Central Cee: Apple Music Live and Can't Rush Greatness | Apple Music

I started becoming a hater. I was telling everyone, I was thinking everyone's shit music.

I'm better than everyone.

But now I'm I'm back I'm not thinking like that again.

Like I'm not now I'm even in the sport.

I'm not I don't think I'm competitive, but then then I'll go and do a song with somebody.

I'll be in the studio with them, but it's not like a I don't know what it is, but it's true.

Like it's just in the back of your mind, cool, like I can't let my man step on my toes.

So I got to show up and be my best.

Yeah.

Oh man, fresh off the Apple Music Live.

And I'm honored to have him today because he don't really like to talk to us mere mortals, you know what I'm saying?

It's Central Cee sitting in the room, what's going on, man?

I'm good, man. How are you?

Good. I'm blessed, man. It's good to have you.

Yeah, it's good to be here. I'm I'm uh I I the reason I said that too is because I I love the fact that you don't do too much talking. I mean, you're on social media, you're having a good time living your life with your friends and being dope, but you don't really do a lot of sit-downs. So I really do appreciate. Yeah, I can't sit still. So having a convo like this is tough. It's not even yeah, not because I can't sit still, but I can't I find it a bit awkward talking about me. Right, right, right. But but I noticed in your music, a lot of your music, man, it it is about you and obviously your accomplishments, your rapper. But I hear so much about your family, your friends, the people you love and your motivation, which I find, you know, very uh appealing and dope. You know what I'm saying? Like I I want to start there because even at your Apple Music Live show, you open up in the car with your friends. And one of my favorite records off the album now I play the most is Limitless. Um, you know, because I feel like, look, man, you know, everybody could talk slick. Everybody can get money, everybody can, you know, talk to the girls and do all that shit, but when somebody's really willing to be like, yo, I recognize the hardships other people are going through. I recognize the shit I come from and I want to make sure that I share that story with everyone. I think that's powerful, man. Yeah, it's important. It's important to us. It was hard to make. It was hard to make that. So that's what the album was missing. It was one of the last songs that was added to the to the album. But yeah, I think like as as I grow. Or or like yeah, grow away from that. I tried not to I don't know, it's just not in the forefront of my of my head, isn't it? Right, right. You're living a different life. Yeah, so it was hard to kind of channel that. Like I had a few songs like that were a bit mellow, but you couldn't hear the pain the same way. Mhm. Like you used to maybe with some of my older stuff when I was I had to proper channel it a bit and and yeah, get back in that head space, I guess. 2022, 2023 was really what shit exploded for you, right? That was the would you say that was the time, right? Or you would say before that? For me, as soon as that like I've just been in the same head space from 2020, June 2020, when Day in a Life dropped, that was my first. Yeah, that was the first project. Yeah, it's just been the same. Like I feel like I'm the it's it's hard for me to even be in the like understand the difference from then to now. Because I've just been in like a the same mode from then. It's even like me, like when looking at other artists, cuz like I reference I reference Durk when when thinking about this, yeah. Cuz cuz I've seen Durk from I wonder what year, but this ain't what they want. And like from and I became a fan of Durk from then. So in my eyes, he was always Durk. I'm not really looking at the now. I'm just a fan. I'm not looking at his views. Like when he's dropping, I'm just liking the song. I'm not looking at, oh, this song's got more views than the last one or this one's got the less views than whatever. But then somebody said something to me one time, it was like, yeah, like Durk's just broke through. And that was only like when he done the song with Drake. I was like, how like I've been listening to Durk for like six years. And he's been in my head, he's just the same Durk. I'm not looking at him like, oh, he's getting he's growing. I'm not even watching it like that. I'm just appreciating the music. And I think it's the same for me. Like I'm just in my own head, so I don't know. I uh music became my job in 2020 and it's just been that ever since, but you're right, there is different turning points, but I don't I don't see them. Probably not even. It's not why you're doing it. Once again, goes back to the original thing. It's not why you're doing it. You're doing it because you have a something to say and you