Quick-witted, innovative lyrical expert Ghetts has gone from street freestyles to the Queen Elizabeth Hall. He's seen it all, and now he's gonna let you know too.
Affiliated with Boy Better Know, some of his earliest appearances are on Risky Roadz, a series of amateur video street freestyles that saw the early work of UK greats like Skepta, Wiley, and Wretch 32. Ghetts, by comparison to these elders, seemed lacking maturity, lacking a voice, a concrete style, but with so much unrefined lyrical talent, capable of hilarious and playful inter-rhyme whos ability sat him well above his peers.
Fast forward a decade and a bit later, and his landmark Conflict of Interest was possibly the years biggest UK rap album in a year full of releases from Dave, Little Simz, Central Cee, and Fredo. Okay maybe Dave's was bigger commercially, but talk to any proper UK rap fan about the best album of that year. They will no doubt say Conflict of Interest.
He made no attempt to dampen his skills as a poet, story-teller, and vocalist. Every track a new flex of his abilities. Every verse a new chance to subtly bend your mind.
Ghetts takes over the Southbank Centre for a whole weekend. On the Saturday, he's performing a one-off show at the Royal Festival Hall, as he begins his premiership as co-curator of the London Literature Festival. Hearing UK rap on the big stage, especially one as prestigious as the Royal, is something fans have only been dreaming about since the 2000s, when UK rap constituted something of a moral panic.
The day after, he's presenting an evening titled An Evening of Poetry and Music, a celebration of literary forms featurng performances from Yomi Ṣode, Belinda Zhawi, Namesbliss and DC3, as well as talks over the link between rap music and lyrical poetry, among other topics.
Come see one of the UK's brightest talents take over a prestigious venue for a while. Try something new, try and see what's up with the underground.