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Grime has had a really good year in 2009 with the likes of Wiley and Tinie Tempah getting signed (well the millionth time for Wiley, but still) and as we go into 2010 there is a lot of talk of who will be the next to blow from that scene. One of those people is a guy called Young Kye. Joseph ‘JP’ Patterson caught up with him to talk grime, Luton and… Narnia?

For those that don’t know, who is Young Kye?

Young Kye is Young Boss. Young Neno aka Krafty Kizzle prior to 2007 [Laughs]. Seriously though, I’m everything I say I am in my lyrics and more. I come from Lewsey Farm, Luton and proud. I did the whole education system minus a Masters. I’ve done more than the average MC say they’ve done on the other side of the spectrum, so I guess the word ‘real’ is used best to describe myself.

Growing up, what was getting played in the household and did any of it influence the music you’re making today?

I grew up on MTV. I was blessed to get Sky when it first come out and had about 25 channels [Laughs], so every aspect of music is in my blood. Classical music has always intrigued me, music without lyrics. I like music that breaks conventional stereotypes and expectations, hence the reason why I fell in love with grime music. When someone has very little knowledge of conventional techniques of making music but understands the emotion that needs to be portrayed, it’s almost like Neo before he became the one in the Matrix, magical [Laughs]. No one really knows what I’m about to do with my music right now, I’m just making music to fit in before I start making the transition to standing out.

When did you come on the scene? I was told you’ve been about for a little while, but the first time I had heard about you was when you came to my show on Diesel Music Radio with J2K and Manga…

I’ve been trying to do this ting for ages. Since Manic Fm with DJ Gurna, Manga and Skepta about 3/4 years ago, imagine that! Now I could recite you a lyric from five years ago and I’m definitely sure you would say I would’ve been the best for my age back then, if not top five. The problem was I had no guidance or ability to produce songs and tunes. My delivery was also not as good as it should have been vs. my flow and content. I also did a couple freestyles which were quite big in my area, but I just couldn’t concentrate when there are many distractions that I couldn’t avoid so I just stopped.

Do you think grime has had a good year in 2009? And what do you think it needs to do to improve in 2010?

Grime has never had a good year since Dizzee Rascal got signed. It’s been a great year for certain individuals and black UK artists from the underground, not for grime though. The only person I believe that can make grime have a good year is Wiley. When he’s situated I feel like the doors will swing open for a grime label. Grime is the UK answer to US hip hop and once we understand that and establish the variables of what grime is, then we can move forward, but until then it’s dormant. People need to have more respect when they step in that booth. Behind closed doors any one can be a prick or a ‘parrers’, but once you step into the booth it’s like stepping into Narnia [Laughs] you got to have respect for the founders of the genre. Keep the personal shit to do with the ‘big dargs’ outside of the music industry, or at least disguise it.

You’ve been the talk of the town as one of the people next to blow up big from the grime scene. Do you think that’s a fair prediction? And what are you going to do to make sure that it comes to pass?

Nah, it’s not fair. There is a lot of people before me that’s got to blow up respectively. If I go before them I will be contacting them for a collaboration straight away. I’m going to try and put in as much work as Wiley, go as ‘ard’ as The Movement, kill shows like Boy Better Know, stay humble like Tinchy Stryder and Ruff Sqwad, stay focused and bring that fire like Chipmunk, and produce beats like nobody else [Laughs]. If I do that then the UK should show me love and should put me on the same path as them, the path to success…

Quick Fire…

Funky raves or grime raves?

A grime showcase all day long. Funky has a lot of watered down elements of grime and I don’t need instructions to dance, if I did I would listen to soca music. No disrespect just saying it how I see it.

Nike or Gucci?

Gucci. I don’t wear much of both, but I don’t really wear much sportswear anymore. I’m 22 now, big man mode [Laugh].

Alesha Dixon or Mz. Bratt?

Mz. Bratt. She’s grime and we need more female artists like her.

 For more check Twitter.com/youngkye and MySpace.com/youngkyemusic

A version of this appeared over at RWD Magazine