So that’s when you started hitting the pirate/online radio circuit.

I was going to radio five days a week. Flex FM, Deja Vu — I didn’t really like going there, because east and west [London] traditionally have a lot of beef, so it was kind of dangerous — then Mode FM, and Rinse FM. I was super broke as well. [I was] bumping cabs, bumping train barriers, getting buses; I was driving stolen mopeds at one point to get there. As soon as I [MCed on the radio], it gave me bare confidence. I knew how to channel my breathing properly. That taught me a lot.

I went Mode FM the most. Mode is unlocked, it's super pirate radio. You can just walk in and there's bare mandem there. I used to go do sets with [producer/DJ] Spooky at 2 a.m., finish at 4 a.m. Getting home from Enfield to Ladbroke Grove with no money or buses [takes] at least two hours, so I used to get in at 6 a.m. I had a [bar job] at the time as well. It makes character, innit. Now I just take Uber everywhere.

What albums or records shaped you as an artist?

Linkin Park made me change the way that I spat, because I'd put more emotion into it. The main music I listen to is U.K. garage. Nas is my favorite rapper. Immortal Technique made me my change my outlook — like, you can rap about hood stuff, but every now and then you should just open up a bit and try and listen to some conscious shit.

If you have a platform, it is your role and your duty to enlighten other people on certain topics. Stormzy uses his platform for good a lot of the time and I admire that. I feel like I’ve got to put some meaningful lyrics in there. Like [about] how all races usually put their money back into their race at least once, but black people receive money and then spend it with other races. We earn money and just give it away, which doesn't help us build our community up.

There’s a monthly initiative by an artist called Chino Amobi in America called “Black Fridays.” The idea is that on his version of Black Friday, people should only buy from black-owned businesses.

That would be sick if everyone did it. The only black product that people like buying is Caribbean food because obviously everyone loves Caribbean food. We have things to offer but people just don't want to buy them. To better your community you need to invest in it.