Kano and Simon Armitage join Fraser T Smith for the latest episode in his podcast series ’12 Questions.’
Announcing the episode’s release on Instagram, Fraser T Smith wrote: “This week I’m joined by my good friends and lyrical titans @therealkano and @simonarmitage_official on my ’12 Questions’ podcast Hit the link in my bio to hear us talk all things from poetry to freedom to whether aki and saltfish is in Kano’s blood.”
The latest episode in the ’12 Questions’ series explores Kano’s move into acting from music in his role as Sully on Top boy and how his lived experience influenced the role; he said: “I didn’t approach acting like, i say an actor i don’t know how every actor would approach it … I approached it like an artist and I think art is more about asking questions and beginning that process. So when I looked at those scripts, it wasn’t just like learn those lines; it was like, why are those the lines? From my experience, this could maybe happen, or this could maybe be the response to that line, and it was always very conversational with me.”
The episode starts with Smith asking the lyrical legends what they think of the concept of ‘fear or faith,’ the iconic MC says: “Sometimes I fear that I don’t have faith, you know if I’m interpreting faith as faith In a higher power or faith in god and thinking about life after us and afterlife, I kinda sometimes think because I’m not a religious person, I’m moving through life without being faithful to a religion it doesn’t mean I don’t have faith… I have faith in other things. I have faith in people, I have faith in the younger generation, we have to have faith.”
Armitage adds how he has “always been a big fan of the phrase a leap of faith.” Going on to explore what taking chances mean to him, he said: “I think that’s how we grow and how we writer, by taking chances. I’ve always approached my life as a write by accepting projects, agreeing to them on the phone, putting the phone down and then thinking, I can’t do that; I have no idea how to do that.” The Poet Laureate later jokes about how the answer to everything should be “one thousand pounds,” as he discusses his future plans and dives into some of life’s most pressing questions with Fraser T Smith.
The ’12 Questions’ series, hosted by musician, songwriter and produce Fraser T Smith, answers the twelve questions posed on his 2020 album with the same name. The album features the likes of Idris Elba, Kojey Radical, Dave, Bastille, Stormzy, Ghetts and Kano. Smith said on the album, “Creatively, it’s a colourful musical playground – the culmination of everything I’ve learned over my career, from 70’s progressive rock to hip hop. Culturally, it’s a celebration of humanity, whilst shining a light on some of the cruel injustices in the world.”
You can listen to the latest episode in Fraser T Smith’s podcast series, ’12 Questions’ with Kano and Simon Armitage now.
