Grime is at an all time high, globally. Although it’s been brewing in England, thanks to pirate radio stations and those dedicated to its raw sound, it’s started to stretch its arms to the states and beyond. One emcee that’s been doing it for over eight years now is President T. He recently released a prelude project leading up to his anticipated album, Stranger Returns. President T may have started in Garage and then moved onto Grime, but he’s laid his stake as one of the best to do it and he’s presented a convincing argument with Greatest To Ever Touch Down.
President T’s voice reminds us of Chali 2na but he has the personality of Royce da 5’9″. The production ranges from grand entrance music to straight up hype tracks to jump ignorantly up and down in the clubs to, with your friends. We spoke to him about the project and what he plans on doing next. You can read that below.
You can purchase the album on iTunes. You can purchase his other merch on his site.
For those unfamiliar with your music, how would you say that Greatest To Ever Touch Down is different from your past projects?
Definitely more of a revamped and upgraded President T, like even though it’s still fully the Grime genre it’s got a sound that’s tasty for people who are well into other genres like Hip-Hop for example.
What was your childhood like? Were you a good or a bad kid in school?
I come from a very formal and strict upbringing. I was a very clever kid but not the best behaved. My mum got called up to the school a numerous amount of times.
You have a song themed around your lack of care for the law. Where does this sentiment stem from? Personal experience or hearing stuff in the news?
Both really, and the fact that innocent people are dying at the hands of police doesn’t help either, as we’ve been seeing so many times recently in the news.
You mention on “It’s Not A Gamble” the day that you became a real man. Do you remember that moment?
Yeah the day when I first walked down the shopping isle and had to buy my own deodorant [laughs].
What do rappers, or people in general, need to do in order to earn the same levels and stripes that you’ve attained as referenced on your track of the same name? Or is it not possible to duplicate?
You basically have to build a cult following through developing your God given skill or trade, and then the next step is to gain your stripes by getting your skill pushed out on a wide platform… NOT EASY PAL!
’99 was apparently the last year that you were an average guy. What was life like before ’99 and life after that year? What made that year so special?
Because that was the year I officially became an MC. Prior to that I was just an average kid from North London, just the older brother of Big H.
One song is titled “Picture Me Rolling.” Is that a Tupac reference? How much has American Hip-Hop influenced your music?
I believe in Makaveli the Don-ism and that Tupac’s spirit is almighty. President T is heavily influenced by Tupac.
On “War” I get the feeling that you’ve been through a lot, good and bad, in the rap game. What have been the most memorable ups and downs in your career?
The up was when Meridian crew [Meridian Dan, Big H, Skepta, JME, President T, Bossman] became one of the most outstanding groups in Grime, and the down was when we all split into two.
What’s next for you after this project?
Dropping the most influential Grime album ever STRANGER RETURNS and the expansion of the KILL OFF KILLY enterprise.
-Bryan Hahn
