No Jumper - The Aitch Interview: Blowing Up, Subway collab, Ed Sheeran, Aardee Comparisons & More

Episode Date: November 30, 2021

Aitch talks about his rise, going up at a young age, recently signed, relationship with Offset Jim, Aardee, Ed Sheeran, new album on the way and more! https://www.instagram.com/aitch/ https://twitter.com/OfficialAitch ----- NO JUMPER PATREON http://www.patreon.com/nojumper CHECK OUT OUR NEW SPOTIFY PLAYLIST https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5te... FOLLOW US ON SNAPCHAT FOR THE LATEST NEWS & UPDATES https://www.snapchat.com/discover/No_... CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE STORE!!! http://www.nojumper.com/ SUBSCRIBE for new interviews (and more) weekly: http://bit.ly/nastymondayz  Follow us on SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ENxb4B... iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n... Follow us on Social Media: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/No_... http://www.twitter.com/nojumper http://www.instagram.com/nojumper https://www.facebook.com/NOJUMPEROFFI... http://www.reddit.com/r/nojumper JOIN THE DISCORD: https://discord.gg/Q3XPfBm Follow Adam22: https://www.tiktok.com/@adam22 http://www.twitter.com/adam22 http://www.instagram.com/adam22 adam22hoe on Snapchat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No Jumper, coolest podcast on the world. And today, I got a second conversation. First one in a few years. My man, H is in the building. How you feeling, bro? What's good? Good to see you. Very nice to have you back, man.

Yeah, mine am excited. Okay. So set the scene of where you were at last time we did the interview. Because from my perspective, even when we did that interview, I was like looking at your social media, looking at the music, and being like, holy fuck, this dude is like really blowing up right now. But that was almost three years ago. So I feel like a lot's happened since then.

Yeah, shit, wow. Wow, yeah, a lot's happened, bro. But at the same time, it feels like that was yesterday in the interview. I suppose, yeah, I've released a lot more music since then. I can't even remember what I had out when I last spoke to you. I don't even know. Right, it was so early. I don't think you had the H2O tape out at that point.

Okay, yeah, so I must have been work. That must have been promo towards the H2O tape, if anything, kind of thing. Right. So, yeah. So I suppose two EPs out since then. whatever singles couple maybe top tens five freeze whatever right you know i'm saying all that good stuff maybe a couple silvers platinums and gold but at that time you were like brand new to i was not i just blew up right i think i was 18 right 18 19 maybe so yeah i just blew up just

just just there and then uh and then yeah bro i feel like like like i said i feel like it was yesterday and then um right now i'm here working i'm working on the album out here now right yeah so how long you've been in LA? About two weeks. Two weeks. Two weeks. Got one more week left. You're mostly focused on the album or where else are you working on?

Yeah, I came here to wrap the album up. Nice. You know what I'm saying? And some nice weather. You know what I'm saying? It's cold in Manchester right now. Definitely. Who else are you tapping in with while you're out here?

I was it, well, before I was in L.A., I was in New York with, um, offset Jim. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I did the interview with him recently. I see it. Yeah, I see and I watched it. I said, like, because I'm looking at the track lists and I'm seeing, you know,

some of the people I'm used to seeing I'm rap with a little bit. I'm seeing ESTG. I'm excited about that. And then I see you on there. And I'm like, how the fuck did that link up happen? And he pretty much said that, like, you just reached out to him because you were, like, a fan of his music.

And then you guys connected from there. Yeah, exactly. We, um, I was just bumping him in the whip. And I was filming it, me and my guy. And I just put it on my story and tagged him in it. Right. And he reposted it.

And I got gas that he reposted it. I was like, fuck. I'll set Jim. You know what I'm saying? So then we linked up. And he was just, literally simple as we was chatting on

DM for a little bit and then I was in Dubai and he just sent me a song randomly he was like yo fuck with this and I was drunk as fuck I remember I was in the back garden in Dubai and some big mansion and we just put the mic outside

set it up and I just recorded the verse for Jim and I sent it back there and then then that was that and then we've only just shot the video now oh so that's not even out yet not out yet I was in and funnily enough I was in Dubai when I recorded the verse

literally in November last year you just hearing that that noise that keeps happening? What is it? That's not the computer, is it? Oh, okay. Sorry. Yeah, because one thing I told him was, like,

a lot of the English rappers, I think, have, like, better taste in American rappers than American fans, because I always will notice that the English rappers that I see will be kind of, like, tapping in with rappers that haven't fully blown up in America yet. Obviously, partly, not in my case,

I fought with Jim, like, facts I could spit many Jim songs, word for word. but in what you're saying that's also the case because english artists can't really get hold of the big ones at the same time okay there might be some truth to that yeah and if if they do it's probably like definitely through the label yeah and the the american artist probably definitely won't post it you know what everyone's like but at the same time too though i think that like the way i see somebody like you moving is i feel like it it's cooler for somebody like you to get a co-signed from an artist like gym or to see you know like like like basically what I'm saying is like if you were to blow your

whole album budget on a little dirt feature then it's yeah you know like it might be a fire song everybody loves a little dirt but it's like i feel like it seems more authentic when you kind of tap in with like more underground artists or whatever more yeah definitely things have just got happen naturally i was fucking i was fucking with jack hollow when he came to the uk really yeah yeah and like that was just on some on some i can't remember how me and jack started talking but i was just just on some natural shit, you know what I'm saying? I'm not really trying to pay for a fucking friendship, you know what I mean, over a verse.

Right, you know what I'm saying? Definitely. Yeah. So how's your lifestyle changed since back then, though? Because you were just starting to get like a whiff of what it was like to be, you know, to have it be hectic everywhere, every time you went somewhere and you got to take foes, all this shit. Now I feel like you're fully in the swing of that.

