In Talks With Jordy… Going All In And Keeping it Real

Let’s be real, you can’t have a conversation on the future of UK rap without mentioning Jordy. No matter how much he tries to humble his achievements by keeping the safety net of his part-time job at West Ham (let’s convince him to go all in) he is clearly at the end of the beginning of his career, cementing his name across the industry. He has had the most exciting past few months; releasing a Mad About Bars, announcing “The Talk To Me Important” tour in autumn this year.

As well as creating a reputation as an artist with his first single release back in 2017 titled Wavy Yute, you may also recognise him from Filthy Fellas or the Vibbar collective proving that he is one of the most exciting all-round talents at the moment. Since his first release, the 27-year-old has put out an array of monumental projects including the hit debut project SMH and KMT, both going hand-in-hand as pillars in Jordy’s journey.

Born in Tottenham and raised in Essex to a Congolese family, he carries influence from all intersections of his being, creating a very real version of Jordy that is translated perfectly in the music curated. “My family is massive I don’t even know how many cousins I’ve got,” having so many different tastes in his family allowed for him to appreciate all avenues of music, from RnB to traditional Congolese sounds, rap is his least played genre, believe it or not, he is a “lover boy” at heart. His energy is unbeatable allowing for a conversation that feels like you’ve known him for a while.

His most impressionable attribute is that he’s “a punctual rapper, you know”, arriving early to our conversation and the Mad About Bars shoot, he is taking the time to pave his legacy and create positive first impressions all around. We sat down with Jordy as he prepares for the exciting few months ahead…

I’m surprised you joined the call before me when it’s so early in the morning.

I’m a punctual rapper, I was there before Kenny for that Mad About Bars

And I was even a bit late to that…

You see, exactly. I’ve always been punctual; I take time so seriously. Like, what do I look like having you wait for 10 minutes?

You’d be surprised you know; a ten-minute wait is good in this industry.

This is what I mean, every time I turn up somewhere people are shocked, what are these rappers putting you through man.

I can’t lie, a lot. They put you through a lot sometimes.

Haha, I’m sorry to hear that though. I just brought a fridge by the way.

A fridge? Have you just moved?

Yeah, I just got my new place at the start of this year. it’s alright though man apart from when you’re sick you have to get your own lemsip and that.

You don’t go back home when you’re sick?

I can go back, the first time I was sick living alone, I just went back to my mum’s house because I couldn’t do it, but I can’t keep doing that, that’s rubbish.

You’re not far from me to be fair…

Where are you?

Like Cricklewood/Kilburn sides

No way, I used to live in Kilburn right above the Nando’s for like two to three years.

Above the Nando’s? That’s a bit…

Yeah. I saw everything living there. Everything. And I just kept thinking ‘I need to get out of here man this is craziness’. I just had a place there on my own for a bit and I got there and thought this is awful! I can’t even bring guests here.

You know I don’t even blame you but that’s my area man…

That’s your area you can’t even cuss it. You might be crazy for all I know…

I might be! You need to be careful for real.

I’ll find out as this conversation goes on haha.

So, you’ve lived around the North/North-West sides for the last few years, where did you grow up?

I grew up in Bruce Grove in Tottenham.

How was that moving from Tottenham to Essex when you were around 11 years old?

Ah, I hated my mum for it. My dad still lived there in Tottenham so I lived with my dad but when the riots happened my mum wouldn’t have me being there. I tried to convince her, but I did eventually move, and it was just white people, you know what’s crazy? In London, you feel like you’re around all the cultures, but when I moved to Essex, I was thinking what’s this?

I went to secondary school there, that was alright, I had to fight a couple of white boys and then they realised they can’t fight me. then the black boys came and started fighting me for being with the white boys sometimes, so it was like that. But I got over it fast, because they all realised, I will fight if you’re fighting me.

How would you describe Jordy in one sentence?

Honest… Actually, that’s a lie because I am a liar. But I’m honest to myself.

What do you mean? How can you even say that? Like full-blown liar or little white lies?

Whatever the one is that protects people, I don’t think lying is as bad as it sounds unless it’s purposely malicious. I could lie because I love you, you know.

I don’t lie in my songs though!

So, with your music, how do you get inspiration when writing?

I can’t create stories out of thin air or makeup anything. If I’ve said something, I’ve either lived it or someone else around me has lived it, but I can’t make up a Brenda Had A Baby Story. People wouldn’t know if it was a lyric or track about what they’ve been through though unless they asked but the song is the song now.

You were first introduced to music after your cousins had built a studio in their room, so music has always been a pivotal aspect when growing up?

It has always been in my house. I didn’t have much control because I was the young one, so I had to watch what everyone else wanted to watch. But when my dad had the controls, he would play some old-school Congolese music, when my mum had control it was Gospel, When my cousins had it was like Garage, and my older sister would play R&B but the box was always on. Because of that, I can listen to anything.

You have an influence from almost every genre then, what was the last song you played?

