“If the reception’s bad, here’s another number for ya,” reads Devlin’s text. It’s a Wednesday night and I’m trying to get through to him from a busy, noisy pub, perched over a bar stool reading my notes and reflecting on how his music impacted on me when I was younger.

As he’s grown older, Devlin (born James Devlin) has grown into his outsider persona: a grime MC with more than enough fire to hold it down with the best whenever required, but also enough wisdom not to let himself become consumed by the game. “It’s been a brilliant year for me so far,” he tells me as I ask him how his 2019 has started. “I’ve had singles out and videos and everything else. I’m enjoying cracking on at the moment and seeing what happens.”

Dev’s latest album, The Outcast, is perhaps a testament to an understanding of this new role he has to play; no longer does he need to compete with anyone but himself, and he’s completely at ease with it. “I’ve always been in the scene, I suppose, but even when I’m out of it, I’m always gonna be me at the end of the day. I’m a normal bloke and I enjoy everyday things, but music is always gonna be a big part of me, of course.”

While modern-day artists are often judged by output alone—and within grime especially, a frequently misplaced emphasis on #workrate—Devlin’s career so far has been defined as much by his time away from the booth as it has in it. His early mixtapes Tales From The Crypt (2006) and The Art Of Rolling (2008)—vital windows into the everyday struggles of young people in inner-city London—captured Devlin at his most active. He was a key member of iconic crew The Movement, alongside Ghetts, Mercston, Wretch 32 and Scorcher, was beefing Wiley every other week, and was widely considered one of the best second-gen grime spitters of the time. His underground buzz caught the attention of the majors and soon he’d inked a deal with Island, who released his debut album proper, 2010’s Bud, Sweat & Beers. It’d be a further three years before he released a follow-up—A Moving Picture, which featured collaborations with Ed Sheeran and Etta Bond—and another four years until he released 2017’s The Devil In via his own independent label, Devlin Music.

“Through being in the game, I’ve learnt a lot,” Dev tells me. “My music has matured and over time, I’ve tried to perfect the craft with each project and that takes a while, you know?” I asked if leaving Island had ever forced him to take time out or rethink his career. “You know what? I had a great time with Island Records,” he points out affirmatively. “A lot of people could point fingers and I know what you’re getting at, but I had two top 10 records, a gold album. The people there were very good to me and it’s all part of life, you know? That experience helped me as much as going independent has done.”