have a group of a community that you're trying to rep for. And a family that you're trying to take care of with a skill that you've worked on, you know what I'm saying? Like you're not like, yo, I got to I got to get to this point and then I got to get to this point, right? Like yeah. There's just one point. Yeah. There's two points, probably. We've made the first point, which is we have changed our lives. And then the next point is just all I'm doing is just staying alive and working while I'm alive, isn't it? But I think it's that and then it's also we we do have a bit of a problem with like celebrating or like. Like acknowledging accomplishments, so there's no time stamps to anything. Like as soon as something great happens, we just it's just another day in the office, really. I told uh for the audience, I had told uh Central C that uh he's the first UK rapper. To really break in the North American hip-hop scene and radio scene for that matter. I mean, Skepta obviously had a wave and collabs, but I don't think he had, you know, and that's my boy. But that band for band went to a whole other level on the radio out here, like it was playing everywhere all day. Is it? You know what I'm saying? Like that's and that's, you know, that's something you should celebrate, right? Cuz cuz because even in hip-hop, right? Like I, you know, I live here in New York. We um it took New York a while to understand the slang of the South. Like when the Migos came around, people was like, I don't know what they're saying. And I remember like UK rappers, you know, would come out gigs or, you know, Skepta, whoever would cut through, we'd be playing their records out here and people be like, yo, I don't I don't understand what they're saying. And you'd be like, yo, they're speaking English, bro. You can't. But it's the way the the English is put together and the different slang that's different, you know what I'm saying? But the fact that you broke through and people can understand what you're saying opens the door for that communication to start taking place. What do you think I make it easier to understand? Well, the fact that your song was playing on the radio, people can hear your cadence and your flow. Yeah. And starts to open the door for other MCs. Yeah, for sure. What do you think the difference is? In the in the in the way the language is spoken or? No, in in in the way that it's like now more easily easily accepted. I think the difference becomes people are now open-minded. It's like they try a new try they try a new entree at the hip-hop restaurant and they're like, yo, I didn't never even oh, yo, this shit is pretty good. Yo, y'all should check for this and I think more people start to check for it. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it's a few things as well, isn't it? I think that the fact like have you seen Top Boy? Yeah. That too, that's a good point. People watching Top Boy. I remember before before I blew up as well, it's not a good thing at all. That Supercell shit is fire too. Yeah, people rated that over here, isn't it? I haven't even seen that, but that's great. Off this new uh can't rush greatness. Um, like I said, I love limitless, uh limitless. GBP, um with the 21 Savage joint, that's GPP, no, the Skepta joint 10. Yeah, yeah. Um, you perform that joint on uh the Apple Music Live. Talk about the stage setup and the and the creativity around the visual we saw Apple Music Live, you know, your thought process going into the a show that size. Cuz I was I mean, that was monumental, right? You said you guys don't really stop and smell the roses, but I hope you walked out there and was like, oh shit. Like O2, UK. Do you know what I was actually mad emotional at the O2, you know? Not at the not not during the show, not before the show or or during it, or maybe actually near the end, like when like there's the end bit and like the confetti comes out and like even someone says, I thought you was going to cry, you know? And I was like, I think I was, you know, slightly. But yeah, cuz all my family was in there and then I can't like then like when I've come backstage, I don't know, yeah, it was weird, you know? Cuz I don't know like I don't I'm bad at emotions, isn't it? Like sometimes I'm supposed to cry, but I laugh. Like my body just laughs. Or like, yeah, like my my brain's just mash up, but. Like there was some there was I was emotional, isn't it? Um, but the creative behind it, I don't know. I think um what I always try and do, I don't always get it right, and I still don't have I'm still not like so proud of that show. Um creatively, I think there's there's something that man could do maybe a bit more simplistically, isn't it? There's a few references to some people's shows at the moment that I like, isn't it? And they're all pretty simple, but ours was a bit complicated. But what