going on now? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like, i like loads of it but it's not it's not as closed as it was that like i said it had to be 140 and had to be you know i mean now it's kind of you know um it can be whatever you know whatever like guys i mean it's still like you know genres like you said uk, or there might be like Afro beats going on. I mean, there might be some guys still doing like traditional grime, more hip hop style. But what I like is I like it to feel like a blend. You know what I mean?

I like to make music that gives you the feeling of garage even though it ain't a garage speed or whatever but it just might be in something it might be in the way i pitch up the vocal that gives you that feeling of garage i like my jamaican roots to come through you know i mean i like the attack from grime you know i mean so i just i like that melting pot and try and represent eclectic thing yeah yeah like you know and a lot of guys do in America like sometimes I hear Kanye

I'm like you you might hear wait till I get my money whatever and the street guys probably fuck with it even though he's not street

but he does there's something about it that gives you that essence but then you know you got that like Kendrick he's my I think he's one we're talking about Andre he's one of the best, you got that, like Kendrick, he's my, I think he's one. We're talking about Andre.

He's one of the best guys to ever rap. I think Kendrick's one of the best guys to ever rap. And he's great in like, it doesn't feel like he's a part of the street life, but. He can observe it incredibly well and then tell the stories about it. Yeah, he gives you that feeling like so, so well. Many different feelings. Because he grew up in it. Yeah. Yeah, he gives you that feeling like so, so well. Many different feelings. Because he grew up in it. Yeah.

Yeah, he knows it. But when he wants to get jazz influenced as well, like Pimper Butterfly or whatever, he gives you, I don't know, it's just, it's beautiful. You know what I mean? But I like the mesh. That's what I like. Yeah.

Yeah, I'm curious about like who your counterpart is in America. Oh, wow. Like, who do people say? Do they say Nas ever? That's been said. Yeah. How do you take that? I don't know.

It's tough because Nas is not fucking Nas, you know what I mean? Yeah, but to you, I mean, to somebody, you might be that here. You are Nas. You know what I mean? Like, because they relate to what you're saying in the same way that these kids growing up in Queensbridge are listening to Nas's stories and going holy shit but I say that more because like there's a real uh attachment to the artistry you know and uh like at least coming up in New York I mean Nas was just like yeah he was an artist and when I say artist I mean like he puts the art in front of the commerce that's not to say he doesn't want to make money like please

believe everybody's in this. Yeah, the root of the Jay-Z Nas beef, if you like Nas, you just, you really liked it. You felt like he put art first. Yeah, I just, yeah, I loved him. I just loved him, like, experimenting. Like, there's that song, that Nas song, Rewind, and I was like, what a cool thing to do. Just, like, play with the genre. Like, tell the story backwards. See what happens,

right? And it's like, I don't know, I was listening to a lot of your stuff, and I was even listening to that interview with Akala, and, like like it was actually easier for me to understand it when you guys were doing it without any music in the background and like the attention like detail and and just hearing you talk about it it's a fine line that i don't know i also feel like i have to like walk which is here's the way to make the most money which is not necessarily going to make me happy and here's the way to make the fucking art that will make me happy and hopefully make some money yeah yeah i'm with you and and here's the way to make the art that

would has longevity or the art that will allow me to be around in another 10 years. You know? Like, because you can, you know, you can make that art that, okay, this might work now. Flavor of the moment. But this might not help. This might not age well. Right.

What's the legacy you're leaving behind with the music? Yeah, exactly. And I see it both ways. And some guys are like, no, they want to make the money now. Yeah. And, you know, fair play to them. them yeah but i've always entered this like you know i want to be around in 10 yeah and then when it's 10 i want to be around in another 10 you know and how old were you when you started rapping and like coming up in that

scene in that like 16 or something oh really and was it when i first started making songs it was 15 16 was it what was it dangerous back in the day, like in that specific time? Or were all the guys really focused on the art? It was dangerous. It was dangerous. It was dangerous from garage. Because as sweet as garage sound, that's what the gangsters used to rave to. You know what I mean?

So there was a lot of shootings in garage clubs. Interesting. When you hear garage now, you're're like how the fuck can you shoot people you know but that was quite dangerous and um and our and our raves

when we started them yeah occasionally there was there was trouble or whatever but it didn't feel as serious as the garage thing but then

because we were participating it was it was always about the the art for for us anyway you know i mean and that excitement of just um just performing and getting the opportunity to yeah do something you love in front of people you know now sometimes when when an art form isn't as lucrative

we overvalue the art because that's all we have and then when money enters yeah right that changes certain people you know early on in a genre in anything it's like the people just love rap and are going to live die every single day to rap they got a side job just so they could rap same thing with comedy or anything but now rapping is very lucrative and i'm wondering if that changes the music because it starts to draw the people who aren't really into it for the artistic reasons. Big labels and corporations and stuff.

And how do you deal with that conflict? Yeah, do you know what? That definitely happened. I feel like when that started to happen over here, because I don't know what would be the equivalent time period for you guys, would it be here because i don't know what would be the equivalent time period for you guys would it be like i don't know like the ll period when money started coming big i would say early 90s money yeah big yeah and ll might have been someone that you still respected

yeah you know i mean but a lot of people inspired by LL was probably coming with cheesy shit. You know what I mean? Inspired by that, not the art form that he was inspired by. That period for us was, you know, probably around 2010 or 12 or something like that. A lot of people was coming in and making hit records. Dizzy had a few hits and a lot of people started making... Fix Up Look Sharp, was that around that time? Yeah, yeah,

yeah, it was around that time, just after that time. A lot of people were making music that they thought was gonna, making music that would work in the charts.

Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah. There's a formula to it. Straight up formula. Yeah. And around that time, funny enough

I kind of dipped out of the game I just I kind of I didn't know I couldn't find my place within that new way

yeah you know because you thought it was corny because you're artsy bro but I didn't think people was valuing valuing what I was doing

yeah you know well yeah so I didn't really have a place yeah so I kind of was a bit uninspired dipped out a bit and that's when I started that that's when I done Top Boy it kind of I didn't fall back away from music to start acting but it just so happened that the Top Boy thing came about

yeah and then you know done that for a couple. And then I didn't make an album for like six years. Yeah. And then came back in 2016 and made an album. And refreshing the response to the new album? Refreshing, fucking nerve wracking. Yeah. Like it takes a level of, and I always encourage artists nowadays, it does take a level of confidence to go away yeah for a while because you think people are going to forget you and yeah you know and then

it's like fucking yeah you know can i do something worthy enough to draw people's attention again because they've they've forgotten you but trust me like if if it's quality if it's worth listening to people yeah people will fuck with it you know i mean but then not to be um what brought you back into it why after six years were you like nah now i find my i know my place i i i don't even know if i knew my place i just i just wanted to write again um so i probably started writing after like four years, worked on it for about two years when it came in 2016. But like it was,

and it was different to what was going on. I knew what I was about to release was kind of different to what was going on, which I thought may be a wrong move, but it just felt like the right thing and i've come to a a place in my life where i was like look if i'm gonna fail because i've done some stuff before that didn't really work and you know when something sounds like a compromise and i was like you know what fuck that if i'm gonna fail this is gonna fail like with me you know what i Fuck that. If I'm going to fail, this is going to fail with me loving it. You know what I mean? But failing and compromising is the worst. Like when no one's happy.

You know what I mean? Exactly. It's like you know you sold out a little bit, and they do too, and they reject it. Fans didn't win. Record label didn't win. You didn't win. I sold out and made no money. But failing and being proud of the project isn't failing.

Yeah. It's like I made the music I want to make, or I make the comedy I want to make. I stand on it. Yeah. And something that you can probably identify with is like, sometimes it's not about, you know, the million people. Sometimes it's about doing the shit that I want, and there's 10,000 people. Now, how do we make that grow? You know what I mean? and there's 10 000 people now how do we make that grow you know i mean when i come back into my 16 the first show i done was like i think it was maybe like 800 people or something yeah you know

i mean and and people probably doing arenas at that time with the pop music or whatever yeah then it was like okay back to 12 again and then it was like you know 3 000 then i done bricks in the 5 000 and you know the 10 whatever it was you know i mean then i done bricks and the five thousand you know the ten whatever it was you know i mean so it was like slow slow growth is sometimes better yeah than that just like you know quick success and it was like you know what i can i can garner an audience and keep them engaged not not just you know engaged by like dropping songs all the time but just working on, we were talking about earlier,

about working on the show. The show itself. And making the show something that you have to come and see. So I might do bigger shows than someone else with a number one or something, but it's because I've, I've built the show.

They're not here. They're not at the show because of the single I've just released. Right, it's the experience. They're at the show because every time, every year, the experience has got better and better and people go and tell their friends and probably community you probably have friends that are connected through the music

yeah you know i'm saying yeah you know yeah the show i mean yeah the parallels between music and comedy i obviously are always always there but like it's something that we pay extra close attention to because i think a lot of comics stop at, oh, my hour's really funny. And it's just like, if you had 10 hits, you could stop. Yeah. You just play the 10 hits. It's a performance art. And it's both.

It's got to be performance and art. Exactly. And if you make it, if you put as much attention into the show as the art, if the show becomes part of the art and nobody else is doing it, they're leaving that with a real profound experience. And everybody wants a cool thing to do. And there's not that much cool shit to do. How often have you been with your girls? What should we do tonight? Go out to eat.

