Rising rapper Che Lingo talks with the BBC about his transition from his humble beginnings of working in youth clubs to being signed by Luther star Idris Elba. Lingo has only been on the music scene for just over three years but has already been recognised as one of the more talented and watched artists of the current times. Certainly, Che Lingo is one to keep an eye for.
Although being a very new artist on the scene, Che has shown great diversity being comfortable to change from hard-hitting grime songs to RnB yet still hold that captivating feeling and passion that have people looking. It was in 2018 that saw Che’s start with the release of his EP ‘Charisma’ that explores “themes of self-doubt and depression, millennial love and the tough choices facing young people on London’s deprived estates”
It was after Netflix used one of Che’s song Same Energy that the streaming site used for their drama Top Boy that gained the attention from Idris Elba, taking Che “from playing youth clubs, not knowing what I’m doing, to having a conversation with Idris Elba about an album“. Earlier this year (Febuary 2020) Che signed to Elba’s record label Parlophone and released his first single My Block under the new deal.
Furthering Che’s fame, this new single was used as an anthem earlier this year in the Black Lives Matter protests (These protests took the world by storm after the murder of George Floyd by the police in America). Some of the protesters also printed the lyrics on T-shirts. This took Che by surprise “I’m still kind of trying to catch up to that feeling,” he told the BBC.
This isn’t Che’s first run-in with police brutality. My Block was originally written for one of Che’s who was left permanently paralyzed and brain-damaged after being arrested outside a night club. “Rather than being taken to hospital, Cole was driven to a police station. Only after police officers noticed he was unresponsive in the van was an ambulance called.“. After the tragic death of his friend, three police officers were later sacked.
Front page of BBC NEWS for the album. No compromises, all grind. #TWGALBUM — #TWGAlbum (@Che_Lingo) October 29, 2020
It is clear to see how much attention Che has garnered over this year (from both before and after the BLM movement) with papers and news outlets writing about him. “One to watch: Che Lingo” From the Guardian, and “‘People are dying who shouldn’t be dying’: Meet Che Lingo, the London rapper confronting the UK’s police brutality” From the Independent.
Che Lingo released his Debut album earlier this month (23/10/2020) under Idris Elba’s label. The Worst Generation has already amassed a large number of streams on Spotify, with My Block nearing one million streams. Che Lingo is certainly a rapper and artist to keep a very close eye on.