I want to do is when people come and see me in real life at a show, I want them to see what they see on the internet, isn't it? Whether it's music videos or like my Instagram, which is all pretty consistent, isn't it? Anytime you really see me, it's the same kind of kind of thing. All my videos are kind of similar or whatever, so yeah, I just wanted to paint that that picture on stage as best as I could. I feel like you got it though. Especially the way I mean, you the tone is set from the intro. The intro is sick. The intro is sick. Perfect. Yeah, the intro and I don't know if you saw the outro. Nobody really caught onto it as much as I wanted them to. But the so the whole show's actually. We started um the creative started, I had I just knew the aesthetic, like I wanted the the house, the whole stage is kind of like a house and you're seeing different like things happening and whatever, whatever. But then it just like a few days before the show started, um the tour started. We had a and I had a it felt like a great idea um to do that intro, cuz I knew I always was going to have the Yaris on stage, but I didn't know how I was really going to introduce it. So we filmed the intro and as I'm as I'm planning or like kind of like me and my me and my bridgen Luchy's kind of like scripting the intro, we thought we thought it could be funny if like then the outro comes out at the end and the whole thing was a dream. Right, right. So we're in the beginning, it's like supposed to be before when music wasn't my life and I've smoked the zoot and I've got super high, I've fell asleep, I've had a dream of the whole show and then the outro pops back up and I'm asleep in the car. My bridgen wakes me up. And I was like, fucking hell, like I was just having a mad dream about performing this and that. And um yeah, I thought that was a cool concept. No one really caught onto it that that that much, isn't it? But like. Well, we got Apple Music Live on the service now, they can go back and watch. Yeah, yeah, yeah, go watch it. Check for it. You seem competitive. I must be, isn't it? I don't I don't see it. Like I don't I don't really I must be, but I don't know who with. I don't know who I'm competing with. But yeah, I have to assume that when you first started this here rappers that you were like, nah, I can do that. And I want to like I have to assume that there were people that you came up and just when you was a little dude like rapping who thought they was better than you. No, not really. Nah, you haven't you haven't had to. Not really. No, like coming up, I was I was just I appreciated I just listened and I thought, yeah, I I want to do that as well. I never thought. I got to be better than this guy. Or maybe no, I didn't for a long for a long time. So I started rapping, I was like 14 or no, I started rapping younger. I actually released something when I was like 14. And then I didn't um pop off until I was 20 22, yeah. Um, but for the longest amount of time, I was just making music. Like I had so much faith that I wasn't watching anything and I was just cool like I appreciated all these music and this and that. And I was just a bit I don't know, I don't know what. The turning point was though, in my head, I lost faith in myself. I started getting insecure in my own craft. And cuz it wasn't doing it wasn't going anywhere, isn't it? Slightly. Like I had some sort of little motion, but I wasn't happy with it. Then I remember a switch started happening. Maybe I wasn't happy with my life. So I'd be in certain environments that I didn't really want to be in and I'm just looking at I'm going on my phone now. And I clapped myself, I became a hater. But it's mad cuz I grew up from my whole life up until I don't know, maybe like 18. I never knew no feeling of jealousy, hate, like I was actually I don't know. Even now, it's probably I probably gone back to my natural state, isn't it? I have no hate. I'm not I don't I don't. No jealousy, no. No, I don't really feel them feelings there. But I remember in that time, and that's how you know you're just a product of your environment, isn't it? Cuz when I'm there and I'm looking at, I don't want to be in this house, I'm scrolling my phone. I'm looking at these rappers now that I used to rate. I'm looking at them, I think these lot are shit, man. I'm better I must be better than them. See. I said, this guy's not even the truth. Like I'm start I'm starting clocking how it is to be a hater. And I became that. Um, but give thanks, man. Got out of that mindset still, but I understand how it can how it can be, isn't it? When you're not when you're somewhere you don't want to be. That's right. And I so I think that's why I don't I don't petty anybody's opinion either. I grew up like on the other side of that stick as well. Like cool, like I saw people being jealous, I had people