I don't remember the last activity I've done with my girl. You know what I'm saying? Something worth leaving the house for. That's it. But if you have something to fucking leave the house for, and it's worth it. Yeah, it's crazy. If you guys are a couple that's been together leave the house for and it's worth it. Yeah, it's crazy. If you guys are a couple that's been together for five years,

they've seen every movie. Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's nothing else to do. Yeah. And what is that feeling like the week before the album drops? Like all that anxiety built up. Like, was that emotional?

That experience before and after? Yeah, it does. But it's also something you tell yourself, I don't care. I'm not going to buy into that. Yeah. You know, the results of it all. You know what I mean what i've made i know i like what i made in the day

then you know day two you're like where were you i'm sure you've done it with a special like checking it every day like how many now how many now every day bro you know what i'm saying so it's like yeah and the end it come but it was you a top 10 record or whatever it was. And I've never had a top 10 record before. You know what I mean? So it was like doing something on my own terms and it actually succeeding. But about the show thing as well, it's like willing to lose money at the beginning. Yeah, to make money, a lot of breaking even, you know what I mean? To then one day, you know.

Because a lot of people don't know that. Like when you're doing a show in, let's say, a venue that's a thousand seats. Yeah. But the show is built for a venue that's 5,000. Yeah, yeah. It costs so much money. Yeah. It's crazy.

Yeah. I remember one of Kanye's tours. I forgot which one. Like it was the most extravagant show, but I think he broke even. Pablo. Yeah. I think it was Pablo. When he was, like, surfing around.

Yeah, such a crazy show. Yeah. But he didn't make no money. And for artists like me, like, he's probably doing, and he's probably doing arenas everywhere. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I'm saying?

Like, I'm doing, you know, fucking 10,000 people, 3,000, then 1,000 up in this place up there. You know what I mean? But I'm trying to bring the same show you gotta go to the show you know what I mean so I was like that show is just helping that show

you know what I mean but this is the experience I want to give people you know and then you see that 1,000 build up to the next level you know alright guys

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Now let's get back to the show. Do you listen to the album so many times that it sucks before you put it out? Are you like hyper? I'm a hyper what? Like hyper focused on every single aspect. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But have you, I'm asking this selfishly, like when we're putting out the special,

we've watched it probably 300 times. Yeah. And I'm watching it with my best friends that are also comedians. And all three of us are sitting next to one another and we haven't laughed for an hour straight. Yeah. That's demoralizing, right?

And you're just looking around like, this even funny yeah how do you maintain the confidence with music yeah music's even harder there's no reaction with comedy like you could show it to them if you misdirect them you could get it but music it's like people like songs after they hear them a bunch of times yeah yeah except for Central Sea, who knew every song was great. Yeah, that's great. Yeah, it's like, you know, a hundred times over and over, but you're listening with different ears. You know, if you come in a studio

and we're listening to the song, it's not, we're not really listening to the song, we're listening to the reverb on the chorus this time. You know what I mean? And then we make a tweak, and then, okay, let's hear it hear it again you know play it from the beginning to see how that bit feels when it comes again so we listen to it over and over again and i guess the next time you

can enjoy it is probably when you're playing it for someone else that's the thing you're seeing their reaction yeah you know i mean we did it we had like a watch party i was that like did you enjoy it then bro so much better yeah yeah yeah and then you leave you're like i'm great yeah when do you stop critiquing it when it's out never oh when it's out i have to yeah i have because there's nothing you could do right yeah you forget about yeah so when it's out yeah it's just out but if i listened again I could you could make things better you could look the tricky thing with music though

is that you can fix things retroactively like the Kanye thing or even like Beyonce like you put out a track and you gotta change some words pull it swap it

yeah you can now I don't know if I would do that I wouldn't do it for I mean yeah if it was like shit I ended up hearing this on the radio

a bunch of times and the chorus feels a little low and I would like to go and you know turn that up a little bit maybe I'll do that but I wouldn't like just change the third verse

like a re redo the third verse or something but it's interesting that you can do that yeah the process never ends it's almost like

crippling because you're listening to everything being like oh I could but it's not like once you put something out it's like in a way,

it's not, it don't belong to you anymore. It belongs, it's ours now. Yeah, the art is there. You know what I mean? And it's, yeah, it's for everyone.

The most terrifying thing about music to me is, is the vulnerability of putting out a song or an album without hearing tons of people listen to it. Yeah. By the time we put out a special,

I've done this in front of hundreds of thousands of people. I've seen them laugh from beginning to end. Yeah. You're putting out this music. And we still doubt it. And we still are like, oh, is it right? We have to tweak this. Or is it something you had to be in the building for

that might not translate when you... 100%. So with music, it's like that like that i mean maybe you just get so i don't know maybe you get so technical with it you could start to predict it but is there ever that feeling where you're like i gotta play this in the club before we release it i don't do that um so i'm just anxious the way you've just explained yeah that that that angst is there i mean you're making it in a well me personally there's normally like three of us in the studio um i'm not in the

studio with like a bunch of people um when we do invite people and they come you know you can gauge a reaction but how genuine is that all the time you know i mean sometimes you just you come in the studio you hear something, you know, you think it's better than it really is because it's the experience and all of that kind of shit. But what I do envy, now you've explained what you have

and how you do it. I envy that. I wish I could go out on the road and try these songs out before we play. Yeah. But I don't think that's, I think that's a rap thing because i think singer songwriters can do that like you can go and say this is a new song i wrote last night

but rap requires such a response and feedback you can't really perform new songs and you have to like take in the lyrics and like it's a whole different thing. I almost need to listen to hip hop in a car by myself with loud music or headphones. Good headphones. It's really absorbent. Like ear AirPods, it's not going to be as good. But when you perform in a concert,

the audience needs to have heard that song already. Yeah, because there's too many people. The sound waves are going everywhere. I can't tell it's good. There's a thing musicians do often. They'll be like, I'm about to play you my new shit. And then everybody in Austin is like, save it. For what, bro?

I didn't pay for the new shit. You almost got to slide it in. Yeah. Dude, that's the thing. It's the thing I envy about music, but what's so terrible is back end, it lasts for much longer. If I tell a joke and you've already heard it, you don't need to hear it again. I hate, I'm pissed if I hear it again. Exactly.

Like you can watch specials multiple times. Sometimes it's in the background, but you don't laugh in the same way. Yeah. You have to leave it a long time as well. Exactly. Something to surprise you. There needs to be elements of surprise. Whereas music is the element of comfort.

The more I know a song. Yeah. The happier I am when you play it. You can perform it over and over and over again. And like you said, I'm pissed if you're playing stuff I don't know. I want you to play all the stuff I know a song the happier I am when you play it you can perform it over and over and over again and like you said I'm pissed if you're playing stuff I don't know I want you to play all the stuff I've heard

I want to hear it again from you the thousandth time is the best time it's about the experience as opposed to the actual can people come to the show twice

yes and they should they should often do that that's a great idea it's a unique experience every time I think people are getting a little more hip to the fact that how comedy works a little bit. But I remember going to see a comic before I did comedy and then watching the same stuff like a few months later.

And I walked out of there like, what just happened? Yeah. What the fuck was it? There's a difference when it's like, it's like my favorite comedian of all time is a guy named Patrice O'Neill. Who like spent some time here actually. Okay. In England. I think he spent like a few years even in England.

Like really kind of built himself up. Yeah, yeah. But. Oh, he must have. That's where he got good. Yeah, so did Jay-Z. Yeah. So did Bob Marley.

Did Jay really live here? Yeah, I think he was here for a little bit. No. No way. Is that why he grew this stupid hair he has now? Relax. Is that why he learned to ride a jet ski with a helmet on shouts to Jay

this photo's over here yeah so the Patrice like he would do not a different show every time it would be the same bits but like

his essence was unique every time and he was reacting to what was happening every time so like I saw the bits more than once but like he was real in between the bits you know what i mean it didn't feel like he went up there and just pressed play yeah yeah and i think that's where you lose people

because some people i imagine come for like the moments in between the written jokes yeah yeah oh yeah yeah you know yeah that's gonna make it different every night like when we play live that's why i like playing like live with a band and stuff there's always you know it's the same song but it's different every different energy it's different and then sometimes you hear something that the bass player done that he didn't do yesterday no one recognize it where you're like oh you're like really jamming it's almost like jazz in a way like there's some improv with the tracks a little bit yeah there's some yeah some improv with the tracks you know yeah within right within There's some, yeah. Some improv with the tracks, you know? Yeah. Within,

right. Within reason. How many people will tour like in the band and everything? Oh man. at its max, there's like, yeah, there was a lot of people. When I done Royal Label,

there was like 44 of us. Wow. Jesus. And what other elements are you adding into that live show that make it different and discernible from other, uh, like grime and hip hop shows shows um like probably like the amount of the amount of players right yeah the amount of players that we had like um we got a brass section fire um string section you know that literally with hip-hop makes a difference yeah crazy especially with live instruments are

so sick because i saw i think jay Jay-Z. Jay-Z, yeah. And it... Like hearing that with an actual, whatever the fucking instrument. He probably learned that here, actually. He stole it. Well, I don't know if it's the first time he's done it, but what made me want to play Roy Labert Hall was I supported Jay-Z at Roy Labert Hall.

