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Exclusive Ghetts Interview

Justin Clarke, aka grime artist Ghetts, tore up The Mix festival and even threw his mate Griminal MC off stage. When the hype had died down and his phone stopped ringing, we finally got two minutes to find out what’s good…

So Ghetts you performed at the Mix festival, how was it?

It’s a good look, I remember performing here years ago with Kano. Now it’s a few years later and I’m doing my own thing.

In those four years a lot has changed for the UK grime scene, what do you think about that?

People are finally supporting what we’re doing. It used to be a handful of names, but now there’s too many to mention. Everyone’s doing well. Bashy’s here and there are so many of us in the charts.

What’s the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you on stage?

(Paused for thought looking surprised as if immune to embarrassment) Oh I nearly fell off stage at the O2 140 Grime Street launch party for Kano’s album. It was nowhere near as bad as Dizzee Rascal’s fall, but close.

What’s all that about when you pushed Griminal off stage?

I just kept thinking I’m going to push him. We’ve got this thing going on. It was Griminal’s age group in the crowd and when we go to older events he tries to get me back.

When you were growing up did you always want to do the music thing?

I was about 14 at the cinema and I saw Maxwell D jump out a Mercedes with a big gold chain and a gorgeous girl then I said I wanna be an MC. Couldn’t imagine not being an MC, …nah I’m playing I might have been a doctor.

Have you got any words of advice for young MC’s?

Do your thing! It’s very successful for us at the moment but I was watching TV the other day and I realised that everything sounds the same. We need a breath of fresh air. I understand that sometimes you have to take the usual route till you can finally do what you want. The new artists have got something over me - the hunger to be successful. Sometimes I wish I could say things that I would have said when I first came in the game, but they can and should!

What can we expect in the future from your music?

The future’s bright, it’s yellow, its Ghetts! I’ve got a mix tape coming out called The Calm Before the Storm. Look out for that around February 2010.

Ghetts is performing at the Albany on Friday 16th October, click here for info