Like, if you know anything about what's going on with rap music out there, then pretty much your household name to them. Is it a little overwhelming for you at this point? How is your lifestyle changed? To be fair, I don't know. To be fair, but I can't really remember it now before, beforehand. You know what I'm saying? Because you're a kid too.

Before all this, you know what I'm saying? You're like high school for most of it. Exactly, I was in high school for most of it. Then college and then I worked and then I blew up. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? So I can't really remember, but yeah, a lot of things changed, obviously.

I bought a house, I bought a couple houses. I tried moving out my mom's house. I fucking hate it. I keep bending up back at my mom's house. I still got my house, but I don't like being on my own. you know what i've still not grew up that much what do you not like about it that's interesting i'm just not trying to be sat in my house on my own at 12 o'clock at night playing PlayStation you know i'm saying right hearing noises getting paranoid because i smoked too much weed and shit you know what

i say so so yeah nah so i don't know but i suppose i've just been i've just been doing normal shit to be fair i took a little break from not necessarily music or but i just like i was out the studio for a bit at some point for like six months um just doing some normal shit. And was that like were you actually thinking like I'm going to take a break from the public eye so that they can really like not see me for a little bit so maybe when I come back I'll sort of seem new

because that's kind of like the label industry way of thinking about that but from your perspective you might have just needed a break. No I just needed a break to be fair if anything like when it comes to me it didn't it didn't benefit me whatsoever taking a break you know what I'm saying like at all is that my phone sorry I thought that was my phone yeah

didn't benefit me at all. I didn't come, it's not like I came back and it was like, I was 10 times bigger than when I left, the kind of thing. So,

no, for me, it was just more little personal thing and just like, just to chill for a bit, you know what I'm saying? I was 18 and then I didn't,

I was on the road then until I was 21. Right. Probably see my mum, four months out of the 12, you know what I'm saying? Just shit like that. So I just do some normal shit

and whatever, I had a girlfriend, and then I spoke up with my girlfriend. And then, you know, just like, normal shit, you know,

You had a girlfriend, like, as you became famous and then it didn't work out? Oh, you got her part way through there? Yeah, yeah. Okay. Because I feel like that that's always a weird split when you have, like, a person who kind of sees you through all that? Yeah, yeah. I've never experienced that, to be fair, but I can understand why maybe that doesn't work

out sometimes. Yeah. I'm saying. Definitely. But yeah, so I just been up to everything, really, bro, I've just been, and at the same time, just, I suppose, growing up naturally, you know what I'm saying? It's weird thinking about the break thing because, you know, these days, it's like rappers a lot of times I feel like being a rapper is almost more like being like a

YouTuber or a podcaster where you're just kind of consistently dropping shit all the time and people want new content from you all the time but the old school like label way of thinking of it is like you put out your project you do your whole rollout you tour etc and then maybe you disappear for a year six months or whatever so you can give the people time to like build up an appetite for you and I am like about as close to this stuff as it gets in terms of like working with so many artists and I really wouldn't I wouldn't really know which which uh which side of that I would consider more accurate more beneficial I think different things work for different people like Adele for example she can go missing for 10 years who Adele oh yeah I think Adel could go away

for 10 years and come back and sell just as many records that's a good point yeah um but I think it just depends it's all up to the fans really in it and I think uh You know, people like to, I know labels like kind of kind of like to do things different. If a single is going off, they're not trying to put another one out for another three and four months. You know what I'm saying? Whereas some people would say, attack it while it's hot and just keep going. You know what I'm saying? Some people say don't saturate.

I don't know, I suppose it's what's best, like what works for you. Definitely. Some people get bored of people easily. Right. I'm saying. To be fair, I've been like, whatever I like, been whatever kind of big now. since like for three four years and I've not got that much music out you know do you know I'm saying like my cat I've got a strong catalog but there's not a lot of songs would you say that you

consider yourself more of like quality over quantity person in terms of your music like you really if you're gonna if you only have like you only have these two EPs yeah yeah yeah however many random songs you might have 20 songs out but they're all pretty good I think definitely as of recently I've become more of a quality over quantity person but I think uh I kind of just took everything in my stride when I first got it crack in. If I'm honest with you, the first time I got signed was an EP deal for that H2O EP. I actually released my own EP before that when I was independent, called it on your marks on some other shit, whatever. But I signed an EP deal.

So through that period, I was with that. And then I've released a couple singles beforehand just to build my name up. And then kind of like, yeah, release the EP. And then kind of like seeing it as right, that's my job done. Yeah. Like, where's the money kind of thing? That was when I was young and he did money. Yeah.

You know what I'm saying? When you think about that version of yourself, though, that was just like filming a video on the side of the road in your neighborhood and that the original one that went viral, like, how do you think about that version of yourself? Like, is it almost like insane for you to even imagine that that was the same person that you are today? Definitely the haircut. Fuck that haircut.

Yeah, but... You're haunted by that? Yeah, haunted by that one. But it's a story, though, so it's always there. But no, to be fair, to be fair, I think I used to kind of, you know, sometimes I spit some bars, oh, I see some bars that I used to spit and I'm like, oh shit, you was cold, I need to say some shit like that again, sometimes to be fair. But I really don't know.

