kojeyradical.

art, anime & alternative rap

Before we begin, we need to know how 2023 has been treating you. Any song plans?

2023! What are we, four months in? I’d say so far, so good, you know. I’ve just been living day to day. This was the year I turned 30. So it definitely feels like I’m in a new space in my life where I'm really trying to understand myself.

want to jump straight into your sound. Your music is this rare mix of being explicitly new and interesting while also giving ways to nostalgia and familiarity. How would you describe your sound?

Expression, you know. I’ve never known what I was going to do, or what I wanted to do with my life. just knew I wanted to express myself for as long as possibly could. Music gave me a new canvas to paint on.

Every time I see one don't know what’s going to come out but something does, you know?

While there will forever be a place in our hearts for drill and grime in the UK rap scene, it’s exciting to see the alternative rap in the UK finally find its way into our headphones and speakers. How has the journey been for you?

It’s crazy because I feel like in terms of the wave of alternative and other people - like other sounds to music and rap. was young in that generation when it was coming up. So for me, it's rooted purely in memory and just moments… it’s exciting now to see where it's traversed to because can definitely pinpoint a moment where we all thought it was borderline impossible. You know what I'm sayin’. To see anything close to mainstream success. Day by day, person by person, doors are being opened and kicked down. Being able to contribute to that in many ways… is like mindblowing.

Being described as a 'Renaissance Man' is a big deal. Judging by the importance you place on not only your music, but your visuals as well, I think its clear that the title is deserved. What are some goals and standards you hold yourself to? Do you think you’ve met them?

F*ck knows. I remember when first heard that, didn't know what it meant, like, what's a Renaissance Man? Like many, I had to Google it, was like that sounds pretty cool. But at the end of the day, didn't do anything to be called or referred to as anything. I just did me. And I think continuing to do me is all I can do. Sometimes I'm gonna get it right, sometimes I'm gonna get it very wrong. And that's just the way the cookie crumbles. It isss what it isss. People are gonna hold me to a high standard. I take it with a pinch of salt and crack on. Y’know what I’m sayin’.

The accolades seem to keep rolling in, from being shortlisted for the Mercury Music Awards, to the mob award nominations for best album and video of the year and to now in 2023 where you were nominated as a breakthrough artist at the Brit Awards. The success is plentiful and its coming fast; what’s going through your head when you hear stuff like that?

Sick… I'm glad it happening now. feel like it could’ve happened before but I'm glad it's happening now because again, have more experience of the industry, I know myself more as an artist and it allows me to appreciate it against hard work, you know. Seeing how hard the journey was and how much resilience was necessary in order to keep doing something outside the box. And hoping or knowing in the back of your mind that one day, it's going to be recognised for what it is. It's always interesting because I'll take myself out of… it for a second and I'll say … okay, cool, like maybe have other visuals that could've been or should’ve won certain things. But everything’s timing. Maybe had songs that could've been nominated for whatever. Everything's timing. Maybe some people prefer other projects from me - everything's timing. I've learnt not to argue with time anymore. The universe will bring you whatever it's meant to bring you when it's time.

I hear you. What is success to you?

Do you know what - success to me - success to me is… comfort. Cus life is hard.

And.. what you can do to bring yourself comfort should be really coveted and I didn’t know real comfort till I felt like I’d tasted a little bit of success. And that comfort just came from a lack of worry. I almost had to create worry for myself. had to imagine a day now where don't have it no more, in order to kind of keep myself motivated because the actual surrounding of my life was very comfortable. could pay for whatever I needed to pay for, I could go wherever I wanted to go, could buy what I want. I don't live in excess. I probably got an excess of trainers but other than that, I don't buy crazy rapper chains. just like, do my ting. So being able to kind of live comfortably for me was my first taste of success and I think that the fear is losing that.

Can we talk a little bit about Ghana and the writing camp? When we spoke earlier, you said you hadn’t been for four years. What is it like coming back, if only for a short while? Any feelings?

Ghana always feels familiar because of my earliest memories. Some memories that I've actually forgotten. And I'm very quickly reminded as soon as I step foot off the plane and walk through the airport. And feel this humility and smell the air and hear the language more frequently and more naturally.

To see the language written in places, to see an abundance of black people that look like me and understand me. Those memories very quickly come back so anytime get to visit is a blessing. And every time I've come back to Ghana, a major life shift has happened to me just after. So we’ll see what this one has in store for me.