Oh, wow. And he had an orchestra. You know what I mean? Wait, did they lose their shit when you came? Wait, hold on. Did they know you were coming out? Some people probably knew I was coming out. By supported, he meant like he was the opener for.

Right, yeah. And what is that experience like? Yeah, did they lose their fucking mind? Yeah, it was mad. It was good. Yeah, yeah. It was like as many Kano fans in there as... No, not at that time.

Yeah, that was like 2007. Wow. That was. But what is it, 2004 or 5 you put out? 2005 my album come out. Yeah. My first album come out. And I've done that 2007.

So yeah, a lot of his audience would have known me. Yeah. Yeah. And how did you get that look? I can't remember. I can't remember. I can't remember. But he's been, yeah, he's like, he said some nice, you know, words before, like he knew the stuff and all that kind of shit.

And you guys like hung out afterwards at all? Like just seeing each other in the back? Did you watch him cheat on his wife or was that? Oh, jeez. He has a whole album talking about it. I'm the asshole? Yeah. He didn't cheat, bro.

What's the album for then? I don't know. To make some money, dude. That's the problem. They're not artists. It's called art. It's just called art. That's commerce.

That's commerce. I just wanted to give you the time. He got an album too. That was a nice finesse, though. We got to give them credit on that. Like, if you're going to get cheated on, make like tens of millions of dollars. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think most

girls would be okay with that oh let's tens of millions that they got it yeah yeah i'm so curious what did he say to you are you allowed to share what did he say to me yeah um i can't remember but when i said he said no he said some stuff like just in on the radio or whatever it was yeah i just heard and was like oh he's fucked up whatever yeah and I saw him at another show I was on a Gorillaz album

and we toured we done Madison Square Garden were you? yeah I was just doing like two songs yeah but Gorillaz

obviously a massive massive band we'd done a whole American tour and he came to watch the show wow and yeah

I remember he was like side stage and I was about to go up but it's the fucking scariest thing in the world. Like you're about to step up the steps and you know,

Jay-Z is watching there and you're like, yeah, this is crazy. Did you deliver? Yeah. Hey. Hey. Hey.

Hey. Jay said the illest shit to Kevin Hart. Kevin Hart was doing like Barclays or something like that and Jay came to see him and Jay was like, how's it feeling? Kevin Hart was doing like Barclays or something like that and Jay came to see him and Jay was like

how's it feeling Kevin Hart was like man it's crazy I never thought I'd sell out Barclays it's just a great feeling and Jay goes no

how's it feel that I came to see you that's crazy okay so so you become a superstar actor even though you hate acting

cheers to that by the way. How'd that happen? I literally saw you say you don't like acting. Oh, yeah, I gotta stop saying that. No, no. I mean it when I say it. Yo, can I tell you something? What?

I say this all the time, and they don't stop offering me roles. Yeah, yeah. Have you noticed that? Yeah. Yeah, yeah. What is wrong with these people? Me too, that's happened to me too. You go, I don't want to do it.

Me too. You guys are the same level actor. Yeah, yeah, for sure. It's the same thing, dude. When he says it, it's kind of endearing. When you say it, it feels honest. I have three lines in a Netflix movie. Maybe they'll cut it out.

And he's the star of the biggest show. This is the same thing. You have to judge us on a curve. It's like Celsius. Oh, okay. So you go and do this show. this is the same thing you have to judge us on a curve it's like Celsius you know oh so you go and do this show as you're doing

promo for the show this is an amazing I like my heart warms watching it I think you're on the Big Nasty show

is it oh okay probably yeah and then Mo yeah Mo hilariously I came here and the first time

I did a show here Mo opened for me oh shit right it was at this tiny called like the Brickyard Comedy Club he like DM'd me

he's like hey man can I open I go of course next time I come I'm doing like this small thing I was doing when I was

I was doing the Leicester Square Theater so I just DM'd him I don't know what the fuck's going on and I'm like hey man you wanna open for me again he goes oh I'm a little busy

and then I look he's got a fucking super star so shout out to mo but uh you put them on it's because of you it's because of me exactly uh so uh so basically so they go so what do you think about like acting like is it like a cool process do you like it and you're like and they go, so you don't like acting? And you'd be like, nope. I just loved it. It's not my favorite thing to do in a day.

Because it's boring, right? Yeah, yeah. It's tough. But here's the thing. Hold on, hold on, hold on. What do you mean by tough? What, is it easy? No.

It's easy to be bad at it. I know that. Yeah, yeah. It's tough to be... It's tough to make it look like it's easy. Bro, I'll be honest with you. When you did the scene in season one where you were crying.

Yeah. When your disabled friend was getting burned to a crisp. Season three. Oh my gosh. It's season one for us. Yeah, the Netflix first... Is the first season. Yeah, disabled Netflix first. Is the first season.

We call it free, yeah. He's retarded. Wait a minute. Was he spazzed? Bro. Was he spazzed? Bro, he's a spaz, bro. Yo, what was we saying in the car?

Frank! Beyonce has to change the lyrics. Frank! Bro, that word means nothing in the United States. It's so crazy. Yeah, I didn't. Yeah, she didn't need to do it. She didn't need it. She's Beyonce.

Bro, that was the name of a smoothie at my place in Florida. It was the Raz Spaz. It was the name of like a smoothie. Who's got more retards in Florida? Yeah, think about that. It was like a funny name. And over here, it's like the worst insult. But can you call someone retarded here?

Is that okay? Because that's more clinical. That's like the science. That's true. We don't say that. You don't? No. But what if somebody's acting really funny? What if somebody does something really funny? They don't say, oh, you're retarded.

Black people in America, if you're really funny, they just insult you. This motherfucker is dumb. You are stupid you are stupid that's love dumb nice yeah

that's love it goes against the wheel okay so why are we talking about retards cause you grew as an actor that's what I wanted to say you did the scene your friend is

is getting burned too Chris right oh yes yes yeah right so you're crying yeah you can cry on cue

not like on cue? Not like on cue, but it takes a minute to get to that place. What do you do? Do you live on other memories of retarded friends? Jesus Christ. That's so insensitive. It's mad because it's like you have to,

and I don't know what you have to do. I just know what I do because I'm not a trained actor or whatever. You know what I mean? And I respect the craft, unlike you. I respect the craft so, so much that I don't want to, you know, act like I know it or like I'm fucking, you know what I mean? I'm not no trained guy or whatever.

But I feel like it starts way before action but it's hard to start that process before action because it's like you know it is like costumes coming over to fix the hoodie and whatever so i like to get like in that instance i would have liked to get into that seat like a little while beforehand and just like start to get into the zone. What are you thinking about to make you cry? He wants cheat codes here. British women. Yeah.

Jesus Christ, Al. This guy's an animal over here. I can't remember what I was thinking about at that time, but yeah, generally it won't be like this character. Just two fat gingers walking into your hotel room, searching for dick. Oi, is there some dick in there? Oh, shit.

Okay. I'd like you into my garage. Okay. But yeah, it won't be like, you know, the made up character that's just died in a made up fire some family stuff right

yeah maybe cause you really did I watched the BBC one and it felt like you were playing you in season one and two and then by the time the Netflix

the whole character was like evolved and you fucking killed it I was really impressed yeah yeah like I would

I was a bit uncomfortable in the first, because it's the first time I'd ever done it. And Jan, Jan, who Dove knows. Of course. Was the director of the first one. And I remember we started filming. We got in like a couple of weeks or whatever. And then one of the characters broke their arm

which was like great for me because we had some time off you know what I mean and then during that time Jan come and he like he said like it wasn't usually but he played me

some of the scenes back and was like yeah he was like look I can see you're not really present in this scene you're kind of just waiting for your bit kind of thing. But you've got to be present.

You've got to listen. Acting's about listening and stuff like that. And I was saying to him, I was a bit stiff because I didn't want to move because I'm mic'd up and I didn't want my jacket to rustle on the mic. I was thinking like it was a studio. You're thinking about the acoustics of it.

Yeah, I'm thinking about the stuff I don't need to be thinking about, like an artist or something, like thinking about how it's going to be for them for their mix later on. And he's like, no, no, no, no, it's not. And, you know, spoke, done some work and stuff. And then I started to get into it a little bit more. But I think, you know, theflix seasons is where i i probably start to

understand it a little bit more put it this way i didn't know how famous a musician you were same so i was sold on you as being a famous actor yeah yeah yeah and then all of my british friends like no this guy is like the guy in uk hip hop. Like you're the OG. Like that's what they're all saying. Like this guy started it. And then obviously I'm starting to look at your music and I'm like, oh shit. So he doesn't know how to act. And I believed it.

And then you did the crying thing. Yeah. And I still don't understand it. Like you could cry right now if we all did it together. Just a group cry. Yeah, just a group cry. What would the mandem think about that if we all held hands and cried together? What would they think?