I don't mean to sound like boring or anything. I kind of, I don't think I feel much, you know what I'm saying? So I feel like, I don't know, I suppose it was just always meant to happen, one of the same. all story, you know what I mean? Yeah, it's it's weird because you judge yourself back then, kind of by the standards that you have for yourself now. So it's like a lot of times when I think about my early days doing a podcast, I'm like, why did that seem so hard? Yeah, yeah. Like now it seems easy. So it's like in retrospect, of course, I would kind of know how to replicate it. Whereas like you being just a kid rapping in front of your building or whatever, I mean,

it must have seemed like the most overwhelmed. Like you never could have imagined in a million years. Get into the point. Exactly. Well, I suppose that that's the thing that's change like um you do it at first to impress your 10 friends right you know what I'm saying and it should stay that way really because when it starts becoming feeling like a job or not even feeling like a job but feeling like a a chore you know what I'm saying that's when you know I'm saying so yeah I think that's what's changed like the the things I'm doing it for right I mean at first it was just let's get the mandem gassed right but now it's like oh no I've actually like got a I don't even know what's called I've got a plot

I've got a responsibility so to say you know what I'm saying I literally just got a message on the way here I'm not even joking I'm gonna get it up let's see it for just an example on my life oh no he's already replied and the guy just said to me um sorry to bother you I'm not even sure if you'll see this but you helped me a couple years ago to get all the issues in life I've been trying so hard but these last few weeks I've lost everything because of my mental health I thought I had the support from my family but I've recently been kicked out but I'm told, I'm not gonna say certain things. I also lost my apartment, a love of my life,

and now I'm starting to lose hope, I don't know what to do. I'm very weak at the moment, any advice, your music helps me so much. Boom, example. That's heavy. There again, I've replied to him, obviously. Right. So, yeah, I've got responsibility, you know what I'm saying?

I feel like, this is like, oh shit, yeah, people, people feel like they're involved in my life and I don't even know it, I don't even know these people. Do you get what I mean? So I have to cater to, cater to that as well, you know what I'm saying? And, you know, I can't just be selfish. I can't just, don't get twisted.

I do need a break sometimes. And you have got to think about yourself sometimes, but I can't just be, I'm not necessarily gonna turn around tomorrow and say, you know what, fuck music. I'm gonna do it again. Definitely. Do you know what I mean? No, yeah.

And that's where people fuck up is when they start. They work their whole life to be something and then they finally get some success being that thing. And they think like, oh, I'm gonna go do this other thing and stay. And it's like, no, like you've gotten to this point, you need to dig your heels in and really go hard on this one thing. 100% until it burns out in it until people i'm gonna pull out nine times out of 10 be rapping until

people are telling me they don't want to hear me rap anymore right but do you feel like do you feel like in some ways when you came out drill was so big and everything was so kind of violent and everything at that time in terms of a lot of the popular music i feel like you were very very like a very much a breath of fresh air in a way and there's been quite a few artists who've kind of come after you that i think have kind of benefited from the fact that you made it okay at that time to not really be this like mega street rapper is that accurate yeah i think so i think um i think especially in the uk at that time it did need something yeah a bit a bit um a bit more lighthearted right you know what i'm saying um and based on your question about like i thought i i kind of knew it would work

well i felt like it would work because i was doing it anyway and it was popping off in Manchester. Obviously, Manchester's not London, so you know what I mean? I had to branch out, but... So I was just doing my thing, and to be fair, I never really cared what anyone said anyway. And, yeah, and...

Sometimes, you know, I was that little white guy with, like, the little quiff and, you know what I'm saying? A little long hair and shit, but at the same time, I was making this music, but I'm still from the same area as some real gangbangers

at the same time, You know what I'm saying? So these men are all hearing my songs on the ends and they're not saying nothing. They're like, yo, you're fucking hard. You know what I'm saying? I think it's more attitude in general because it's like, yeah, of course you're from where you're from

and you've, I'm sure, been exposed to all kinds of stuff. But it's like I felt like your music was maybe a little bit more lighthearted, a little bit less like you had to put yourself out there as this like super tough guy. Because you could be that when it comes time for you to be that. But you don't really need to be that the other 24, 23 hours a day, right? 100%. 100%.

So, yeah. So it was just one of them. I think, yeah, the game maybe needed that at some point. And I just came at a perfect time. Definitely. I think my situation was definitely, I'm gonna blame a lot of it on timing. You know what I'm saying?

Like, it was just perfect. But how do you judge the kind of music that you make now? Because you've had like, you know, for American fans are watching, they might not realize, but I mean, you've had big fucking songs that were like everywhere all over the radio out there and everything. And like, I'm sure you've like made songs.

that just hit off from like a more pop angle and I'm sure those made you a shit lot of money and you're able to tour off them and everything and it's like at the same time those aren't the songs that are necessarily going to impress you know the guys from the block where you're from or whatever it's kind of like two different things yeah you got to find the balance I think I think now like nowadays though I'm saying nowadays like I'm old but yeah whatever so I feel like nowadays it's like I feel like everyone listens to a bit of everything now you know what I'm saying I think it's a bit more acceptable you know what I'm saying right um no I don't think anyone in the world wants to listen to straight grease for grease meaning grimy

shit yeah yeah yeah yeah grimy shit yeah um I don't think anyone in the world wants to listen to that 24 hours a day right you know what I'm saying there's gonna be some sort of little melody you need or you know what I'm saying so some sort of alternate but yeah ma'am but and at them times they're drill everyone was getting banned from drill and They weren't hard to say certain things. Yeah, that's one thing that has always kind of impressed me and blew me away is the way that in the UK, it seems like, you know, they're just taking dudes out. Like, people are getting arrested.

People are getting their music taken off YouTube. People are allowed to say certain words and shit. Certain words, like gang-related shit? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Really? Mm-hmm. And the cops are concerned about this? Like, they don't want anyone saying certain things?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And you don't even want to tell me what they are because they're too forbidden? Well, no, not because I can say anything. I can say anything. I mean, like, it'll be personal things to them, so say, I've got to be for you. Right. You know what I'm saying? I can't say, I'll shank Adam in a song.

Oh, that, that, that, that, yeah. I can't say, I can't say no jumper. You know what I'm saying? I can't say anything to do with you kind of thing. Like a specific, like, physical threat. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. There's not like a list that everyone has to follow.

