UK Drill Artist, XtG

One word: time. 

Ever since listening to the shady 808s of Drill back in 2015, the idea of becoming a UK Drill artist has always been simmering in the back of my mind. 

Combine that with how bossing a computer around for £10/ hour bores the pants off me, & a career like this, this was more or less inevitable. Let’s just say that it didn’t take long to pack in the pen pushing & accept that I’m not made to fit in.

Besides, in the words of someone great: “Life is a ONE time affair. If we’re only here for so long, then what exactly do we have to loose by chasing our dreams?… Nothing!”

Precisely why you’ll catch me behind the mic, mouthing off as a UK Drill artist. What is there to lose??

Ahaaa well spotted – although the reason my natty dress, isn’t perhaps as BIG as you might think. 

See if I’m honest, the blacked-out streetwear worn by your typical UK Drill artists doesn’t really float my boat. I’m more of colourful character myself. And I don’t know about you but, I don’t fancy becoming known for being someone I’m not. Exactly why behind the mic I just dress as me…

CLUE: XtG’s no facade. He’s simply a caricature of the more ‘in your face’ side of my personality. See, I can’t get enough of denim – black skinnies are half my wardrobe. The same chain has been around my neck for over 5 years!! And I can’t last the summer without sporting a pair of round-rimmed shades. When the weather turns chilly, you’ll even catch me in a flat cap too!

None of this is to try & impress you or ‘flex on my opps’.

All of this is just me, being me. So that rapper you see on social media, that’s the same UK Drill artist you’ll clock in my videos. A guy who’s also no different from the rapper you’re (in effect) chatting with now, or the person I am around family & friends. 

XtG was never intended to be a façade & never will be. Merely a representation of the more ‘in the face’ side of me. I’m pretty sure that now, my motto makes more sense…

“Follow Intuition, Not The Crowd.” 

Confession… only when I was forced to.

See, before becoming a UK Drill artist, my largest musical achievement was obtaining Grade 1 in piano (LOL). And as far as school was concerned, music sat at the top of the group of subjects that I couldn’t wait to drop. However, it was only a couple of years back that I understood why.

My creative process – at the time, I didn’t understand it (or even knew it existed). Call it ‘that’ topic, which the education system conveniently never seemed to touch on (raised eyebrows). As a result, for young me, even the thought of becoming a rapper or UK Drill artist was nothing more than a distant fantasy.

Therefore at the time, my ambition was to (Oh god, get ready to cringe)… become a Solicitor or Barrister. 

Surprisingly not. 

Despite listening to a fair few of UK Drill artists, Drill itself doesn’t even star in my gym playlist. Being a lyricist, the 1 thing I look for in a gym song are strong meaningful lyrics. Therefore, my ‘go-to’ gym song actually originated across the pond – in NYC to be precise. 

The song itself is called ‘Reminder’ & is by the boy-wonder that is Lloyd Banks. Take a listen & within the first couple of lyrics you should be able to sense why this tune urges me to do the extra rep. It’s a reminder (as the title suggests) to stay true to yourself & not give in to the outside world. 

Call it proof that music is capable of a lot more than just entertaining. If executed in the right way, it can also motivate & inspire!

You guessed it. 

I am indeed from Huddersfield. The plucky mill town that for a lot of people, is the stop-off point in-between Leeds & Manchester – 2 of the North’s largest postcodes! A tough gig, although when it comes to scenery, Huddersfield’s up there with some of the best if you know where to look.

Intrigued, & want to know more about my Hudd? Be sure to check out my blog – Huddersfield 101.

LOL – what a dumb question!

They really shouldn’t. And that goes for all rappers, be they Drill or not. See, at the end of the day, there’s only 1 person I’m competing against…

Myself. 

That’s good to know – must mean I’m the exception to the rule! #Rarity

Plus, if you haven’t already noticed, there’s a reason why I’ve spent X amount of months going boss-eyed creating this site. It’s not here just for the sake of it. 

I say so because nowadays, keeping track of your fav UK Drill artists ain’t easy. With social media overcrowded & rammed ostentatious types buying fake followers, I figured that my fans should have a slightly more ‘bespoke’ source of info. 

Hence this website. My VIP corner of the internet where you can brush up on everything XtG all in 1 place, be that my socials, latest tunes or merch. But yeah, I guess there’s not much more to say apart from “Welcome – be sure to bookmark this URL!”

PS/ Forgot to mention – because of this site, I also have a blog! So if you’re one for philosophical rants or blunt-minded advice, take 5 to check it out! (link below)

Pretty easy question that.

Give me the superhuman power to change 1 thing about the music industry & without a doubt, it’d be this…

To stop artists (including UK Drill artists) from upholding a false image just to be liked by people who they don’t even know. Call me crazy, but it just doesn’t make sense, especially from a mental health standpoint. 

Yes, by doing so you can attain riches & have every gal on the planet screaming your name, BUT… if they’re fans of the person you’re trying to be & not the real you, then what’s the point of it all??

All it’s going to do is remind you of how no one actually knows the real you. And that you’re liked for being someone you’re not. Now I’m not psychiatrist, but that to me, seems like a recipe for a metal disaster. 

#JustSaying

Hmmm, so while most UK Drill artists are likely to have a lot of rap in their CD stack, let’s just say that mine’s a tad more… diverse. 

So while you will stumble across the Hip Hop classics by the likes of G-Unit, JayZ & Biggie Smalls, they’ll also be another (larger) wad of CDs, which ain’t perhaps what you’d expect from a UK Drill artist. I’m talking about those by:

Lionel Richie, Nsync, Westlife, Britney Spears, Frank Sinatra, Madonna, Simply Red & even Il Divo. Quite the mashup if you ask me, but then again, what do you expect when your Dad’s a die-hard 90s Pop fan, & your Grandad’s got an ear for every smooth crooner in the book?? 

Look at it like that & it all suddenly makes sense (lightbulb).