Would we be allowed in the end? It's cool. But now, what I try to do is kind of like not not forget the artist that I am

and not try and be like you know you're not this anymore you're an actor and this is how actors think and whatever I approach it like

way before getting on set it's like with the script it's like how does this feel and you know you know this doesn't feel right to me it's just like critiquing material the way you would critique material but critique the script that way and critique the character that way and once you start

going over that and then you start to really like live live that person you know what I mean so now when you're acting it it's like you are person you know what I mean so now when you're when you're acting it it's like you you are it

you know so yeah rather than just alright this is the scene and now oh shit I've gotta remember these lines

you know I've probably done two months of interrogating these lines before even getting to set you know oh shit yeah

did you want the character to evolve at all because it felt like especially the BBC series in these lines before even getting to set. You know? Oh, shit. Yeah. Did you want the character to evolve at all? Because it felt like, especially the BBC series, I guess y'all call it, One? Channel 4 it was on. Yeah, but I guess season,

yeah, whatever. Channel 4, not BBC One. No, it was on Channel 4, bro. One, two, yeah. They got more channels out here than BBC. You just told me it was on BBC 4.

That's all you said to me. Channel 4 is BBC 4. Only BBC. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever the British version was, it felt like the character was kind of, it evolved a lot. Did you do that?

It was kind of a one-dimensional, like he plays kind of the dickhead, mean guy, whatever, the hard guy, and then you're more likable in the Netflix one in that there's a whole different dimension with you in this, you know. Yeah. I wouldn't, it's with you in this you know yeah i wouldn't it's not

me that you know uh you know adds in another character to yeah to the show that dies in a fire that i can respond to that's that's not me that would be in the writing but but i feel like you know um the the way i try to humanize the character, then they feed into that. And then they may be like, give you, you know, a bit more to do. So yeah,

it's like, it's that, but it's kind of, you know, like building upon scenes as well. Like some, some scenes might be like, you know,

one way on a page, but the way, the way we play it. Yeah. It completely changes it. Yeah. It can change it and bring a different, different emotion, if you know what I mean. just i just wanted to you know and i just want

like my mates to think that yeah this is like someone we know yeah in in its whole human complexity that's exactly how i feel like you're my absolute favorite character in the show and i feel like every single scene you steal the scene because it's like it's so authentic like I grew up in a hood like I I believe you and I'm just saying how far is the character from the real person I haven't got like nine bodies, you know what I mean? How many? But two is fine. Maybe two or three. Or two. You've got to have a couple.

You know what I mean? No, no, it's not me, but in terms of story-wise, but a lot of it is me in terms of heart, you know what I mean? Like how would that make me feel? Like me as a person, you know what I mean like how would how would that make me feel like me as a person you know I mean and I feel like and I'm as I said I'm not no acting expert whatever but a lot of people think great acting is being so far removed from the person you are but I think it's about bringing the person that you are to this character you know I mean agree with that, bro. You're better acting

than all them fucking dorks. Do you look back at early seasons when you were a little more green? On Channel 4? Yeah, on Channel 4. You're really defending a channel that cancelled the show, by the way. Be honest about that. When they cancelled it?

Yeah. Get out of here. And then Drake swooped in. Have I watched it back? Do you ever look at your? Wait, they cancelled it? Yeah. Get out of here. And then Drake swooped in. Have I watched it back? Do you ever look at your choices in scenes and go, ah, I could have done a better choice? If I could do that now, I would have done it a little different. I don't do that, no, looking back at the seasons, but I do that every single day I go home.

In the car on the way home, I'm like, fuck, I could have done this, or I could have done that. And I go home, and then I go in the the mirror and I try and recreate what I did do. And I'm like, fuck, I should have gave one option like this. And then it pissed me off. And then I try and bring that thing into another scene like another day. You know what I mean? Interesting.

Forgot who hates acting. You take it very seriously. You're really serious about something You fucking hate This guy's a real artist man I mean that Sincerely I'm a little disappointed You telling me

You never put no work in Like In your younger days You on the road Were you on the road Or not You know Making tees

Statue of limitations is over Making tees You don't know nothing About the statue of limitations Out here I'm disappointed You're not a murderer I'm really disappointed In you bro I'm really I know nothing about the statute of limitations out here. I'm disappointed you're not a murderer. I'm really disappointed in you, bro.

Al did his street time in America. He started my method process for a fucking 20 years ago. And Al's got some bodies, bro. He does. Mostly fetuses. Abortions only. They count in America. They do count in America now.

Can you get abortions out here in England? Yeah, we could. Yeah. We could out out here in England? Yeah, we could. Yeah. We could out here. You good? Yeah, we could with those out here. Say what? You want to pass that over?

Screw it. Yeah, yeah. The Top Boy success. So that was a yes? No, I didn't say that. But. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What the fuck I'm talking about?

Let's go. Why are you proud of this Okay Al's record in street fights Is seven and four Yeah Yeah Whoa I thought

I literally I thought it was Frank laughing at you Jason what's up bro About to be eight and four About to be eight and four Okay That was the most disrespectful how you got beat up

four times bro you're like a journeyman street fighter like how is that even possible sometimes I fall outside my weight class and I got the best of me come on bro

okay do you have a record in street fights a record in street fights I A record in street fights? I don't know. Club fights. What's my record, Shay? I don't know. Yes!

What the fuck I'm talking about? Yeah, yeah. Yes, you know? Yeah. The winning record. Yeah? Yeah. One.

Go on. Four and four? One L's in my eyebrow somewhere. That was one L. Wait, somebody got you? Yeah. They hit you with something? Bouncer, though. Bouncer. Oh, that don't count. Fucking That was one L. Wait, somebody got you? Yeah. They hit you with something? Bouncer, though.

Bouncer. Oh, that don't count. Fucking bouncers, man. Yeah, yeah. No, no, no. Fucking bouncers. No, yeah, yeah. You're right.

A headbutt. Yeah, yeah. For the headbutt. Yeah. Because normally when I do that, it's the end. Wait, wait. For him, it wasn't the end. A headbutt, and then he just went, vroom.

And then my face just opened up. I was like, yeah. So a headbutt was your move went and my face just opened up I was like so a headbutt was your move yeah yeah yeah ah yeah but he was ready oh no

yeah he was ready ready but and his forehead was crazy strong Ethiopian or something what was he like he's African for sure Nigerian he was Nigerian

he was Nigerian oh really okay yeah yeah good forehead you gotta be careful. But no, long time, long time, long time. So that's the thing that happens oftentimes when you have like an iconic character. I guess you're fortunate in a way where like you have enough of you in the character.

But I think one of the worst things is being beloved for someone who isn't you at all. Yeah. And then being like a constant disappointment to people every time you meet them. You know? I had a fight the week it came out. Remember? Wait, what? The week Top Boy came out, he got in a fight.

That's crazy. I think it was the second one or whatever it was. I remember Jonathan, one of my cousins, Jonathan, was saying like, don't go out. I know you're out and you want to celebrate and whatever, but look, people are going to see the character and they're going to want to

impress you. You know what I'm saying? And I was like, yeah, I didn't tell him. I was like, fuck it, we went out,

innit? Yeah. It was like, we're out. And then literally during that night, must have, yeah,

guy must have come over and tried to thingy. And what were you doing, Jonathan? In the toilet. Look at you. Big for nothing. Look at you.

Come back out when it was all done. What happened? Peel you off the pavement. I'll tell you what happened. White security. That's what happened. I'm done with this. White guys don't take breaks.

Wait a minute. But did you live up to the reputation in that fight? Yeah, that's one of the... Oh, dude. That's like perfect marketing. Yeah. If I'm Netflix, I'm like, holy shit. Print this. Everyone at the bar. I I'm like, holy shit, print this.

Everyone at the bar, I saw Sully beat the shit out of somebody. He's the real deal, bro. Yeah. But no, it's mad because he's, the Sully character's like, it's almost legendary in the street. You know what I mean? Yeah. So street dudes, are street dudes even now, are they looking at you like, he's he's representing what we live correctly yeah because you were saying that in the interview too like they wanted to do certain things you didn't think were authentic and you kind of came up in it yeah so i could yeah i just couldn't

there was one thing last season that i just couldn't do what ah what oh can i guess what uh eat pussy was it they wanted me to be a part of like calling the police to do something whatever and i was just like man i just feel like this is just the wrong move respect and it's one of them ones where like you were the police you were a policeman i was just glorified security guard like almost like half snitch you know i mean the shame that ended up doing like yeah the shame ended up doing like you know oh yeah in the show you had like a real problem with it yeah and i was that originally written for you and then it was switched no it was written for both of us and you were like nah and i, nah. So then they made it like I had a real problem with it. Yeah.

But it was like one of those ones where, you know, we fight a lot on the show to try and like get things changed or how we want it or how we see it. Keep it authentic. Yeah, it could be authentic and just, yeah. You know what I mean? Not, I mean, it could be authentic. Someone in the street snitching or whatever

but i just feel like it went against what i've built up for so ah yeah yeah yeah you were the real one for so long never gonna break you have your principles and then all of a sudden you're calling a cop yeah and like i was saying before it's like if i knew that was going to be the case i would have maybe tried to plant some of those seeds earlier in. So when it happened, it would be like, you know what, there was a little bit of slime about it. It's almost like Dushane's character is anything for success. He wants to win at all costs. Yeah, exactly. You can believe it.

He will not, his character will not sacrifice his ethic. And that's why it's kind of cool to see the both of you because Dushane understands that that character understands that about your character, right? So he's like, I have to maneuver around certain things knowing that he's going to your character. Right? So he's like, I have to maneuver around certain things knowing that he's going to go wild. Yeah.

