“I Might Be a Girl, But I Am the Man” – In Conversation with Teezandos

As one of the most distinctive voices in UK drill, Teezandos has built her name on sharp lyricism and raw storytelling. In a candid conversation, she opens up about navigating a male-dominated scene, staying true to herself, and what’s next in her ever-evolving journey.

For a while now, Teezandos has been making waves in the UK drill scene, known for her sharp lyricism and unfiltered storytelling. We caught up over Zoom to talk about her journey so far, the challenges of breaking into a male-dominated genre, and what’s next for her.

The conversation comes shortly after her latest release – ‘Old Me’ – a track that stays true to the hard-hitting style she’s built her name on. Since stepping onto the scene as a teenager, she’s steadily cemented her place with a distinctive flow and raw honesty that set her apart. Her music isn’t just about delivering cold bars—it’s a reflection of her experiences, her perspective, and the realities of the world she moves in.

With drill constantly evolving, Teezandos remains focused, adapting without losing what makes her unique. She’s carved out a space for herself in a scene that isn’t always easy to navigate, and as she continues to push forward, she’s proving that she’s here for the long run.

Your music draws inspiration from life experiences. Is it hard for you to tap into that, or does it come naturally?

No, it’s not hard to tap into. It’s life experiences, isn’t it? So, it’s just life.

Can you talk us through your musical process? How do you approach writing now compared to when you first started?

My writing process now is more structured. I tend to focus on one word to create a hook, and that hook builds the whole song. If I think of a specific word, I won’t move on until I have a solid hook. Once that’s locked in, I build my bars around everything else.

Before, music was more of a direct journal for me. Now, it’s more of an emotional journal. You can get a sense of what’s going on, but not too intensely. There’s more thought behind what I do now.

Drill is a male-dominated genre. How do you navigate that, or is it something you don’t even think about?

I might be a girl, but I am the man. If I cut through, it’s easy. Trust me.

You’ve been making music since you were 14. What have you learned from being in the scene for so long, and how has it shaped you as an artist?

People are weird. Nothing is as easy as it seems, but when things finally happen, the reward is worth it. I’ve learned patience and awareness.

How do you maintain authenticity in such a saturated scene?

You never really know who’s lying and who isn’t, so I just stick to being myself. I’m lucky to have people around me who let me be authentic. I don’t have to go around things—I do what I like to do, and that keeps my authenticity at its peak. Some artists have to build a career around being someone they’re not, which is dangerous. I don’t have that issue.

How do you push through hardships or obstacles? What have you learned from them?

I have to go away. It’s not the best way to handle things, but I don’t care how long it takes. As long as I get time to step back and live in my world, I’ll be fine.

Before dropping Old Me, you said you needed time to get yourself right and observe the scene. What did you learn during that time?

I learned that even when I was basically sabotaging my career online, people still weren’t doing what they needed to do. Without me, the scene needed waking up. Old Me was just me reminding everyone I’m still here. Whether people like it or not, everything I release only helps the scene.

Who are some of your musical inspirations, and are there any artists you want to collaborate with?

I don’t have direct inspirations, but people always say me and PS are alike, which I like. I wouldn’t say he inspires me, though—we just have similarities. When I first got into music, my main inspirations were J Hus and Chip, but as life changed, so did my approach to music.

As for drill, I don’t take inspiration from it. You shouldn’t be inspired by drill—that’s weird.

Need Focus was a breakthrough moment for you. How did it feel to blow up at such a young age?

It felt surreal. The way Need Focus blew up was weird to me. I wasn’t expecting it. I didn’t even have a phone at the time, so when I came back and saw the numbers, it was mad. My manager was telling me to shoot a video, and I don’t think it really hit me until about a year later when I started getting booked for Wireless and things started taking off. It was a wake-up call.

What can we expect from you in the coming months?

I’ve got a freestyle dropping soon and a feature with P3L’s that I’m really excited about. Other than that, I’m just working.

What does success mean to you, and has that changed since you started your career?

Success has always meant the same thing to me—waking up and doing what I want to do while being comfortable. It’s not just about money or clothes. Success, to me, is being able to move how I want and say what I want without anyone interfering. And as far as I’m concerned, I already have that.

In a past interview, you said young people shouldn’t look up to you. What advice do you have for artists trying to grow in the music scene?

Just be careful. The music industry is full of inauthenticity, and the world is getting worse. If a kid listens to my music and makes a dumb decision because of it, that’s on them. I didn’t start making drill because I wanted to copy someone—I was just telling my story, and it happened to land on a drill beat.
I appreciate when kids say they find inspiration in me, but I don’t like when they say they look up to me. They only see what I put out on YouTube, not the work behind the scenes or the goals I’ve achieved. My advice is to be as authentic as possible because if you’re not built for this, there will be problems.

Old Me had a great video. How important are visuals to you?

I love visuals, but I don’t really care where I am. As long as I’m in front of the camera, I’m good. You could put me in a bin room—I’ll still make it work. Old Me was cold. Big up Callum every time.

How do you see yourself evolving as an artist? Do you think your sound will change in the future?

I’m already the artist I want to be—it’s just that not everyone knows it yet. I make all types of music, but obviously, certain sounds work better for certain people. The ones who know about my drum and bass tracks probably don’t even know about my drill music.

So, I don’t need to change—I just need to get more people to hear what I’m doing.