Adekunle Gold – Sinner

Do you listen to rap music then? Because I know to make music you really draw inspiration from all the genres like you just said.

Not as much as you would think. It is my best language but what I do is listen to other genres and just translate what I create into that. I haven’t always done that, I used to be rap-heavy, but that genre does have its moments with me, you can’t always listen to it.

If you had to pick a favourite genre, what would it be?

I have to go R&B. Like if I could sing, I wouldn’t talk. I want to be like Bruno Mars.

Would you ever want to do a full love song?

I need to be in love first, and the world will know.

I can’t lie, I read that your guilty pleasure was Jason Derulo?

Hahaha, nah but listen he is so misunderstood. Those TikTok’s were pissing me off though but the guy can make bangers. I blame his downfall on Jordan Sparks, when she left him it just did some damage to who he is. He needs to get back with her so he can make better music.

I didn’t even know he still made music…

You see, look at that disrespecting my guy. I’m dying on this hill.

What other guilty pleasures do you have?

I like The Script, James Morrison – oh my god.

Your music taste is too diverse.

Look if I drove the car, you would be so confused. But the life I’m living I just cab it to my living room.

You work at West Ham as well as making music, Filthy Fella’s, and all the other things you do, how do you find the time to juggle it all?

You have to find the balance; you need the money but you also want to do the job you want.

That’s really important to highlight, to be honest, when people look at social media and what you’re putting out there they don’t realise that at the start this isn’t your bread and butter. 

Everyone that knows me like that knows me to my core I have a job, but it definitely doesn’t come across that way when I post or on socials. People even see me at my work sometimes and I hate that. I work in the stadium or in another shop sometimes.

Do you support West Ham?

I support Man U, but I have so much love for West Ham.

How long have you been working there?

You know what, I don’t think I’ve ever said this, but I started working there the day I dropped A13/Regular. I’ll never forget that because I had to upload the video at 6 but my shift started at 6, so I was trying to not be late, but I had to post this video.

You just made me realise how much I do though, working at West Ham, music, the presenting stuff. This is why when girls try and talk to me and I tell them I’m not free they think I’m lying. In this industry there’s no such thing as a rota or a set time, everything just happens.

You also don’t tell girls that you’re a rapper?

I don’t like saying it…

Why? Your Jordy your name has been about this past year.

I hear that but I don’t feel that though and OK what do you think of rappers?

I mean…

There you go! So, I just tell them I make content. I don’t give away my job but I started to find that some girls just know that I rap but they hide the fact that they know., I don’t get that. I’d rather they just be straight up and tell me.

I can’t lie, that’s something I would do. It’s because I’m waiting for you to be comfortable enough with me to tell me.

No, but you’re a weirdo then! If you told me you did something else other than what you did at Mixtape, I’d have to call you out on that, I’d put you on the spot.

Why are you shouting this year? All your tracks are in capital letters?

It is in response to SMH. Everything I heard I acted upon, when that dropped, I took the feedback, took away what I liked, and tried to change what I didn’t agree with. In response to SMH is KMT.

You know I was going to study journalism, I was going to, but I dropped out because I was bad.

No way, you wanted to be like me? why didn’t you go for it?

I wanted to trap but guess what I couldn’t. I got ADHD though my attention span is shocking. And you know what I like your job, but I don’t think I can sit with someone I don’t care about. But my mum was angry at me for not going to uni and wanting to rap, but she was patient with me in trying to get there, I was just hoping.

When did you start taking rapping really seriously?

I would say when Vibbar started that’s when I really started, everyone around me knew I could rap, even I knew I could I just don’t think that I really wanted it up until that point. I was just in limbo I just wanted to try the journalism thing because I got an A* in English, *wink wink* I was in the top set.

What do you think the biggest hurdle you’ve had to overcome since making music is then?

I think trying to make time for it. like having to make money to do the studio thing takes up a lot of time. Even now I don’t have time for West Ham and they know that, but it’s making me think should I go all in with this thing now or keep that safety net.

I think you should go all in.

I think I should go all in too. Would you?

I would, and you know what’s crazy, you are everywhere right now. So, imagine what it could be like if you went all in, you need to take that leap.

Nah, see you saying this is going to gas me and I’m going to have to go Selfridges now.

So, you have SMH and KMT, is the next one going to be the same?

That series is on hold for now, but the next one is going to another collection of bangers which is coming this year.

Just know, when I quit, I’m gonna shout you, and drinks are on you.

I got you! if you had three wishes what would they be?

Serious or can I be Jordy?

Be whoever you want to be

First one, I want to meet Stone Cold Steve Austin, do you know who that is?

I don’t, I only know Roman Reigns and something H.

Something H? wow. Okay well, I want to meet him, I need a Skepta verse. And… have you got a wish?

I do but mine are serious…

Are you saying mine aren’t serious? Fine, I want Congo to win the World Cup. And I need you to Youtube Stone Cold because you’ve had a stinker.

I got you I’m doing it as we speak

Catch Jordy on tour in a city near you here!