It's kind of, these people get these certain people get these certain individual charges. Right. And they can't say certain things. related to the other gang or whatever. Sometimes we see like American gangs or like American like rappers who basically are making songs about each other. We see them getting arrested and giving crazy ass charges these days. And sometimes like people are super surprised.

And I'm always kind of like, bro, I've been seeing this happen in England for all these years. So I'm really not surprised because it's like how long can the law just sort of sit by and let people threaten each other and use YouTube as a platform to threaten each other, you know? America is crazy. America, you can say anything what you want over here. But it's people. They don't even try to get those videos taken off YouTube. They just arrest them and give them federal indictments.

Yeah, keep it on there. But I suppose the people love it. What can you even say? The people love it. Like, I don't know why. I love it. I love it. Don't get twisted.

I'm in the whip saying some madness is sometimes but in other people's lyrics. And then you realize what you've just said, and you're like, wow, it's deep. You know what I mean? But yeah, man, it's, I can't explain it. everyone loves it but i see you like you just because of being you i feel like you've kind of gotten like some crazy opportunities like for instance the subway thing kind of blew me away i'm

like damn my boy really blew up subwage yeah so where did that come from and uh what what was that like for you um that was just a thing of i think i posted in like 2017 um i was in subway and i was just stood there outside subway just fucking about and i think i posted where's my deal obviously they've never seen it and ever since then that's just always been in my head and then I remember I was on a golf course with chunks, do you know who chunks is from the UK?

I don't think so. No. A lot of people watching this will not with chunks is like a personality, he's a he's not, I wouldn't say comedian, is a big personality in the UK. I probably do know. I'm probably good. And we've done soccer A-ray together.

Soccer is like a charity football game, whatever. Anyway, we was on the golf course and I got a phone call from my manager saying, Subway of Just Hollard. What are you trying to do? do when I just said, yeah, let's do it. I don't care how much we're getting paid or whatever. Let's just, you know what I'm saying?

Done it. And then I came back to Manchester. Oh, no, I was in Manchester, but I came back home and then went to Subway. They pulled the little curtain down and it said Subway. I saw that. And I made sandwiches for people, let all the fans in. Told everyone I was going to be there at a certain time. Perform for everyone.

Made them a sandwich. And that was it. Is that kind of mind-blown? Because I don't think I've ever seen them do anything like that with a rapper before. I know. Yeah, I'm happy. I think we're going to keep working with them. I'm going to keep the relationship up, definitely.

I love it because, I mean, hey, if Travis Scott and Sweetie can do a fucking McDonald's Club. H can do Subway, then why can't H represent Subway? I'm going to have my own one. I'm going to try and get my own one. I'm going to see what negotiating. Your own subway, like open your own and have it be sort of like the signature. Oh my God.

That's what we need to do. That's the plan. They're going to need a security guard there. We got to keep all the Hooligans out of there. Oh, yeah, we're going to need security guard there, all 24s. Because, I mean, man, you don't want those subway employees to be having any problems next time you get into some rapper. No, I don't even get no rapid beef.

Yeah, well, you could have it be like, you know, right in the, in the center of your shit so that, you know, the people would be looking at. Just put it on the block. Yeah. Put it in M-40. Yeah. Bang in the middle. We're good there. No problem.

But damn, that is just crazy to me too. Like, Subway would be like the last one that I would have thought of. But now it's kind of making me think about, like, what other fast food chains. Like, that would have been like a dream when I was a kid. Like, just the idea. I'm trying to do Capri's son. Really? That's my next on my list.

That's brilliant. I would love to do that. After that, I'm done. After that, I'm done. Yeah. That's it. I don't give a fuck about anything else. Because, I mean, there's all this Red Bull and monster energy and all that.

But, you know, that's for adults. Let's keep it friendly and just do the Capri's Sun. To be fair, I have to give some props. I did do Relentless. You know about Relentless? What's that? It's an energy drink. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

It's not out here, I don't think. Yeah, but I did do Relentless. Be good relentless, but, yeah. How was that? Energizing. For sure. Well, I mean, if you could put like an energy drink inside the Capri Sun. Yeah.

We'll try a tink. I feel like legally that might be weird for that. But honestly, no, I would love to do. Right. Capri Sun. Nice. I'm fair, I would say Capri Sun, but I knew you wouldn't know what I was going on about if I said that. So I had to say Capri Sun.

I would have figured it out eventually. True. Yeah. That would have been a little confusing for the audience out there. But yeah. I remember last time I did that interview with you, like to put in perspective, the world didn't even know about pop smoke yet. And to me, pop smoke was very much the person who sort of like allowed Americans to start

to understand the UK sound by just kind of being on those kind of beats before anybody else who was big in America. So I really puts it into perspective, like how much more that sound. Like we hadn't heard Drake, or had we heard, had we heard Drake messing with some UK rappers at that time and stuff. But it was definitely just like not as established. Do you feel like now people are more willing to be accepting of a rapper from England versus maybe earlier in your career where it seemed more foreign? 100,000%.

Really? Yeah, yeah. I think the UK just only got bigger in it. So, yeah. People are definitely fucking with us over here. I don't, and I think it's just going to get better. I think people, you know what I'm saying? I think it's becoming a thing of it's not, it's not, how do I explain this?

How do I explain this? It's not a case of like, oh yeah, we really need you and we don't really need you. Like people are starting to feel like, don't need the UK, but it's a very good audience to have, you know what I'm saying? It seems kind of bizarre that there's even considered to be such a division. I know, yeah.

You would like to think that everybody... It's the same language. It's the same language. Yeah, you would like to think that it would be like listening to a rapper from fucking Florida or New York or California. Yeah, yeah. You're all just different places, yeah. Yeah, I don't know, but at the same time,

I can understand why, certain people from over here would be like, do you think I really give a fuck? You know what I'm saying? If I'm trying to hit someone up with fucking, I don't know, 35 million followers. And then I'm thinking, I was listening to you and I'm thinking about like, maybe some Americans would just stop paying attention as soon as you say like one slang phrase that they don't know. And I do that a lot people, some people in London don't even understand me. Yeah.