was jealous all the time, isn't it? Before I even start making music. Like I just when I'm I don't know, it's just natural to me. I don't I don't I it's nothing for for people to have an opinion on me. Like outside of my circle, as long as my people like rate me, my mom has some like respect for man. Or me like I've I've got respect within my family or whatever. That's what that matters to me, isn't it? Everything else is whatever. I think people gravitate to that, that confidence. Yeah. You know what I mean? That means you come from a loving place, a real place and, you know, a healthy place too. Yeah. But even that self-reflection you shared with us, I think it's super healthy. Right? Acknowledging that you were stuck, not quite happy with yourself, that created negative negative vibes. Fully. Hating. I started becoming a hater. I was telling everyone, I was thinking everyone's shit music. I'm better than everyone. But now I'm I'm back I'm not thinking like that again. Like I'm not now I'm even in the sport. I'm not I don't think I'm competitive, but then then I'll go and do a song with somebody. I'll be in the studio with them, but it's not like a I don't know what it is, but it's true. Like it's just in the back of your mind, cool, like I can't let my man step on my toes. So I got to show up and be my best. Yeah, so I guess yeah, cuz people say, oh, like you won't some people say like your best verses are my best verses are when I'm rapping on somebody else's song. And it like it might be true. Like that is when I do rap a little bit different. Like when I'm spamming myself, I'm just thinking. You and Dave Cook, boy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a good feeling, isn't it? He's a beast too. So I'm sure but I mean that he he I'm sure he's, you know, that's your that's your friend probably outside the game. You guys have done what five like six, seven records together at this point. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I'm saying? You got the the the EP project, but then collabs outside of that, yeah. So I got to assume you guys love working together. Yeah, it's it's I don't really work with any I haven't really worked with many people, isn't it? So yeah, he's somebody that I've worked with much more than anybody else and yeah, it's it's good it gets it gets something different. He pulls the best out of you. Yeah, out of my like when I'm writing on my notes, I'm writing a little bit more different. Like I'm taking into consider or like even it's good as well. Like he'll say something and then man can like run off the back of what he's just said and it and it's easy for me, it's easier to write like that as well. That's fire. Yeah, what's one of your favorite records? Well, I can't say Sprinter. Sprinter is obviously sick, isn't it? Why not? Cuz it's popular? No, I think it's actually no, I think it's actually a good song as well. No, it is. That's what I'm saying. Like it's a it's popular cuz it's good. It's not one of those like. It is and that's what surprised me, you know, I didn't I've said it before anyway, but I didn't think that song was going to go. Why? Cuz it's a good song. Like I've never seen I don't know, like it's so. Well, cuz it's bars, like it's bars, it's. Yeah, not cuz it's a good song, isn't it? I thought cuz it's too lyrical like it's like very like I just wrote it to rap. All of my other songs that have gone, I write them with the agenda to to go. Like that one day I was just boring. When I'm listening back to it, like there's nothing in it that like I thought was catchy, but what is catchy is that it's good music as well. The instrumental's good. And then yeah, I think it's just it's we wrapped well and then but that's it's it's rare that a song. Pops off for his for it being good and not for it being a gimmick or it being having some sort of like mad catchy uh thing on TikTok or something. It was just actually a rap song, isn't it? Which is dope. Central Cee's his name. Uh we're getting some time with him today. Thank you so much. You're going, man. I hope to see you again. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I'm saying? Are we are is there. Like how do you with the album with how are you thinking about like the next project? Like is your brain even there? Yeah. You're thinking about a next project. I was already thinking what we obviously thinking kind of like what we going to do before even dropped the the project. But I don't know, there's so many ways we can take it. And um that's yeah, it's up for it's up for debate in our in our heads. It's it's all in the air. We don't know. We never really know, isn't it? Either way, we always keep the options open. Might try something. Don't really work. Just go all the way left. I don't know, but we going to do something. I hope. Yeah. It goes. Apple Music One, the Ebro Show.