“It’s the sound of the street. The raw, unfiltered, unmixed sound, unmastered, unpracticed, unrehearsed, unrefined. It’s that.” If you want to understand grime, ask Scorcher. Even better, listen to his recent work or any of his music from the last two decades. A legend in the scene, he is back with new music at an impressive frequency.
It’s hard to believe he nearly gave up last year. However, after hearing encouragement from his children to persevere, he ended up winning the MOBO for Best Grime Act 2025. What does Scorcher think about this? “The bizarre thing in the world.” Listening to his acceptance speech reveals the type of artist Scorcher is. He prioritizes the music and supports others who do the same, so if you’re an industry “dork” focused on numbers or deals, you probably won’t get far.
Speaking with Scorcher after a studio session with Strandz, you might not realize that beneath his confidence and undeniable talent lies a desire to prove himself more than anything else. “I felt like I had everything to prove. I see artists the same age as my daughter… So, I felt like my back was against the wall, and it’s just me.”
When asked about the ‘grime resurgence’ today, Scorcher responds clearly: grime never truly left; it merely evolved. “Grime can’t die or just disappear… I believe a specific type of grime is currently garnering attention, perhaps from new audiences.” The notable change now is the rise of the internet and social media, which were absent when grime was first emerging. “Everything is on the internet, and there’s no gravity to what’s happening… When you know you’ll see this person at some point, it keeps you grounded. Remove that connection for a significant time, and you develop a different culture.”
Interactions were rooted in real-life experiences such as pirate radio, clashes, or live shows where you had to face other MCs and an audience directly. “Chipmunk always says, ‘Man, respect your thing because I had influence before influencers.’ We didn’t have internet influence; we had it in the ends.” Today, artists can limit live interactions and performances to the point where anything deemed ‘important’ exists solely online. This significantly alters the music being created, who listens to it, and how it is discovered.
What’s particularly intriguing is how Scorcher navigates these online domains while showing little interest in pandering to that world. “I was so offended that [On the Radar] asked me if I wanted to mime. They said I was only the second person to decline.” Scorcher considers large freestyles to be his “works of art,” so it’s understandable why being asked to essentially ‘pretend’ to perform feels insulting. In grime, there is no ‘mime’ or retakes, and the passage of time doesn’t change that. “For me, I want to rap. I’m unsure about doing promo, videos, or interviews. But the one thing I definitely want to do is rap.”
By adhering to these original ‘rules of the game,’ Scorcher attracts both old and new fans to the genre. Above streams, social media engagement, and promotion, “I create my music, and if there’s an audience for it? Great. I’m not trying to make you like something you don’t like. And I’m not trying to create something hoping you’ll enjoy it. I’m just being me.” A listener might find it hard to articulate this approach, but they can feel it in the music and in Scorcher’s demeanor. This authenticity and self-respect cut through the noise, ironically leading to impressive numbers, but only because the intention is different.
This purist approach also resonates with younger artists unfamiliar with a world before social media. They appreciate this unfiltered energy not caught up in metrics. “They’re discovering new concepts, like we don’t have to be perfect every time?… Embrace what you are portraying… Focus more on what it is than how it looks.”
It emphasizes the innate human condition of being drawn to what is real and authentic rather than what is designed for attention. “Clever stuff only goes so far; my clever lyrics or viral moments mean nothing if there’s no real threat to my expression. I feel like right now, we’re back to grime’s rawest form, as artists aren’t making grime today to get rich.” Grime is a resilient genre that communicates truth both in its content and delivery. If it starts creating songs just for TikTok or avoids in-person interactions, we lose its essence.
Some might know Scorcher first from his acting career and then his music. He made a significant impact with one of the most brutal deaths in Top Boy history by portraying Kamale, despite never
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“It’s the street’s noise. The authentic, unprocessed, unblended sound, untamed, untried, unprepared, and unpolished. That’s what it is.” If you're curious about what