If we break certain codes. Yeah. Like that was probably for you. That was too far. That was too far. And it is the reason why we've kind of never seen eye to eye again. And it carries on in this season. But it's like, that ain't a turn up on a day thing.

And just like, I'm not doing that. It's, you know how you gotta do you gotta emails and hang and you know what I mean like phone calls and meet ins

and zooms I really just don't like the direction of this scene you know what I mean it's like all that but we gotta fight for

we gotta fight for what we believe and we fight for these characters because it means so much. Like, I'm the one that's going to have to deal with the consequences. be at the fucking petrol station

and some guy saying like, yo man, that's me. You snitched, bro. You fucked it up, man. You know what I mean? We used to love this shit or all that shit,

you know what I mean? And it's not just for ego, like, I didn't want to be a snitch in the thing. It's just, I didn't think it was, it was this character. Like,

it wasn't. And I just felt like I knew him too well. So then, yeah, they ended up changing it. But it was, it was this character. Like it wasn't. And I just felt like I knew him too well. So then, yeah, they ended up changing it, but it's, it's, it's hard work sometimes to get things changed.

It makes sense because you're right, but that decision changes the entire show. Yeah. The show is never this. It's going to go here. And now it's going here because you fought them and it was right, but they don't know that. They're just like,

this motherfucker is changing everything. I got to change every episode from now on on because this fucking guy wants to send emails basically and you're right but they're not going to see that right away necessarily it's going to take a lot yeah and then maybe in like a year they'll be like nah you were right it's a pain in my ass but you were right so the thing is like what battles to fight and you know i mean speaking of art and like maybe i want to fight everyone or but it's like it's like having a wife no 100% you know

but it's it's difficult man and I was talking to I remember speaking to Idris one time and it was like I was saying

is it is it always like this remember that that's the only thing I've done you know I shot a film early this year but that was something

but up until that point like it was so boy so i'm i'm thinking like is it always a fight is it always this is it there and people say like yo this type of shows where you you don't you gotta say they trust you enough they trust the character the actors enough to be like yo i'll let them make decisions and trust that we can rewrite the show to make it work. It's not easy, but yeah, they'll let them. I wonder if the network knows how outside they are of this culture. So they're already like, listen, we have almost zero connection to what's really going on over here.

So if we fuck it up, it's on us. I'm curious. Like if they were writing a sitcom about like a regular family, they could take whatever fucking liberties they want. They could be like, hey, listen,

that's what the dad would say. I'm sorry. I got a family. Exactly. But some rich Hollywood motherfuckers are making a show about the hood in England. Yeah.

They can't exactly tell you, well, it's snitching time. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, no, for sure. And yeah, like I would be calling, like there was, I think I was in prison

at the beginning of the first Netflix season or whatever. Yeah, so like certain things were happening. Then I'll be calling my guys in prison and be like, if this happened, what would it be? Oh, wow. You know what I mean? Oh, really? Instant violation.

Like that would, you would have to bang that. No matter if it was freedom or fact like, this is such a violation. It requires this and da-da-da and whatever. And then I'll have to go back with that. So it's like you have to, like, I— Yeah, and Al, because he put a lot of black people in jail at his job. Single black person jail. Stop that shit.

Sell out, bro. Remember when you tackled that black guy? You ain't going to do that. When he was just trying to be free? No, it's not. Stop that shit. Yo, sell out, bro. Stop that shit. Remember when you tackled that black guy? You ain't going to do that. When he was just trying to be free? No, I was not. You were a court officer, and you got injured tackling a guy. He was what? Swear to God.

Swear to God he was white. And he tore your ACL, you bum? No. You couldn't play D on a white guy? I slammed him in the hall. I slammed him in the hall. You got juked by a white dude? All right, guys, we're going to take a break for a second because some of y'all falling asleep playing your video games, you nerds, and you need to stop doing that.

Your teammates rely on you. You're out there playing the Fortnite, the fucking other ones. I don't know. I got a wife. I can't play video games anymore. Okay. But if I want to stay up all night so she could yell at me, I'm taking gamer sucks. Gamer sucks has got your back. I'm telling you, I could go through all the reasons why. You look at this right here

and you look at the design on it. You're like, that's not healthy. Yeah, it is. The best energy that you could possibly get. I know it looks like candy. It's not. It's going to keep you up and it's not going to kill your soul. This is good. Nootropics. Nootropics. Zero calories. Zero calories. Vegan.

Probably. Keto. That's for sure. All that. All that. Gamersups.gg. And I got 10% off for you. 10% off.

Use the promo code flagrant. You're getting 10% off. Gamersups.gg. Go there, get your energy up, and destroy. Just in the video game. That's it. Now let's get back to the show. except Spotify and Sirius because they're in a lawsuit about royalties like some little bitches. But everywhere else, please make sure you cop, support, spread the word, man. I'm really proud of this. It's a unique experience from the special we put out because this is all from one night, one show. So there's crowd work stuff mixed in there. Like it's all combined into one unique experience.

Go check it out. Bring back Apu. It's on YouTube music. It's on Amazon music. It's on Apple music. Bring back Apu. Spread the on YouTube Music. It's on Amazon Music. It's on Apple Music. Bring Back Apu. Spread the word. We're doing big things.

Also, if you want to get tickets to live shows, I got Orlando the 9th and 10th of September at The Improv. In West Nyack, upstate New York, I'm at Levity Live, September 15th through 17th. September 29th through October 1st, I'm in Raleigh, North Carolina at Good Nights. Get your tickets for those shows and a bunch more at akashsingh.com. Now let's get back to the show. Okay, what is... When you talk to your boys who are maybe still in jail or whatever,

have you ever done analysis on this code? This code that exists in the street? Have you ever just sat there and thought why these things exist, whether you agree with them or not, and whether you you can like come up with understanding for some of these decisions? You know, like I understand like why you need to be so severe in certain circumstances because like these people can't go to the cops. Right?

Like this is, I guess this exists with gangs, this exists with mafia, exists with anything. Right? But like have you ever really analyzed code and like asked them like, well, why do I have to kill these people? Like, if it was anything, right? But, like, have you ever really analyzed code and, like, asked them, like, well, why do I have to kill these people? Like, would this be bad for business? Have you, like, sat down and just said, like, why? Yeah, I mean, yeah. Real white question.

I'm curious. Yeah, real white question. It is, but it's, like, it's why I'm obsessed. We're going to just stop and talk about it. No, like, I'm obsessed with— Why don't you go to the authorities? I'm obsessed with prison shows for this reason. It's because all the rules go away, right?

And then a whole new set of rules are developed. And these are the rules that humans really exist by. Yeah. Right? Which is fear, authority- It's like Hammurabi's code. Power. You fuck with me, I'm going to fuck you up.

Something's happening. Yeah. There's no turn the cheek. Yeah. Nothing. But I think if you're probably in jail and you've been sitting down for a long time, you might have a different answer to those questions

than the person on the outside. Or if you were speaking to yourself 15 years ago, you know what I mean? You would have still made that decision. But I know people that are like, you would have still made that decision but i know people that are like no matter no matter what no matter what was what the violation was that put you in jail you know how valid that was and whatever there will come a day in jail where you question i didn't need to do that could i have done it a different way you know what I mean but that takes

sitting down on it and analysing it and thinking about it over and over you know what I mean and kind of like changing as a person and growing up

you know what I mean like kids just wouldn't have a lot of shit because they don't you know they just they just can't take

disrespect in that way you know what I mean it's just like any small violation is as a kid you don't know how fragile life is you don't know it can go away anytime yeah but sitting down way you know it's just like any small violation is as a kid you don't know how fragile life is you don't know it can go away yeah but sitting down for you know your your what's my god i think it's almost 15 years into his sentence or whatever like i bet he looked at it differently you know the fear of disrespect and how that will be viewed. I think that's always prevalent,

right? It's like someone disrespected me. It seems almost catastrophic in reaction. This person disrespected me. Now nobody will respect me. I have to do something or else everyone will stop respecting me. Yeah. I don't know if that's actually how humans exist,

but it seems to be the code that you have to live by. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Especially in those circumstances. Yeah.

So I would make certain decisions for the character that I would not accept this. And this happening to me is the worst thing in the world. And it must be dealt with immediately. You know what I mean? That might not be how I would see it.

But the character is going to see it. Yeah. And that's it. And even if it means losing money, you know, fucking bad for business. Doesn't matter. Getting arrested. You know what I mean? It's a thing.

But the complexity comes is like when you see my character with his daughter and how he wants to spend more time yeah with her but then does things every day that would take away that time it's like that's the fight you know i feel like for the last two seasons he's been you know am i you know what do I want? Am I in one foot in one foot? Yeah. Yeah. Kind of like, yeah,

a little bit. Yeah. You know what I mean? But, but, but uncompromising in his, you know, I love that shit. Here's a question.

You may or may not have allegedly lived a life where you did some crazy stuff. We don't know what, I wasn't this guy. No, you weren't this guy. No, I'm not saying you were this guy, but there's always a path you can take where you can keep going and get crazier and crazier.

