Ivors nominee Ghetts claims drill music will become mainstream

Award-nominated grime artist Ghetts has said drill music will become as mainstream as his own genre.

The London artist has said the controversial music, often associated with knife crime and youth violence, will become a vehicle for UK talent.

Ghetts has been nominated for a prestigious Ivor Novello award for best contemporary song for Black Rose.

Drill has become hotly debated for its associations with the London gang scene and knife crime on the streets of the capital.

Ghetts, real name Justin Clarke, has said the style is a natural evolution of the genre he has pioneered, and will lead to the same success and opportunities.

The rapper, who had to keep his Ivors nomination secret from his mother, said grime deserves the recognition it is receiving from the likes of the Ivors.

Speaking to reporters in London, he said: “It’s pure. It’s very pure. It’s just based on a vibration that’s out there now in streets. And once the streets certify, it means it’s really certified.

“We’re seeing drill, I feel that that is really derived from grime, that is the evolution of what once was.”

Asked if drill can become as successful as grime, Ghetts said: “100%. I feel like the opportunity that it’s creating for some of these young kids is amazing.

“They’re able to change their lives, change their families’ lives. We’re seeing success stories coming from drill.

“They’re actually creating job opportunities, and it’s flourishing, it just goes round.”

Ghetts has said his mother will be “over the moon” with his nomination for Black Rose, written with Kojey Radical, Daniel Miles, JoJo Mukeza and Jaime Naldo Menezes.

The track deals with the beauty and treatment of black women.

Ghetts is one of 48 individual songwriters nominated at the annual Ivors, alongside the likes of George Ezra and Alex Turner.

The awards celebrate songwriting and composition, and Ghetts is not surprised at the progress of grime, from niche appeal to a fixture in the UK charts and awards ceremonies.

He said: “I kind of felt that would always happen. It’s been a real reflection of the streets.

“I’m a big believer in evolution. I don’t think anything should sound the same as it did a decade ago, it just shows no progress.

“Grime being musically one of the youngest genres in the world, there is so much more that we can explore.”

Ezra has been nominated for his single Shotgun, and Arctic Monkeys’ Four Out Of Five, penned by frontman Turner, has been recognised as one of the best songs musically and lyrically.

The track faces competition from Ben Howard’s Nica Libres At Dusk, and Nina Cried Power by Hozier.

Winners will be announced at a star-studded event at Grosvenor House in London in May.