I say certain things that people in London don't even say. So yeah. But here's what it is. And I'm not going to start changing for something else. But then I think about it, like, there's so many popular rappers in America who use weird-ass slang that is only probably used in their city. And then meanwhile, everywhere, yeah, you guys love it and everybody else in Mechle-U. Yeah. We love it so much.

Everyone, bro, I'm seeing man in London saying, what's man saying about chatting about on folks or something? And I'm like, bro, you need to chill out with that, bro. Like, but yeah, whatever. Yo, that shit's hilarious when people inherit terms from other cities that, like, they inadvertently don't realize are like blatant gang references. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, literally. So it was a little strange. But yeah, so I think I spent growing up in the UK, like I was saying this to someone else the other day, like,

it's not really foreign to hear an American accent as much as it is for you lot to hear us. Fucking SpongeBob's American. Very true. You know what I'm saying? You grow up listening to watching SpongeBob. I've heard an American accent all my life. Yeah. The whole music channels back in the day.

He wasn't no UK artists Well, he was on a certain channel You fuck with the British baking show? I think I've watched a couple sides Yeah, I thought with it, yeah Do you like that? Love it. I was watching it.

I enjoyed it so much that I DMed Paul Hollywood And he followed me back. Oh, so down. Yeah, nice. He's like a big polar bear. You should go in it, next time you go over there, get on it. I mean, one thing I get from watching that shit

is that that shit seems like fucking impossible. Like making cookies and all these crazy, complex things. And like, it's just so easy to fuck it up. They're like putting it in the oven And someone's got to be shit out of it though There's got to be someone on the episode that shit I'll take that place

Well yeah sometimes you're right Yeah I'm saying That would be great if they did a special like series That was like rappers who didn't really know what they're doing I'm trying to be on all this reality Not reality TV Why is it? I don't even know I'm trying to be on this reality TV for sure

Yeah I'm trying to be on this reality TV shit Oh see that would be definitely like The subway type of thing is a good look But for sure if you were like Really involved in the reality We gotta get you on Love Island Or two or two hot to handle. You think they would have you on there?

I think I'd do well in Love Island. What do you think? I mean, hey, I don't know. It would feel kind of weird to like rate you as like, you know, a person would like love her characteristics. I don't know if I want to like judge you in that way. Fair enough. Yeah. I'm sure the ladies would love you. Maybe. Yeah. I don't know. Who else do you think is a better swordsman than you in terms of the

women? Who do I think is a better swordsman than me? No one on there? No. Yeah, nobody. Also, nobody. I don't really know about over my inside like that, you know what I'm saying? For sure. I'm trying to think of who else would be on the show, but I guess we'll just leave that up in here.

One thing when we did that last interview, too, though, I said, who would you like to collaborate with from America? And you say, I would like to fuck with Shoreline Mafia and then boom, the fucking... I think I actually hooked you up with him. Oh, fuck, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I always thought that was so cool that, like, you said that in the interview, and then it just happened like a month or two later. That made me very excited. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, what was that like? And was it sad for you to see that group break up? It was sad, to be fair. Yeah. It was sad. I don't think they achieved their potential. Well, I've watched the interviews, what you have done with him. Oh, yeah, yeah, right?

And I just still can't understand. They don't really give much away. They don't tell you why, right? Yeah, man, like, they don't, I'm trying to find out. But, yeah, now it was sick, quick as well. Yeah. I've got out of Phoenix. I could tell you what I heard about why they stopped fucking with each other,

but honestly, it's so boring that you'd probably, like, forget. Okay. Because it's not even, it's just like basic ass. Like, dude's not getting a long shit. Don't even ruin it for me then. I'm just going to keep, I'm going to pretend that something crazy happens. Yeah, I feel like that's why they haven't really, like,

gone out and, like, told the story of it because it would be so boring that people wouldn't even care. Not many, like, there's always, it's hard, like, when it comes to, like, groups or duos and that there's always, I suppose, no disrespect to any of them, but I suppose there's always that one person that shines more than others in it. And then you can't, I'm not saying you can't blame other people for not liking it,

but you can't blame other people for wanting the same shine. And if they want to go and do their own thing, then it is what it is, I suppose. I mean, people always act shock that rap groups break up, but I think personally it's almost like more shocking that they stay together. Do you know about that they even exist in the first place? Because imagine just, imagine you and somebody else that you grew up with

and you like start this thing and then you get famous together and you have to like stay super close friends. It's like such a bizarre idea that like, you know, you get in a relationship, you're together for a couple years, you break up everybody thinks that's normal you're in a rap group with someone for a couple years and you break up and it's like that's all they want to talk about the rest of your career what were you just saying you know about crept and Conan no it's it from the UK rappers to rappers I don't think so you do it freak of the week see she is the freak of the week with jeremiah sounds kind of familiar

yeah yeah they're a duo okay um these not no one's in front of the other you can't that that they've done it Fetler Google Creptin Kona on that one. Yeah, because I think the way that you stay together and keep everything solid is that you basically like don't go outside of what you have. Like when I see the, the Migos, they seem like they're kind of like the same person. And I mean, yes, like sometimes they'll seem like one of them is shining bigger than the other or whatever. But it's like they kind of stay in the same box. They don't go do too much stuff outside of it.

It's like, I mean, them even being in relationships and stuff is kind of like the biggest thing that probably takes them away. from the other ones, but I don't know. Yeah, I agree. I agree. But yeah, Cripton Conan do it nice. Definitely. What about, I've seen you working with Tay Keith. What's your thoughts on working with American producers in general?

