Words by Jeffrey Arthur
The London-born rapper turned cultural influencer talks podcasts, life, and why he’s no fan of tick-boxing conversations on racism.
Ain’t no secret, podcasts are having a bit of a moment. Some good, some bad, some plain stupid. Still, there’s many a podcast for every taste and subject. And there’s a never-ending queue of people who fancy themselves a bit of a talker. In the age of content creation and internet fame, everyone has a mic – even the ones no one really wants to hear from. Finding a good ‘pod’, then, is a hard job – creating one, I’m told, is even harder.
For all intents and purposes, Poet’s creation – the ‘Filthy Fellas’ – is one of the good ones. In recent years, the London-born creator has discovered his Midas touch, turning several ideas into solid platforms.
On a somewhat deceptively sunny day in Shoreditch, we met for lunch, talking through the success of his latest creation, his philosophy on life and just about everything else. He arrives sometime in the afternoon, a tall figure in brown trousers and an aviator jacket to match. He’s in a real good mood, too. I know, because he embarks on a tour de charm, saying ‘hello’, ‘ya alright’, and ‘wagwan brother’ to just about everyone he meets.
His last big interview came in 2018. A fair bit has happened since: “My biggest change has been my life… and approach to my working life.” He’d done a whole bunch of stuff, danced around different projects, and found a way to make steady dough. But like the rest of us, he found himself stuck in the purgatory of the pandemic, with little else to do but tend to those in our closest vicinity. For a man who spends most of his life bouncing around from project to project, that couldn’t have been easy. It wasn’t, he says – and he’s still trying to recover “from some of the damages that would happen in trying to co-link [his] everyday life and…family and work, to make it more cohesive.”
He’s intent on not missing out on anything, and he’s real keen on being present. That has a lot to do with his twins, he says, who are teaching him a lot about life. It also has a lot to do with his new-found philosophy. Prior to the occurrence of the big C, he lived a fast life, jumping from place to place without taking much in. That was all good then, maybe even necessary. Not now, he’s not interested: “now I’ve slowed down a little bit; I’m trying to, like, really take some more time… when it comes to my mum, my sister… I’ve realised that when my career was at its highest, my everyday life wasn’t happy.”
This big switch is no big surprise. Most of us felt like that post pandemic. But then again, most people don’t find themselves creating content for millions of people. Finding that balance between private man and public influencer is hard. Is it, I ask? He nods in agreement, adding that things get a lot easier once you find your own way of doing things. He feels, he says, “happy” about it. Things are going well. Better yet, they’re going well on his terms: “I don’t feel like this is something I am obligated to do… I feel much better in that space.”
Doing things his own way is the one big theme that pulls through. He’s got little interest in doing it any other way. It’s working out; so far, so good. As far as podcasts go, Filthy Fellas is doing the numbers. His other projects, too, are gathering pace. In what seems like a swift few years or so for some (but a lot, lot longer for him), he’s become a staple of Black British culture. Nowadays, he spends his time trying to create what he likes, betting that everyone else will like it, too.
Strong and somewhat controversial interviews has seen him – and his close pals – catapulted onto the talking pages of Twitter (or is it X?). With that, comes popularity – and eventually, online trolls with opinions on just about everything he does. I ask him how all of that feels: “I always give 100% of myself, it just depends on what version of myself I need to give.” That, and a healthy dose of not giving a sh*t, he says, means he’s pretty okay with being a creator and a public face.
It’s given him the platform to do more of the thing he cares a lot about: progressing his ‘community’. It’s on this subject that Poet the philosopher reveals himself. All he wants to do, he tells me, is to be part of ‘progress’. I ask what exactly that means. And with full rhyme and reason, he sets out his answer: “Our community is progressing forward, and I humbly say I am an integral part of, you know, moving us forward in the online space. What I had the ability to do is to be myself and show you the environment I’m in, so you realise it’s not too dissimilar to yourself.”
That public face has in recent years pulled off some big and somewhat controversial interviews, solidifying his place in the big, beautiful, but messy world of football and culture. It is to that – and, in particular, racism in football – that I turn my attention. Our conversation thus far was full of cordial pleasantries. The same continued when we spoke about his start in football. He’s a big fan (duh), counts himself a loyal gunner, and spends a fair amount of time talking about the beautiful game. He does it with some close pals, on a podcast (Filthy Fellas) that puts authenticity above everything else. Point is, he knows his stuff – and he really, really cares about the game. He’s had a hand in getting a fair amount of players where they are now, and he counts some of football’s biggest names as close pals.
It should come as little surprise, then, that he has some strong views on the matter. For starters, he has no interest – zero, nada, zilch, nil, niente – in what any big broadcaster has to say on the topic. The very idea, he says, that an issue which affects his “community” is reduced to “pre-match” talking points is pretty damn offensive. It adds and changes nothing. He’s after real punishments, the sort that sends out a strong warning to any would-be abuser. He’s full of praise for Ian Wright, the Arsenal and England legend, who forever manages to say and do the right things.
He’s far more interested in making the likes of Filthy Fellas, a platform where footballers – and others – can join and talk freely.
Despite the success of his various platforms, Poet’s intent on doing things however he damn well pleases. Life, as far he can tell, is good: “All you need to have around you is people that give you the confidence to continue to pursue what they know you’re good at. And that comes in the shape of friends, your girlfriend, your mum, your dad, whatever.” That approach has seen him land some pretty big opportunities with a loyal fan base to match. His cultural influence is worth noting, even if you have little interest in the topics he talks about day-to-day.
Before escaping our chat, I ask his views on his style and fashion inspirations. Tyler, the Creator is one, A$AP Rocky’s another – and anyone else with a cool, individual sense of style. He’s switched up his look a little, he says, preferring to slip into a pair of loafers with a hat match.
This straight-talking, well-dressed, London-born creator has a lot going for him. He’s not really sure how or when it all come about – he just knows he had to work damn hard for it. These days, he’ll be more than happy if all he does is make his family proud.