If you don’t know about N4T, im about to put you on…
N4T introduced me to his music a few months ago and over these last few months I’ve watched the lead up to the release of his project ‘ADHDTV’ and its success despite no industry support. I think he’s a great example of passion and good people around you being all you need.
Megan: “for those who don’t know, tell us who N4t is?“
N4T: “Yo, I’m N4T, aka ‘South London resident should be the President’, ‘Natty’, ‘Nizzy’, ‘Nino’ or ‘Mr. Bumping train’. But for you, N4T will be enough…
I’m coming from SE London, Penge, born and raised, but I went to secondary in Croydon so I feel like I got a dual citizenship in South.
From secondary times, you gotta have what we call a ‘tag’, and most my tight bredrins call man nizzy cause that’s what I used to go by. N4T really comes from tryna separate that real life version of me from my past, but also there’s too many man named nino or nizzy in this rap ting, so f it, IMMA BE ME.”
megan: “going all the way back to 2022, where [smoke signals] your first single dropped, you’ve always had a very unique and specific twang but over these two years it’s elevated. What’s the inspiration behind the new beats you’ve chosen to adopt?”
N4T: “Bro you know what’s mad, when I made smoke signs, I was in a complete different place in my life, even though it was just 2 years ago. I really made that ‘D Day’ EP as a way of mourning the loss of my friend Michael, trying to show that cycle of grief represented by me being reborn at the end of the EP. I mean… after making that, I think my mind shifted and I think I’m over being sad or feeling any negative emotions. I’ve done all the self-reflecting, I’ve mourned my friends and myself and I was just tired of sitting in that feeling…
Until I was introduced to the UK underground, with Fimi, Lancey and others along the way, and it was like my mind found what it needed. I first started trying to see what I can do on a song called ‘ew’ but I don’t think I entirely got what I was doing until I released a song called ‘WOLLIT’ (originally on my ‘ME DAY’ EP and then dropped on ‘ADHDTV’) and it’s like everything was slowly starting to click.
The full incorporation of my Jamaican heritage into music was something I didn’t feel possible in the confines of typical “UK Rap”, and then when ‘Everybody Hates N4T’ arrived? Boiiiiiiii. My half Ghanaian side came out INSTANTLY! The rest is history. This dat feel good music, that kinda music you hear and know you’re that n*gga. It’s sexy, it’s audacious, it’s me.”
megan: “talk to me about the writing process behind ‘ADHDTV’, why you chose this name and each song title specifically and how you went about getting the features.”
N4T: “I’m very particular when it comes to my songs. So when I wrote the each song for ADHDTV I spent an extended period writing them, making melodies stick and trying to convey concepts in interesting ways, even if the subject matter seemed simple. Some Songs like ‘PRETTY LITTLE LIARS’ just flew to my head, using all the names of the women in my life + real life experiences, it just felt like magic was unfolding.
The song that probably took the longest was the outro simply because I always look to ‘UK rap’ when it comes to writing outros and understand that they are essentially one of the most important parts of projects; in my opinion, they have to be almost perfect.
In terms of getting the features, I love all the women in this scene bro, and I feel like they deserve their shine so I picked @sevenraps, and shouted her to jump on ‘OMG’ with me, just so she can show these n*ggas she means business and she DELIVERED. I really wanted to help her in any way I could man. With @CSUFF2R, I picked him because I’d heard some of his old stuff but my spirit felt like he could SPECIFICALLY electrify that ‘RCKSTAR’ beat and my spirit never lies – I knew I had a banger on my hands, and that I just needed the right feature to bring it home and he did that. Lastly, Ruebyn (@die4ruebyn). Ruebyn is my brother man, he’s pushed me in music so much I owe him for real. No matter what I had to put a song with him on the project, even if it got 3 streams. That “IDONTMIND” feature is magic, he graces every song he jumps on man, ay SHOUTOUT RUEBYN MAN.
I call the project ‘ADHDTV’ because I felt like the sporadic nature of the adlibs, themes and songs, all represented this whirlwind that I call my mind and what better name to call a project than something that reflects my thoughts, giving everyone insight into my brain, almost watching my every thought, ADHDTV. I was picking song titles based on TV channels that made me into who I am. I was deeply afraid of the Pretty Little Liars theme tune as a yute and I’m deeply afraid of pretty women. ‘TINGATINGATALES’ was like the first time I saw Africans represented in a positive light on TV. ’21 JUMP STREET’ with the lovely Megan Kamanga’s voice at the beginning, coz man was on that song for pure violence,
Guys, Nat had literally messaged me at 3am with a snippet of the song and i listened and thought ‘Wait, how and why is my voice on here?’ I loved the song straight away and gave him the green light.