Or you can be what you become, which is clearly an evolved, thoughtful, like, artist. What veered you this way? Yeah, did you have a moment where you're like, if I go through with this, my life is very different? No, I never really, yeah, I was never like that deep where it was like, you know, at that type of crossroad, you know. But I know many people that were, and I think had like real big potential and kind of went the other way. I don't know if it's a decision to go the other way or just you, that's the way the current takes you, you know what I mean? And it's too far to come back. But that's what the way the current takes you you know i mean um and it's too far to come back um but that's always a shame like when when that happens is did that also keep you

from getting you know you said you didn't do much did that keep you from doing much or is i'm seeing people kind of potential and then it's nobody gets to see it? I think once you, me, are so consumed with the art that you're creating and so occupied, you know, all of your time and whatnot, and surround yourself with like-minded people that want to, you know, do this thing for a living, there's no real room for the other avenue you know what i mean once you see an opportunity i think just passion is just a connection to what you're creating yeah yeah yeah yeah i mean obviously much different circumstances i grew up with suburb kids but i see or grown adults now who don't have a passion and they just seem so lost

grown adults now who don't have a passion and they just seem so lost in their life. A passion could change the course of anyone's life. Not just in art or whatever. Yeah.

Like anyone's life. Have you pursued other types of art? Obviously acting and music but like have you experimented with like painting or sculpting anything like that?

No. When I was... He's not gay, bro. No, he's an artist, bro. What is this guy talking about? I believe this man. Unreal, that question.

Have you ever worked with watercolors before? Watch his answer. Watch his answer. Watch, ready? He's going to say no. No, no, no. Go, go, go. Tell me, tell me.

No, fuck that shit. Dude, that's what I'm talking about. Come on. About to get dumpy talking about watercolors, bro. He's Canadian. Fucking question, dude. But no, I did actually like art as a kid still. Fuck y'all. As a kid when you were a little bit gayer.

As a kid, everybody does arts and characters. I went to college for it as well. For art? Thank you. Yeah, art and graphics. Don't let people know that, man. No, I can see this. This man's an artist.

Somebody can't be out here going to fucking art school come on he's like Tupac bro he can do everything that's what it is okay it's said that

you're good at soccer as a kid or football as a kid this is true or this is what is it what do you mean it I don't know what gender it is

say again what's soccer? Say again? What's soccer? Football. Oh, thank you. Thank you. It was called football, and then we won a war, and now it's called soccer. Okay?

No, no, football. Football. As you said. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And why are you such a big Liverpool fan? You came in here today, and you were like, I love you. No, I didn't say I'm big, but he asked me straight away.

Huh? You'll never walk alone, bro. Yeah, yeah, you're Liverpool. But you just said where you're from. But they're on the front. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I should support West Ham. Okay, but then...

Really. But why? Do you know what? I think West Ham weren't really the team to support back then. And I was following my older cousins who was big John Barnes fans. And he was like the fucking, the black player, superstar, best player in the country, played for Liverpool. So I followed that. But West Ham didn't really have the same kind of player I could identify with.

You're black before you're from West Ham. Yeah. Back in the day, like known as quite as a racist team and all that kind of shit. So not a lot of black people supported West Ham, even though we're from around the corner. Yeah. You know?

But a lot of people support Arsenal because of Ian Ryan. I don't know if you know Ian Wright, but like legendary footballer in this country as well. Black person.

So we're kind of like full of the black people. But now it's different. Like now there's like loads of black players in every team. Yeah, it's mostly black people right

yeah mostly athletics tends to go that way why do you say that cream rises to the top I think it's good now let's say now David Beckham

right that's not a question that's a person that's not a question East Londoner I started there East Londoner what did it say about David Beckham

East Londoner yep right uncircumcised we don't know that maybe probably probably if you say so I started there. East Londoner. What did it say about David Beckham? East Londoner. Yep. Right? Uncircumcised. We don't know that. Maybe. Probably. Probably.

If you say so. If you go by the numbers. You seen it? Okay. Say again. You seen it? Threw the shorts once. Really?

I thought I saw Hood. The pram. I thought I saw Hood one time through the shorts. I was like, oh, my man's uncut. Okay. Let's go. So, objectively, very handsome, athletic guy. Voice, bitch made a little bit, right?

It is weird, right? It is. Because I probably watched him for a decade. And then I heard him talk and like Minnie Mouse is talking about football. Oh, I did my best to kick it around the corner. Right? But we got Mike Tyson. Yeah, Mike Tyson.

I saw that. Come on, bro. Yeah, but he doesn't look like Mike. Like, Mike can talk like that. Like, nobody's ever done their Mike Tyson impression to Mike Tyson. Because Mike will kill you. Yeah, Jamie's not doing it to Mike. Jamie did it to his face, yeah.

I don't think so. Nobody's doing it to Mike. On stage. No, no, no. No, no. To Mike's face where he can actively kill you. Where he can grab you, there's no way. stage. No, no, no. No, no. To Mike's face where he can actively kill you. Where he can grab you. There's no way.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, but what is the cause of that? Is there like a, was there like lead in the water? What happened back in the day to make such a perfect man talk like that? He's a perfect man, Al. Stop it, Al. He's gorgeous. Name one English woman as good looking as David Beckham. You saying he got Victoria? Oh, Al. He's gorgeous. Name one English woman as good-looking as David Beckham.

You saying he got Victoria? Oh, God. No, I mean, Victoria's beautiful. Victoria's beautiful. She ain't no David Beckham. Yeah, you're kind of right, bro. David Beckham, globally beautiful. Victoria Beckham, English beautiful.

Oh, my gosh. No, Victoria Beckham, beautiful. Okay, this might be a question I can't ask, but I do need to ask it because I have to. I didn't know the queen got massive jogs. What? That's wild. That's wild.

I did not know that. I did not know that. I need to see a picture. No, but seriously, if you look at old pictures of the queen, she's built crazy fat tits in her, dude. No, there are. The fucking dairy factory is inside that woman, dude. No, there are. The fucking dairy factory is inside that woman, dude. She got the Nancy Pelosi's?

For real. Was she a joint? She puts Nancy Pelosi to shame. Was she a joint or just big tits? She was okay. She was fine. They're still fucking inbred, right?

They're all like sisters and shit that are having kids together, right? But those bosoms, bro. Oh, so she got the retarded tits. Bro, let me tell you Spaz the fuck out, dude Spaz the fuck out No, no, no

You gotta pull it up Because it is One of the most shocking things I understand why she's on the money She's Queen Elizabeth, right? This time worse than the one before Queen Victoria, no Queen Victoria

I thought you were going How far back are we going, bro? Queen Elizabeth fat tits. Yes. That's not going to give us what we need. That's what you Google. Yeah, big old German. She's German, right?

Isn't she German? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Look it up. Autobahns. Yeah, look it up. I'm trying to pull it up, bro. She's putting breasts. Okay.

Wait, what is he typing in? He just put Queen Elizabeth young. Have you ever looked up tits on the internet before? What, you think it's just going to pop up automatically? Yeah. No. Just put Queen Elizabeth Young fat fucking knockers. That's as good as you get.

Fat fucking knockers. You've never Googled before. Come on, come on, come on, come on. Can I see it? Let me show you how to get it up. That's it. We're Googling it here. I mean, look at that.

She's got the sash. It's like busting at the seams. See, Bill Defense. Those don't look like Pelosi's, to be honest with you. No, no, I'm telling you. I'm going to show you. There's one where she's on a balcony, and she looks disabled. It's not going to come up yet because you're Googling it here.

Oh, that's right. They block it. They block it, yeah. Probably. Whoa. Do you think they have that kind of control, the English family? You better watch out. How do people feel about the English family here?

I don't understand royalty that much because we don't have it back home. What we do is we make families royal in a way. The Kardashians. Kardashians. We did it with the Kennedys. We did it with maybe the Rockefellers. The what? The Carters. The Carters. They were the Smiths.

The Smiths were royalty and then what happened to Will Smith, obviously you saw that, right? Oh, the Smiths. Isn't it sad, right? What happened to Will Smith obviously you saw that right oh the Smith yeah Deep Round oh man isn't it sad right what the Will Smith thing yeah yeah I don't fuck with it though

no no no nothing we don't fuck with it but I mean like what happened to him as a man like yeah it's mad yeah

yeah and you've heard about what happened right what happened to him yeah outside of the the thing, the Oscars thing.

Well, no, he slapped her, but what he has to go through, what he has to endure. Oh, about the red table and talking about the... What does he have to go through? Well, he has to watch his wife get her fanny rinsed.

Bro, that's part of his life. Give him a hug. He's like, I didn't want to act again anyway. That ain't nothing enough. He took a deep breath for his whole career. I just breathed in my whole career. We're in it for the yard, baby! No, no, but that is what they say.

Jade is a witch. That is one of the rumors that's going around. Yeah, that was... Oh yeah, please, can I see those huge fat ones? So... That's crazy, when you think about that. Don't they drink milk in a bag? They drink milk in a bag.

That bag is made after her fucking... Milk in a what? Milk in a bag. They give you the milk in a bag. Where is that? That was in France like 15 years ago. You replace the bag in your own milk machine. Do you know what Americans do though?

What do we do? Anything in Europe is England. London. Yeah. Even smaller. London. The Chateau Versailles. Dude, when you guys elected Hitler, it was one of the craziest things I've ever seen, bro.

That's so crazy. It's so nuts. That's a huge deal on your whole record. No, but London is like the New York of Europe. Yeah. And New York is America. But when we talk about America, we know the different states and shit. Oh, come on, bruv.