Like, do you feel like that is something you want to emphasize? Are you more comfortable with UK producers? No, I think it's definitely set to work with people out here, 100%. The fact of having Tay Keith's name on the record helped it over here. It did. Yeah, yeah, definitely. Right. You think a lot more people are willing to click it as soon as they see that in there?

Yeah, I reckon so. Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely. And yeah, obviously, yeah, it's good to experiment with different people and at the end of the day, like producers over here have a following, not like rappers, but I don't mean to say the same as rappers, but they have a following like rappers, do you know what I'm saying? So, like, I don't know, it's like a, it's, doing a song with certain producers here is near enough like a feature. you know what I'm saying it's very true yeah I mean I've had times where I like spoke like certain other people who I respect their taste and rap and we've been talking about rap and I'll realize that they don't really like follow artists so much as they follow the producers and then they just listen to whoever that producer is giving beats to because they assume that like

you know it take Heath or a Metro Boomin or whatever is like probably not gonna end up giving beats to whack artists so they just kind of like stay in touch with whoever they're producing Literally, literally. But I think as much as, as well, in my personal situation, as much as I do like working with people out here, I definitely have got my certain. Your crew out there, yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely.

100%. How bad was the controversy from, you put out this proposed album cover with you with a bunch of thick women on it? Oh, yeah. And how bad was that controversy? because like I saw a video online trying to make it sound like it was like a big backlash but people yeah well first of all people were just being people just being rude in the comments okay not so as me necessarily right so as the girls but then also people were saying like I was it was a publicity stunt

right on my behalf was that did you even think it was going to be controversial at all not one bit right because when I looked at that's what I thought too I'm like they don't it's not like they're like hideously obese women where I could see it looking like a joke yeah To me, it just looked like those are like, you know, maybe a little plus size, but like not anything too crazy. Exactly. And like my boat two of my man, them are there. They can vouch for mine. The director can vouch for mine.

It weren't no publicity, nothing. I came to the, I told him what I wanted on the video. I said, this is what I want. Right. This is going to be the cover when he took the picture. All that stuff. Check my track record. The thick women are there.

On God, Jesus Christ. Right. Yeah. But people don't believe me as well. because my ex wasn't thick. So people just think I'm chatting shit and they've not seen me with a thick girl since. Wow.

So that's why people put... Man damn. I could get my bridging on the camera now. His laugh is hard. You know what I'm saying? But it wasn't like, you didn't have any like real controversy from it. It was just people talking shit.

No, people just talk. Just haters in it. Like, it would have... If it would have been all, you know, size six supermodels, would have been the same thing anyway. Definitely. Yeah.

But that was the singles? That was just a single cover, yeah. Oh, okay. Okay. Do you are, are you thinking about what your next project's going to be like? Sorry, to cut you off. By the way, people are so fucking stupid. The song's called Learning Curve as well.

Curve. You know what I'm saying? My man is witty. Thank you. Yeah. Sorry, say what you say. But only I just realized that now. Oh, that's pretty good, though.

Yeah, yeah. Are you thinking about what your next album's going to be like, or do you feel like, are you going to keep doing EPs, or are you trying to make like a definitive album statement? No, literally, I just near enough finished the last song on my album last night. I've got a little touching up to do. I need some certain things, some cleaning up. But I've got the concept for it. I know what I want.

People haven't heard this side of me before. Not the whole album, but I think people will love it. What do you think is going to be different? People get to know me better. People just think it's all like party music and litness and girls. So you're trying to go more personal and, like, tell your story more? It's 100% more personal. Not on every song.

It's not like a, it's not a boring album whatsoever. Right. You know what I'm saying? It's lit as fuck. But you have to find a way to grow at a certain point, you know. And it's like a thing of like, when I was, when I came up and I, I didn't have nothing to say anyway. These times, I never had a girlfriend. I never really lost anyone.

Life was great. I just blew up. I got a paycheck. I was gassed. I didn't have nothing to spit about, but that, you know what I'm saying? So then it became a thing that was like, yeah, yeah, he's just rapping about the same thing all the time. And then maybe I've made certain songs that people think is about certain people or whatever, but really it's just lyrics, like I've never really been, until now,

until like now where I've been prepared to make my album, I was never really living in a situation where there was anything to speak about. Other than I went to school, I went to college, I had a job for a bit, I hated it, that I suppose having, I suppose that that little period was the only time that can be considered pain but I wouldn't call it pain at all

you know what I'm saying so it was all lit so that's all I was rapping about I'm not going to start lying I'm not going to start saying I grew up in the gutter right and no I'm saying like definitely but I mean yeah

for sure that's like the kind of progression that people probably want to see from you is just getting a little bit more intimate and telling them a little bit more about what you've been through definitely when you were saying yeah I'll definitely get it all.

Definitely. Makes sense. Okay, so they try, I seen them trying to drag you into some beef, though. Okay. They tried to have you going back and forth with this guy, Russ, because you wrapped on one of his songs called Keisha Becky. Yeah, yeah. And so that was the one beef that I was actually able to identify that H actually kind of got dragged into.

What are your thoughts on that and how that all played out? That's all ancient history? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Yeah, that's all. nothing. But that was just about you hopping on the beat in general, right? No, no, no, no.

I was on a remix. Okay. He made the song, him and Tian Wayne. You know about Tian Wayne? Yeah, yeah. He knows him lying. You're lying in it. You're lying in it.

So, you do. You do if you see him. Okay, yeah. They made a song called Keisha Becker. Not me personally, done the remix. Like, they asked a couple people to be on the remix. I was one of those people. I've done the remix.

remix, whatever. Obviously, in other interviews, I've been like, whatever, talking my shit and not just getting excited. Right. At the same time, because Russ was talking shit at this time, but big up Russ anyway. Right. These new tunes going off and that, you know what I'm saying?

