Nippa will happily admit he’s a doom scroller. He’ll also tell you he can’t go anywhere without his Beats Solos, that he switches off with Wolverine while counting down to Grand Theft Auto 6, and that when life gets heavy, you’ll find him on the dance floor.

The Tottenham singer is deep into the biggest season of his career. Homegrown, his Warner Records debut, is nine songs of yearning R&B, hypnotic dance and swaggering rap, with Blxst, Jordan Ward, KAYTRANADA and Pino Palladino along for the ride. The title track is now the official soundtrack to Tottenham Hotspur’s 2026/27 kits, a big moment for the mandem who all grew up in the same area.

He has described his sound as “hood R&B.” In our 18 questions, he corrects the record: he’s just from the ends and makes R&B, so the hood is simply what he writes about. He also talks Nipsey Hussle, giving back the way his mum always did, the nerve it took to put “I’m Scared To Be Left Alone” on the record, and why his mum will never get a full explanation of “Just Vibe.”

His final message to the kids is the best one. Don’t do drugs. They’re bad.

1. What’s the first thing you usually do when you wake up in the morning?

Scroll my phone, if I’m honest. I’m a super doom scroller. I need to change that and lock in.

2. What’s one thing you can’t live without right now?

I can’t live without my Beats Solo headphones, lol. I can’t not listen to music while in the mood.

3. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Failure is when you stop. A moving man will always meet his luck.

4. If you could have dinner with any musician, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Nipsey Hussle, because his ethos on life has kept me going. We’re from similar backgrounds, so I want to know how he overcame his trials in life.

5. What’s a song you wish you had written yourself?

“Yes It Is” by Leon Thomas.

6. When you’re not making music, what’s your favourite way to completely switch off?

I switch off by playing Wolverine and waiting for Grand Theft Auto 6.

7. What’s somewhere in the world that always inspires you creatively?

Thailand really inspires me. I love living off the land.

8. If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice before beginning your music career, what would it be?

Just be you. Don’t hide your true self. You are who you are. Rastafari.

9. Homegrown came out of a year of soul-searching. What did you have to admit to yourself before you could write these songs?

Change has to come within me first. No one’s going to save me but me.

10. You’ve described your sound as “hood R&B.” What can you say through that blend of tenderness and swagger that you might struggle to say in conversation?

I wouldn’t say hood R&B. I’m just from the ends and make R&B, so my topics are going to be about whatever my environment is. That just happens to be the hood.

11. Your mum’s community work helped shape your connection to Tottenham. What’s something you watched her do growing up that you now try to carry into your own life?

I saw my mom continue to inspire and give back to the new generation, even without credit. I pride myself on always giving back. Inspiring the new generation is our responsibility.

12. “Homegrown” became the soundtrack to Spurs’ kit launch. Who did you most want to share that moment with, and what did you say to them?

I wanted to share that moment with my family and friends. All my mandem grew up in the same area, so it was a big moment for us all.

13. On the title track, you and Blxst bring Tottenham and South Central Los Angeles together. What did you recognise in his experience that felt close to your own?

Community. Artists in LA have a mindset of giving back. People like Rance1500 and Blxst give back to the community, and that’s an ethos we share.

14. “Bittersweet,” produced by KAYTRANADA and Rance, puts some restless thoughts over a beat made for dancing. When does going out help you clear your head, and when does it just put things off until the morning?

I run away from responsibilities and issues within myself a lot, so I party it away. If there are a lot of troubles in my life, you’ll see me dancing.

15. “Kacey,” with Jordan Ward, weighs a life of travel against someone back home. Has being away changed what you look for in a relationship?

100 percent. My life is hectic, so I need someone who’s prepared for my life to take turns.

16. “I’m Scared To Be Left Alone” is a direct admission. Was there any hesitation about putting that feeling on the record, knowing people would hear it alongside your more confident side?

Yeah, but I owe it to the people to show all sides of myself. Not every day aura. Man’s human.

17. You previously joked that your mum gets on to you about your lyrics. Did anything on Homegrown make you think, “I’m going to have to explain this one”?

Yeah, but mom doesn’t really take in lyrics all the way, unless it’s swear words. Certain lyrics in “Just Vibe” made her puzzled, and I’ll keep it that way.

18. As your music takes you further from home, what’s one thing your friends in Tottenham would never let you get away with changing about yourself?

Doing drugs. Ahahaha, don’t do drugs, kids. They’re bad, man. Don’t do that.

Homegrown is out now, follow via @nippa.ad