It's just New York and then everything else. No. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, what about LA, baby? LA. Everywhere. Everywhere. We know everything.

We know everything, America. I mean, unless it's Hollywood and you're at WDF Studios. What about Houston? I've been to Houston. But do we know it? Do the average English person know Houston? Cleveland. They might know Beyonce's from some shit.

Nobody knows Cleveland. We barely know Cleveland. They know Beyonce's from some shit. Yeah. But like I'm saying, there's cultural nuance to America too. Like if you go up to, what is it, Newcastle? They would know it through music. That's pretty impressive.

Yeah, probably less film. Film's probably like more. That's about LA or New York or whatever. That's about society. We know the difference. But Americans, they're just like, probably less film. Film's probably like more LA or New York or whatever. That's about a side to see. We know like the difference. But Americans, they're just like, it's London.

I've seen Americans come on stage in other cities and say, London! And say that. That's hilarious. What's that?

Hilarious. So we've, we've, we've, you know like, our education sucks. We don't do geography. Here's the thing. It's not only that, it's just like, we don't you know, like, uh, our education sucks. Here's the thing.

It's not only that. It's just like, we don't need to know about it. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Like people like in like Sweden and shit, they'll get upset. Those America, you can't even point out Sweden on a map. And it's like, we don't need to like, I'll get there with a plane. You built an Ikea in Brooklyn

that's what we need to know like Sweden they need to know about Americans the way they see the rest of the world is probably how London

sees the rest of the country if you know what I mean like yeah you gotta know about us but we don't gotta know you don't need to know but it's nice to know it's arrogant

yeah but do you need to know about Birmingham those fucking inbred yokels? Jeez. Yo, why you gotta talk shit about Birmingham, bro? Because I bombed there one time. Obviously.

I might call that shit London, too. I'm going to use one of these letters. I didn't know your friends were spastic. I didn't like that, dog. Okay, so yes, we're a little arrogant in America. A little? A little. But, but.

He's a New Yorker, so he's supremely arrogant. It's, but it's fire. New Yorker is fire. I like New Yorkers. Yeah, I know. He said, I know you do. I know you do. I couldn't see me moving to America, but if it had to be, it would be New York.

Exactly, bro. A lot of people go to LA, obviously, especially like actors I know and shit. LA, but. Usually the gay ones. Nah, nah. Yeah. Sometimes. Yeah, yeah. Exactly bro A lot of people go to LA Obviously Especially like actors I know and shit LA Nah nah Sometimes Yeah yeah Sometimes it happens But

You In New York though What are you talking about I can't believe I've never seen you improv In Yes And that well As you being like Yeah

Yeah Sometimes Yo sometimes that is That does happen I mean And that's where you would go Yeah Improv and yes and that well. As you being like, yeah. Yeah, sometimes. Yo, sometimes that does happen. And that's where you would go. Yeah. Okay, but New York is also great, too. Do you want some more rum, Al? I'll finish that whole shit.

That was full. Come on, bro. Literally 10 minutes ago. You have it. Hold on. That's really good. We need to get Kano a little bit more rum. Can you stop hogging the fucking rum over there?

What type of rum is that? There you go, my friend. What do you mean? Yeah? What do you mean? That's not what you wanted to know. You asked what type of rum it was. And then when he was like, what do you mean? You realized that was the dumbest question ever. And then you were like, wait, is it yours?

I assumed it was Jamaican rum, but I just wanted to know if he's affiliated with the brand. Okay. Be careful, bro. That shit will get you duppied. He's been learning all the English slang. He's been learning all the British slang. What have you learned, mate? Dude, I made this girl suck on my skang the other night.

That's not how that works. That's not what a skang is. I never heard of that before. You never cocked back your skang dude? No I never heard of skang Skang Skang Skang Skang

That's a gun Some people call it that You know what I mean? We'd be shooting at him Skang Skang That such a gun we'd be shooting out of it baby skank skank is gun

yeah yeah but yeah your accent's a little more posh than mine mine is more skank he's more from the streets yours is a little more

from the streets what ends did you grow up say again what ends burnt I love that from the burnt out yeah yeah

100% okay what is the most thorough area of London I love that. From the south. 100%. Okay. What is the most thorough area of London? Like the right now toughest area of London. Who knows? I don't know. I don't know. Like doesn't take no shit from nobody like outside of Buckingham Palace.

Yeah, those guys are scary palace does not they don't go they don't laugh at all i don't know there's a lot of hard that is hard definition east still the east bro no but really is are you from east is that why you're saying that yeah basically what about shortage they got girls no they got girls with armpit hair out there bro that's east that's east that's east east central that's different yeah Jason which area

I'm not from London so you know best Ealing Ealing that's west London yeah west is crazy yeah I don't know

I don't know Halston big Jamaican community in Halston yeah like I feel like the area that most people knew from outside of the country I don't know if it's either. Halston, big Jamaican community in Halston, yeah, like, I feel like the area that most people knew from outside of the country

was like Brixton. Brixton, I heard of Brixton, there you go. But I heard that's gentrifying. Yeah, like crazy. What makes them so tough

that they like stab each other with toothpicks and shit like that? This guy's great. I know, I know. That's what they do. Oh!

Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! this guy's great ow ow that's what they do ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow

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ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow very hands on in it. very intimate. yeah yeah but the stabbing there's a lot of stabbing here for sure but that is cruel that is a cruel thing to do yeah very hands on

very intimate and also it's like can I be honest with you do a drive by like a gentleman but can I can I

right if we're being honest here I think that we don't stab in New York and I'm being 100% serious when I say it is because we value our

sneakers and I and I being dead serious. No, no, no, no, no. Because you guys will put anything on your feet, I've noticed. But like in New York, we care. And the idea that I could have like a brand new pair of sneakers that I really value

and then somebody's O positive is dripping all over it. You know how hard it is to get blood out? You can't get blood out of sneakers, bro. You can't get blood out of sneakers. That. You can't get blood out of sneakers. That doesn't help resale, you think? What, the blood? Crip protect. What's that?

Crip protect. Is that like a French thing? It's like a sneaker. I can't believe I just said sneaker. What do you call them? Trainers. A trainer protector. That sounds so ugly.

That's how you know they don't spend money on them. Trainer. That's what you wear to the gym is your trainer. Yeah. Yeah, right? Crip protect. There you go. Crip protect.

And that stops blood from getting on it. Yes. It's a water proofer. Oh, water proofer. Yeah, it's just a water proofer. Oh, obviously, yeah. That's so mind-blowing to these fucking English. What?

They're like, oh, there's a water proofer for sneakers. Well, no, they have water all the time. It's raining all the time. Yeah, I know, but it's even better. That's another thing with the weather. Don't you feel like Americans have started to dress more like us anyway? Yo, can I be honest? No, no, no, no.

Crazy. All you wear is European anyway. All you wear is European anyway. Huh? You're Duffy boy? Come on, Duffy boy. We create style. No, I don't think.

I don't know. You never wore a 3XL white tee? That's style, bro. That's fashion. Exactly. You know. 3XL white tee? Style, bro. That's fashion. Exactly. We create style, and then you guys dress like us 10 years later. That's what happens. We create product, and then you start wearing it 10 years later.

I'll give you credit for the man pocketbooks. What? The man handbags and shit like that. The side bags. I'll give you credit for that because that is very soft but outside of that like our fashion is okay hold on one second can we just acknowledge

American design oh what's American design well you would wear echo is that what you wear god damn he just killed me with echo you don't wear echo you don't wear echo

no we wear He just killed me with Echolos. You don't wear Echolos. You don't wear Echolos. You don't wear Echolos. You don't wear Echolos. Now, we wear American brands like Adidas. You know what I mean? No, what do we got? Nike. Nike. The Jordan 1.

Jordan. Yeah. Now, y'all like Jordans, bro? Yeah, I don't wear Jordans. We wear Jordans here, yeah. I mean, you know, British people wear Jordans. Yeah, yeah, they wear Jordans. Yeah, heavyans here, yeah. I mean, you know, British people wear Jordans. Yeah, yeah, they wear Jordans. Yeah, proper.

No, I think you guys, this is what I think is happening. And I love Toronto, but I think Toronto is often fighting for its identity. And I think it used to be like this version of New York. And I think now it's become a version of London. Like the slang even is adopted from London. Like it's not exactly adopted London because they're adopting it from like Caribbean and African influences. And those people are there. But I think that London probably did that first and gave like, not gave a platform, but there was a platform for these like Caribbeans and Africans to like become influential in their vocabulary.

Would be influential. And then people would start to adopt it. Yeah. Did Americans like not really respect Canadians? It's not. Respect is the wrong thing. But not before Drake though. So they stopped looking for it and now they do their own thing.

Before Drake, what was there? Yeah, that's the Drake. It wasn't like cool. Yeah. It wasn't cool. Still not. You could be cool and be Canadian. It's hard to be safe and cool, right?

There's nothing safe is usually cool. Like Top Boy is cool because it's not safe at all, right? The Hood is cool because it's not safe. Mafia is cool because it's not safe. And Canada, in its essence, is a safe place where people care about one another and they're like really genuinely concerned about people's welfare. So I think it's hard for people to go well I want to look

up and adopt that. You know what I mean? Like even Jamaican dancing it's not safe. Like there's a guy like jumping from a balcony on a girl. I want to do that. I want to do that so bad. Is that a thing here? Do you want to go? Shane is there a dance tonight? I thought you were going to ask Shane.