Big of Ross. So, um, I, arguably at all, like, many, many people would say I had the latest verse on that song, right? Or Tion. You know what I'm saying? Obviously, Tion's gonna back his thing. I'm gonna back Tion's thing. Right.

Tion will see me and say, yeah, my verse was hard. Do you know what I'm saying? Sorry, Tion will see me and say his verse was hard a lot on some, whatever, you know what I'm saying? Like it's all jokes. But yeah. So yeah, the verse was lit, so I performed it a lot. You know what I'm saying? Like it was going off near enough the most at my, at my shows like more than, more than any of my singles at the time.

So we've done it. And he's basically the problem, long story short, the problem was that I kept doing shows. And when I was doing shows in London or areas near London, I would invite Tion and Jayon and Jay one and the people on that song, but I would never invite Russ to come. And it was his song. However, my reason being was because at this time, Russ had beef with every artist you could think of,

apart from the ones on that song. To get what I'm saying. And my show's not getting locked off for no one. It's not in my hands anyway, you know what I'm saying? So that was my opinion. But I never said this. to him because I never thought he was bothered. I probably thought that he would

know why, you know what I'm saying? Right. So yeah, and then one day, I think he just, I can't even remember how it started, but he just got... Is that what it was? I think so. He was just on some... He went in, yeah, he went in.

Yeah, but how did you guys end up getting past that? Because then you spoke about it on the radio. Was there ever, like, a moment where you actually, like, had a conversation about it or just kind of went by the wayside? He messaged me, and he was like, I think he said, something about correct me if I'm wrong Russ but I'm sure he said something like yo I I think he said something like yo I thought you was a little prick but you're actually all right

just randomly like oh I said something like I thought you was working for the fed or something but you I don't know I can't remember something like that wow and I was just and I remember just saying we're just laughing I was just like yeah whatever I think we're just catching jokes saying yeah but my verse was the hardest still you know what I mean just on so oh no I didn't say that I said I can go lean better than you right because he does his love gun lean dance i was like saying nothing but i can go and lean better than whatever so it just wasn't it didn't end up being that serious i wish americans could squash beef like that that doesn't sound very familiar at the end of the day if i'm totally honest he was just on some he was just dissing everyone

them times you know what i'm saying and then i obviously give him a reason right to to get out of me right that was that he kept calling you a label baby did that offend you no no i'm not i mean it does seem from the outside that you've had like a very well executed career that you know something like the subway thing is like you know if you're just a regular rapper and you don't have a good team behind you you're probably not gonna be able to pull off something like that I'll tell you what happened I signed an EP deal with since 93 right when I met you yeah when I was 18 I think put out the H2O EP from whatever from two months after or the month after

that H2O EP dropped I was independent. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And then from that point, all the way until now, I've been independent. Well, I'm signed now. Okay. But so basically I dropped Rain independent.

I had a whole independent run. The EP called Polaris. Rain, which I actually went to the video shoot for. He was there. He's got a video. We did the behind the scenes. Yes, he did. And I don't know if I actually saw the full video until right before this interview.

And I went and watched it. I'm like, oh, right. I remember watching film this, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely. But yeah, so I was on, I was in, my highlights of my career have been when I've been independent. Do you know what I'm saying? Like 100%, like check the records.

I think my first independent release was with DigDat, it was called 8 Mile, that wasn't my release, it was his release, but from that moment on, that was all independent and I released the whole EP, Rain, Independent, and then I've just signed to put this album out. And, you know, you can look at it in all different, ways I signed because I want to put my music in a position

where I know I can't put it. You get what I'm saying, like personally. And I've done I saw how much money I spent while I was independent. Obviously I made a lot of money. But, well, don't get interested in, I made a lot of money, but you know, I spent a whole lot of money as well. You know what I'm saying? I know you made a lot of money because I'm

listening to the music and I'm hearing you make it perfectly clear. Two million by 21. Shit like that. You're making it very clear. I made a lot of fucking money in this rap game, which you know, it is like, such a unique thing like you know like yeah i've heard you said a bunch of times the signs it really made me just think like damn it is such a rare thing for a young guy to be able to make that much money without having to you know compromise himself or take risks or whatever you know yeah yeah respect thank

you but yeah so then yeah i'm just trying to put you know what i'm saying i'm trying to put my music in the right places so that so i so i signed for the album but what's the importance of you having like a really killer management team behind you and everything like that like you say that that's been instrumental to you being successful yeah my manager's the best in the in the UK right I'm saying um I'm gonna rest of my team you know I'm saying that obviously not everyone's here but like 100% like you know he's a he's a is a hard I put it he's plotting every single day you know I'm saying like he's working it's I he's named Adex big up adX okay um and his whole team as well NQ he's got a whole other shit as well that's

obviously that helped me as well But yeah, like management is definitely important. You know what I'm saying? Even when it comes to me being certain times where I get fed up and I don't want to do shit, da-da-da. Someone's got to say, listen, shut the fuck up. You know what I'm saying? Let's go.

Right. I'm saying. I mean, the way I think of it when it comes to the team thing is like, if me and you both own restaurants and I have, like, if you go and hire a bunch of great people to work at your restaurant and then meanwhile you're able to kind of like have a life and, like, do your own thing. And the restaurant is, you know, you have people who are specialized and everything.

And then if I own a restaurant and I just do everything myself, it's like, okay, well, I mean, who's the smarter businessman here? That seems pretty obvious to me. But a lot of times you'll see, like, a smaller rapper kind of trying to make that out to be, like, a bragging thing. And I don't really understand, you. Definitely. Okay.

So there's one other thing I saw from you is that Ed Sheeran co-signed you. What did that look like? Oh yes. Sick. Now we've done a, I got on a remix for his song. Oh. He done a song called Take Me Back to London. He was on his album.