Nino and his neurons, for the more introspective outro. ‘EVERYBODY HATES N4T’ for Everybody Hates Chris. I tried to keep the theme of TV channels in one way or another, but the first half is supposed to be listened to in the day, and the Last half is supposed to be listened to in the Night. I’m thankful for all the voice notes that I stole and put on songs from friends and others, sorry not sorry.”
megan: “which song is the most meaningful to you and why?”
N4T: “Ah man. This is so hard. Maybe ‘Branches’ because before the crazy summer buzz I’d been having ‘Branches’ was like the song that I first felt completely proud of due to quality and subject matter. Not even to diss my music before, but I think I finally figured out mixing around the time when I dropped branches. Bro all my songs got deleted before branches dropped, everything I had been working on, including a different project I was planning to drop but at that moment it felt like I lost myself, my passion, everything, just gone.
But for some reason, I didn’t feel hopeless. A producer, @forrealpharrel had sent me a beat, and I felt like it spoke to me, and maybe I spoke to it. “I’ve seen money grow on trees, that’s why the banks have branches”. I’ve seen a lot, but I’m still here. One of the lines that resonate with people the most is, “God ain’t gave me one thing, I can’t handle” and that song, and my life is a testament to that. In my opening speech before I start rapping, I say “but you know, God still prevails…there’s a purpose for everything, you never know”. And the fact that, He did come through for me, that my faith manifested from that song into reality, that song means so much to me. I’ll always appreciate what ‘TINGATINGATALES’ has done for me, and ‘EVERYBODY HATES N4T’ is probably my favourite, but ‘Branches’ is my heart in a song.
Saying all that though, “Anything Good from Nazareth” is my best song, sorry shameless plug big man.”
Megan: “you’ve done it all so far with zero industry backing/ promo that wasn’t organic. how did you remain motivated and what advice would you give artists in the same position?”
N4T: Bro this industry is dark you know. So much inflated egos, sh*t artists, guys who think followers mean ratings, guys who are known simply because they know a guy. It’s so neeky. It was so difficult, I won’t even lie. Sometimes I can’t believe I’m even here, that I’ve come so far from where I was before, and these times I’m not even in a CRAZY spot, but still.
I was going to so many industry events, sneaking in VIP sections at motives, pretending to be someone, being places I’m not supposed to, getting home at f**k off times, all kinds of stuff. I will always thank those at Beau Beau’s music club for giving me the confidence to be so audacious in this ting, they gave me the opportunity to rap alongside Unknown T in January of this year and it gave me (what felt like) so many eyes and people that wanted to connect with me. At every stage I just used what was available to me, and I didn’t complain. Even when I should’ve, or when I had every right to.
Posting on TikTok everyday, sleeping 7am every night, studying the scene, researching my contemporaries, analysing what works for not only me but everyone. Starting, failing, starting again, learning how to edit and being in Uni too. But by God, it’s been working… I won’t lie and say I was always motivated; that I always wanted to keep going but I can’t ever give up, I’m too stubborn. If someone was where I was bro, my number one tip is go outside. Meet the people you want to appeal to. Post on TikTok everyday if you can (this is vital). Make a twitter, connect with the people who are friends with the people you wanna connect with. Study the people in this game. I feel like I know every man’s backstory, their start, their socials, their come up, it’s crazy, even before they even know me. I’m so obsessed with this sh*t man.
And love your identity. You ain’t gotta do the American ting, connect more with your heritage, your Black British identity, we are too lit to not have that be more integrated in the music scene. Authenticity is always more attractive. You can’t fail if you don’t stop. I always told myself, all I need is one video to blow. And here we are now.”
Megan: “what’s your current goal and what’s the end goal?”
N4T: “The end goal is World Domination. I have to be the best, I gotta be President of the world. I look at my peers and I feel inspired but I also feel like I wanna be better than them, and I feel like you should feel that way. I look at Len and he’s in stu all the time and I’m like, wtf am I doing here on YouTube watching flipping pop the balloon bro LOCK IN. I ain’t stopping till I’m undeniable, I want your grandma listening to man and shaking nyash.
As for my current goals…next year we got 2 projects coming. It’s gonna be that kinda year. I wanna do what the man before me have done but bigger and better. So wait on me. I promise it’ll be worth it. Big up the fans for believing in me, I read every message coz seeing that red notification on insta makes my head burst bruv, but I love all of the messages. I’m here, and I’m here to make my presence known. As always, you’re never late, you’re right on time. If you’re looking for who’s next, like I say at the beginning of my verses; PREE!”
ADHDTV’ OUT NOW!
Hope you enjoyed reading this one,
Until next time,
Megankamangawrites.
megan kamanga writes 
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