Here is an early Christmas present in the form of new EP '21st Kid' by Chiedu Oraka. It is produced by DeezKid, a member of the Lockdown Collective along with Chiedu and DJ Joe the Third. Born and based in Hull, Chiedu is a pioneer of the Northern alternative urban scene and he tops off a successful year with this very personal project. Highlights of 2017 include performing at Radio 1's Big Weekend, joining political noisemakers LIFE on stage for their set at Leeds Festival and he has been championed nationally as one of the most exciting talents to grab the spotlight during Hull’s year as City of Culture. Chiedu has previously supported some of the UK's leading Hip-Hop and Grime artists including Stormzy, Akala, Wretch 32, Lunar C, Mikill Pane, Mo Stack, Jaykae and Paigey Cakey.

With '21st Kid' you're thrust into Chiedu's life and the Northern scene. The EP is a diary of sorts; Chiedu touches on his tough background, particularly in 'Northern Hull Estate':

"Not many blacks so I got a lot of hate, I was that kid with a picky afro, an' I was tall for my age but I didn't hold weight, no big bro or no big cuz, didn't have a rep and I didn't have a buzz, didn't have friends who would back my corner, pretend to be there but they didn't show love, I grew up and I got a bit smarter, yeah I had a mum but I didn't have a father."

Chiedu references various streets, pubs, shops, barbers and people. It's very honest, and he paints a very gritty, very working-class British picture. '21st Kid' is the name inspired by the street on the North Hull estate, 21st Ave, where Chiedu was born and raised. The EP features earlier single release 'Flex' which racked up over 100k streams on Spotify alone and featured on Spotify’s grime shut down playlist and was playlisted as the BBC Introducing track of the week on BBC Radio 1 Xtra, and played by Huw Stephens on BBC Radio 1 and Tom Robinson on BBC Radio 6.

Chiedu plays with various styles and beats within his music; there is a nod to late 90s UK garage in 'Flex' and 'We Won't Get Along', and there is a distinctive moody aesthetic to the whole project. What is at the forefront throughout is Chiedu's lyrical ability, his commanding, frenetic flows which fizz with energy and take you on a journey. Yes, a journey through his hometown but so much more. An articulate personal journey, a social perspective, a wider influence. He can be playful while being introspective. There is a very touching reference to his Nigerian heritage with '21st Mum', a message from his mother.

Chiedu says of his new EP, “21st Kid embodies a lot of the pressures I had growing up. Most of the people I looked up to in my area are now either in jail or drug addicts. I didn’t always fit the mould, I was definitely an outsider for a lot of years, and then you decide to conform to fear of further alienation. This EP tells the story of someone eventually finding themselves in a place that is surrounded by deprivation and pessimism. The '21st Kid' EP promotes a new-found confidence which celebrates being proud of your own personal journey - don’t ever let anyone or anything define your purpose.”

In October, Chiedu was involved with the BBC Contains Strong Language Spoken Word Festival, where he performed for Ian McMillan on his BBC Radio 3 show The Verb and at BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Words First, which celebrates the lyricism of UK music. He also recently performed at BBC Amplify at London's ExCel, a very popular event which was hosted by BBC Introducing in celebration of their 10th Birthday.

Chiedu is one of those artists who blossoms with each release and introduces something raw and honest from a canny perspective. 2018 is bound to be bigger and better for this talented artist. Just don't try his specs.

Chiedu Oraka kindly took some time out during his EP release to answer some of our burning questions:

How would you describe your sound to new listeners?

I feel my sound is just a representation of Northern working-class England. With me there are no fancy frills it's basically what you see is what you get. Obviously, I do grime but I'll jump on any tempo. If I like it I will jump on it.

Your new EP 21st Kid seems like a very personal project - tell me about the influences and writing process

I just felt it was important to fully represent my part of my city. Everyone knows Hull is the 2017 city of culture but there is more to my city than the obvious landmarks. I had to explain to the listeners about my actual surroundings. The things I see every day, the struggles I see when I walk out my house. I don't want to sound too cliche but I just want to put my area on the map. No one's ever made it from NHE so I need to be the one that changes that mindset.

What has your musical journey been like so far?

Ups and downs to be real with you. I've gone from just freestyling at house parties to being played on 1xtra and performing at the Radio 1 Big Weekend. People always tell me how well I am doing but I cant accept those types of compliments. The reason being I am nowhere near where I want to be. So the journey has been mad - there have been days I want to quit and there have been days where I feel elated.

What are the biggest challenges?

Just getting the right people to hear my music. My team and I know we're good enough, we just want to be able to prove ourselves on the big stages.

And your favourite aspects of being in the music industry?

The music industry seems a little fickle to be honest, that's my opinion anyway. Loads of fake people and loads of people who think they are bigger than what they are. I just love performing and creating the maddest atmospheres. That has to be my fave part.

When you started out, who was influencing you the most in terms of what moves to make and what steps to take?

I'm a huge Nas fan and have always respected the way he carried himself. I used to love the way the Dipset guys used to look so fly and even the slang they used was sick; I loved the way they used to incorporate it into their music. But closer to home I was obsessed with people like Dizzee Rascal especially 'Boy in da Corner', he created such a mad sound it was so non-apologetic. Bashy was another guy I used to think was so sick, I loved his cheekiness and the way he was just being himself. Loads of people inspired me, man

How do you think the UK grime/rap/hip-hop scene has changed over the past few years?

We have stopped wanting to be like the Americans and now look at the Americans wanting a piece of our sound and culture. We have just carved our own lane independently and started to really educate ourselves business wise. Our music is the most popular sound in the UK right now and it's because we have realised our own self-worth and stopped doing things just for the money.

What is the most meaningful track/lyrics of yours and why?

I would probably say “I'm from a city" and because I talk about the negatives and positives about being from Hull.

Did you anticipate such a massive response to your single ‘Flex'?

Not in my wildest dreams. We knew it was a big song but didn't think it would make it on to the grime shut down playlist on Spotify. Every time we perform 'Flex' it goes off. we have had people participating in the maddest mosh pits. Such a sick feeling

The biggest highlight of this year?

Grime shut down playlist with 'Flex' or Humber street sesh Performance on the BBC Introducing Stage

Dream collaboration/s?

Nas, Lauryn Hill and Probably Skepta

Top 5 artists / tracks / albums of 2017?

Artists: IAMDDB, Little Simz, Giggs, Big Zuu and Notes

Tracks:

IAMDDB 'Shade'

Notes 'Aladdin'

Future 'Mask Off'

Jaykae 'Moscow'

Jorja Smith 'On My Mind'

Albums is a tough one - last year I feel was a miles better year for them

What keeps you awake at night?

The stress of being a successful musician and wanting to quit my 9-5

What's next for Chiedu Oraka?

More music, more bodies of work, more shows, more visuals and more merch.

You can stream '21st Kid' here