And funnily enough, I had taste, the song that Phoenix got on the remix. But before that, my song was at number two. Really? In the charts. And then Ed asked me to do this song. And I was like, fuck, it's gonna go number one though. Ed's song. So then I'm not gonna go, I'm not gonna go number one,

whatever anyway done the song and literally ed's song with the remix and that was number one right and my thing was number two so i was happy so you have kind of avoided the number one but you could still say you had a number one i suppose so it's a remix yeah yeah yeah definitely i got the plaque right definitely but could you get him on one of your songs because he used to be a rapper right yeah ed's lit ed's my guy he's i was been speaking to him he wants to he wants to get working obviously he's a very busy man it's hard i don't it's hard to make songs over the phone yeah do you know what but he's very hard to catch you know what I'm saying it must be weird because even if he's like genuinely like so excited about the music it's still like his time is just going to be being pulled in so many

fucking directions but now that's my guy he's done a lot for me give me a lot of advice he bought me a lutherton trainers as well I remember sitting in an office at uh atlantic and Y NW Melly was having a meeting with the fucking people at Atlantic thinking about signing to him and he just looks up at the wall and there's an edge here in plaque because the guy whose office they were in was the guy who signed Ed Shearing back in the day. And Y&W. Melly basically was like, basically said, I want to sign with you because you put Ed Shearing out. And I love Ed Shearing.

And I'm sitting there thinking like, YNW. Melly knows all about Ed Sheen knows infinitely more than I know about this guy. Like, wow, this is impressive. Yeah, that's crazy. Ed is the goat. Yeah. 100%. It's pretty badass.

Yeah, he's cold. I need him on my album, actually. I seen, I seen them trying to hype up the animosity or try to make it out like you should have beef with this RD guy just because he's kind of like the other new white rapper in the UK. But you don't have any kind of issues with him, right? Because I've seen you guys on Instagram like getting along and everything. Yeah, that's my guy. Right. Yeah, that's my guy. But is that weird because it's like even like him just existing, I know what the fans are going to do. Even if he never says a word about you and you never say a word about him, the fans are going to turn into some Kanye and

Drake shit where it's like you got to pick a side, right? Yeah. He knows, he knows what it is. you know what I'm saying like he knows what the fans are like obviously I know what the fans are like you know I'm saying like I don't none of us are bothered about it I'm saying that's my guy um and yeah what can I say like the fans are always going to have something to say no matter who it no matter who it was like no let's say RD never even came about right some other white guy was going to blow up one day right and probably would have said someone probably would say yeah you chant whatever like new this is the new or you're trying to be h or whatever you're better than h or h is better than you know i'm saying so someone someone i someone had to someone to fucking do it you know i mean if there was a chinese rapper who

blew the fuck up in america tomorrow which i mean there probably are rappers who fit that that box but like you know if there if there was just like what are you going to say now be careful what you're about to say now but i'm saying like as soon as you got one the next one oh my god it's like yeah yeah yeah it's the same thing with women it's like you know the nicky minage cardi b thing like of course the media and the fans were going to hype that up so much because you know like they have a strong similarity you know even like kanya and drake but to be fair like ardi i'd he's a g i'd he's going off okay and he took it well like whatever i don't even well i can't imagine his dms i don't know what people are saying but comments on whatever but he took it well you know what i'm saying when he was doing interviews

that was the first thing people was asking him is there the titles of his interviews had my name in it I saw that, yeah. And then it's like, I put, you know, I'm not bothered. You know what I'm saying? Like, whatever, but like, fucking hell. Let the kid breathe. You know what I'm saying? But he just, that's what I thought at first.

But does that motivate you a little bit? Be like, all right, well, if the media and the fans, some of the fans are going to be acting like this guy is a threat to my career, then I guess I just got to go harder. I suppose so. Is that your motivator or are you motivated by like, no, I want a new car? No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I don't know what I'm motivated by, to be fair,

but no, I suppose it's just like, no, to be fair. It didn't make me feel like that, no. No. It was just like, yeah, sick. You know what I'm saying? I was happy for him, you know what I'm saying? I don't really feel like I'm not really too worried about shit. And, you know what I mean?

Like, I know, I know myself, and I know what I can do and what I'm capable of, and I know. Thank you. I wonder if the UK is as competitive as Americans are because I feel like American rappers just get goaded into these. beefs over like who's best in whatever category over and over and over like even every individual city it never feels like the two biggest rappers in that city can just get along

they always have to be at like war for who could be the best which is kind of bizarre but I think it's I suppose it might be like that in certain certain sides of London you know I mean definitely but you're at a point where all that stuff is stuff you should be trying to not be thinking about right yeah I'm just I'm just past it I think you know I'm saying I'm worried about all this shit, you know what I mean? Like, I'm not really bothered about who everyone thinks is the hardest. 100%. Okay, so the new projects in the works, you have any idea when that might be out?

Let's say, I'm, no, I don't want to say a date, but early next year. Okay. Yeah, early next year. I've not told anyone the name yet, should I, should I drop it here? Drop it on us. One of your people are saying no, but he looks very solemn and, so. saying no as well no we're gonna wait we're gonna wait all right well we almost have a leak there but yeah but it's coming um it's sick i yeah i 100% think people will love it um it's a little new side

of me well on certain songs i'm excited and yeah and it's lit and yeah yeah and follow me on instagram and all that shit can't wait to check it out man yeah thank you very much for having me yeah it's been uh it's been awesome watching your career develop and unfold man and uh I mean, I'm actually really excited to see the new project after everything you said about it. Yeah, man. Respect. Thank you. Appreciate it.

Shout out to H. H. No Jumber. Coolest podcast in the world. Check us out on YouTube, SoundCloud, iTunes, all that shit. Like, comment, subscribe. Nojumber.com if you want to support. And go turn my man up on Spotify and Apple Music and all that shit.

All the way up. Let's go. Appreciate you, man. Thank you very much.