It seems strange that he released his most recent album, On Purpose, With Purpose, just days before our meeting, but when the ideas flow, there’s never a moment to relax.
Ghetts calls his workdays “basically Groundhog Day,” starting with an exercise at the gym at 9.30 a.m. and going directly to the studio. However, this is his haven. It almost feels like treatment. When I’m here, I feel happy.”
When grime first appeared in the UK in the early 2000s, Ghetts—real name Justin Clarke—was one of the most significant rap acts in the country. He’s been in the industry for half of his life and is considered a pioneer in the genre, with the mainstream finally catching up in recent years. He was nominated for an Ivor Novello in 2019, hit number two on the charts, and was nominated for a Mercury Prize for his third album, Conflict of Interest, in 2021.
