GHETTS

From releasing the album of 2021 to securing a nomination for the Mercury Prize, it’s been a colossal year for the Plaistow-born MC. Almost two decades into his career, the 37-year-old is at the peak of his powers, finally receiving the critical and commercial attention his blistering output has long warranted. So, as he sits down to reflect on a remarkable 12 months, it begs the question: how does he follow this up?

GHETTS IS RIFLING DOWN THE ROAD ON HIS TRUSTY quad bike, its engine a crackling, cacophonic roar.

Without slowing, he leans back, foot hooked around the metal bar attached to the vehicle’s rear, and pulls up into a triumphant wheelie. He holds it there, two wheels aloft, and continues charging forward at full pace. It is a display of exceptional balance, and onlookers respond with a series of appropriate observations: ‘Fucking hell!’ Or, ‘He’s mad.’ The 37-year-old rapper – real name Justin Clarke – pays them no heed. As his speed decreases and he begins his descent, there’s a stillness to him; a clarity.

“My first encounter with quads? I’d have been about four or five,” he says, speaking the following day over a video call. “I always dreamt of getting one. In all honesty, I used to have bare stolen ones