Shane don't dagger me please I would get crushed but they rave late though man that's like we're jet lag bro that's the only raves I really wanna go to yeah

but it's too late like I'm not really with the western clubs and all that I would rather go to like the dancehall clubs right let's fucking do it

I want a dagger so bad you gotta be going out at 2 you know what I mean yeah yeah yeah. I'm with that. And getting back crazy late. But if you want to go, there's something on tonight. Wait, wait, wait, wait.

You're going to watch him back out and it's going to be so funny. There's no whack else, so you can relax. Yeah, you stay home. You stay home. You don't need, you'll just be in the way. But I saw, they treat it like WWE, dude. I saw a guy bring out a ladder. Yeah, the props and that's crazy.

Yeah, no, they go. and that's crazy yeah no they go they go hard yeah they go super hard it's amazing I don't get it maybe you're just having a bad day with your girl and you're like

let's go dancing and then you just beat the shit out of her for an entire song yeah yeah that's a great idea yeah it's like the OJ

dagger what did you say what did you say it's like OJ daggering OJ's. What did you say? What did you say? It's like OJ daggering. OJ is the original. He's the original. He's the king of the dagger.

Okay. Listen, we know we don't have your whole night here, so we have to respect your time. We got to go dagger soon. We have to get a nice meal in our system so that we can dagger all night long. Right? Oh, happy Jamaican Independence Day, by the way.

Oh, yeah. Cheers. Cheers, bruv. Yo, isn't it fire? With the fist, with the fist. Got you. Big up. Isn't it fire when you just kick those Brits out of your fucking country?

You know what I'm saying? Why didn't India do that? Scotland didn't. You say what? Scotland didn't. They tried. They won. Yeah, they tried.

They do. Do we want to yeah they tried do we want yeah independence but don't you think that they didn't even really fight for India that hard they were just like ugh like don't you think that a little bit like because if you look at the history that's more like yeah right and then is that what you say to convince yourself it's okay to not have freedom like Scotland they fought for it but then India I think they realized they're like

you know yeah you keep telling yourself whatever you need to tell yourself because you guys keep wanting more like you keep coming back to India you're like I love England I love it

yeah yeah yeah I love it come please be daddy again is that what's happening exactly don't you have to say that no I think you have to say that

when you came here and you went through the whole TSA shit what did they make you say? I actually went right through. Stop it. I went right through. Literally, they go. They said, thank you.

Who's daddy? That's what they would make you say. No, that didn't happen. Nah, they were like, are you going to bomb in Birmingham again? No, they thought I was going to bomb London. Exactly. That is true. You have to be very careful.

Yeah, they were worried about bombing of a different kind. I'm curious. Was Drake ever on set during the filming of Top Boy? No, I've never seen him on set. What's up with that? He's busy, bro. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The last time I see Drake, he comes to the read-through.

You know, you do the read. You're down to film. Did you do a read-through? No, they didn't invite him. He doesn't know how to read. What is that like? But you're invited. Yeah, you got to go.

But he came to the read-through. I'm shocked he hasn't been on the show. I'm shocked he hasn't been like a small character on the show or something like what? I'm shocked he hasn't been like a small character on the show or something like that just for fun

because he can act yeah yeah I think there was some talk of it one time but I don't know do you feel like it might take away from the show

oh yeah like when Ed Sheeran was in Game of Thrones and we were like that's when you started to suck I love fucking Ed Sheeran yeah

and he could body the role if you want to like Drake or whatever but it's still it would take you out of the world Drake's self-awareness even like

even if fucking DiCaprio's one of my favorite actors even if he was in Top Boy it wouldn't he could take away from us outsiders

almost look at it like a fucking documentary you know what I'm saying at least in the States we're like I know this isn't real but it's cool a lot of people

compare it to The Wire I don't know if you saw the wire oh yeah yeah okay yeah so like for me i'm watching i'm like oh my god this is the wire yeah in that here's this like niche part of this country that has this incredibly authentic pure grimy experience and i didn't even know it existed and i think that's what a lot of us when we we saw Top Boy for the first time, we're like, wait, what the fuck is going on? Like, this is crazy. So putting anybody in that that's already famous to us. Takes you out of the world. Yep.

100%. So how is it with like Method Man in the way? Or is Method Man not? No, no. That fucked it up. Oh, shit. Bro, when I found out Idris Elba had an accent, I was tight.

Wow. I was like what is this fucking corny shit well we didn't know Idris like that I never I thought he was American cause he was in America

forever he was a bouncer he wasn't a huge star here yeah he was a bouncer at the comedy store right no Caroline's comedy club I thought he was American

he grew up two roads away from me oh wow I didn't know yeah a state agent told me when we fucking sold the house said he sold Idris

out to I was like oh shit wow but I just thought Idris was yeah American actor in The Wire or whatever yeah but you're saying

oh so when you see rappers in the shows you might forget I still like Method Man and The Wire but it did take me out a bit what was interesting about your show though when it was on Channel 4 yeah it was like Method Man and The Wire but it did take me out a bit what was interesting about your show though

when it was on channel 4 it was really a lot like The Wire and I think it's done a good job of becoming it's own show you arguing with the writers probably helped that

yeah yeah and I think maybe people's a little bit nervous of it going to Netflix thinking you're gonna try and appeal to a wider audience

and fuck up the show wider audience you know what I'm saying exactly but no it's good that it's remained some kind of yeah authenticity and whatnot yeah okay listen we're going to a rave yes i bet you don't i would i would if you took me i would go all right i'm not gonna knock on the door i'm practicing i'm practicing. I'm practicing. Exactly. Yeah.

That's how you do it, right? Let me just try it one time. I'm just nervous I'm going to get there. I'm not going to know how to do it. Can we just practice? Well, do you know how to jump? Yeah, I do. Okay.

Off the stairs. If you know how to jump and you know how to spot a woman, you have to ask a woman if she would like to dagger. Yes. In 2022, yes. May I? May I dagger you? Yes. May I have this dagger?

May I have this dagger? Is that how it... May I have this dagger? Yeah, exactly. And you curse it. And then you jump off the roof and pile drive her into the dance floor. That is cool. Okay, so we hit this rave tonight.

Okay, we will get it on. Get our dagger on. Not all of us. Al. But there might be a white girl. I mean, I think white girls are adopted, you know, Jamaican culture here, right? Adele, I'm sure. Adele.

They're the real ones. Wait, white girls. Even in Jamaica. The Galdem? Whoa, whoa, whoa. Say this again to me. Because this is hot off the press. I just lost interest in this thing completely.

Akash hates white women because he loves them. Yeah, you see them in Jamaica, in the real places. Whoa. Dancing in the middle. Is it like a study abroad thing? They're paying to get really and Japanese women as well what are they you know like so

like fascinated with the culture that they've just bought in and it's like it's crazy is that what you told yourself you know they go there and pay for Jamaican men to fuck the shit out of them yeah that too that happens as he is. Yeah, exactly.

That happens as well. Is that true? Hell yeah. They pay? Wait, Japanese women do that? And white women. Really? How do you dagger a Japanese girl?

Well, it's like hibachi, actually. Yeah. They call it hibachi. I think she did. I'm pretty sure. How is it done? Because the great thing about a Jamaican woman at a dagger rave is that they have some cushion. They're like a Chesterfield, right?

So it's like you can jump on them and there's going to be a thing. But if you jump on the Japanese woman. She actually dives herself, does it herself. What do you mean? It's a bit of a kamikaze situation. Oh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness. That's racial.

Okay. That's racial. Okay. That's my career? But no, isn't some ass required? Isn't like, aren't these like these tricks? You know, isn't there? There's caked up Asians now. Wait, what? Yeah, that's the thing.

They've come out with like a new update, I think. But there's like. I didn't see that. No, it's a thing. You haven't seen this? Japanese girls with ass? It's a new thing Hold on show me No they call them rice cakes I'm being serious No I'm being serious it's a real thing It's a real thing bro

That's what happens when you do five minutes too long That's what happens Okay listen We're ending the show Rice cakes. All right, listen. I just want to say thank you so much. For the third time?

For the third time. Thank you so much. Yo, Kano and the motherfucking goat. The originator, the pioneer. Thank you so much for taking the time, brother. I really mean it. And congrats on everything. And I really appreciate your attention to your artistry.

And I think you should keep doing it that way. And it makes a difference. Thank you. Maybe it doesn't make a difference to the casual, but to the person that appreciates what you do, it is distinct. Yes. And it's worth fighting for.

Oh, man. I appreciate that so much. Cheers, my brother. Thank you so much, man. Thank you very much. I respect you guys. I respect what, man. I appreciate that so much. Cheers, my brother. Thank you so much, man. Thank you very much. I respect you guys. I respect what you do. I know what happened with the special.

I bought the special. Let's go. Lots of respect to it. It was crazy coming in here and being introduced to everyone like I didn't know their fucking names. I was like, oh, yeah. Oh, gosh. Yeah. I even knew fucking tough.

Watch this shit. I'm a big fan. Thanks for having me. Appreciate it. Thank you, man. Thank you, bro.