Quotes from Kano

My favourite lessons in college were when we would have a professional teach us, or when we went out of the classroom for the day. You take in so much more when someone who's been there and done it is telling you.

Personally, I enjoyed school as much as the next kid. I was into art and every sport going from football to table tennis, so I kept busy. I never bunked a day off and left with 9 GCSEs, if I remember correctly.

Biggie has definitely stood the test of time. He's the reason Jay-Z and loads of other rappers are who they are. His flow and wordplay is brilliant - the stories he would tell are just nuts.

I think Mighty Moe really got me into a whole different style of MCing. There were a lot of people with simple lyrics and simple word play- he really pushed out the boat.

Everybody has flaws, and every country has flaws. But you can still love something even though you know it's been so wrong before, and sometimes is now, and probably will be again.

I can clearly hear a lot of grime influence on Timbaland's stuff, on some of Drake's flows.

You know, I was going to be a footballer at one stage, but... nah.

I believe in education, but I think the balance has to be right between theory and practical experience. I think from secondary school onwards it should be more about preparing you for life and work in the real world.

I think music is great at posing a question. It doesn't always have to give the answer, but it can open the dialogue.

As a boy, I was known for reciting whole songs after one listen. I've always had a good memory for lyrics. It's weird because I don't have a good memory for other things. I remember lyrics easier than the shopping list.

I'm definitely not a nerd... but maybe I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to music and lyrics and things like that. Other than that, I'm definitley not a nerd. I wish I was, though.

The Wire' was from a police perspective - in terms of the streets and that, it was probably like, thirty per cent. 'Top Boy' is really from the perspective of the quote-unquote criminal. It's getting into the mind of these people and why they do what they do. It's bigger than just 'Woke up and wanted to be bad one day.'

I love the building and the history. I understand not many people like me have played there. But the aim is not to conform to that building. It's to bring the Albert Hall into my world.

People used to say if you really want to crack it you have really got to go to America. But with the Internet and the scene how it is... Americans are coming here more and more. They are looking at what we are doing. I think it's important that we all remain here, that we stay here and keep this scene thriving.

Garage has been the big influence in my life. It was the first music that I started MCing to and I really used to look up to Heartless Crew.

He will go down as a legend along with Elvis and the Beatles and Michael Jackson. Bob Marley is right up there. He was a leader for reggae music - he really made it appeal to a world audience.

I have to go into the studio to make my second album knowing I'm making an album. When I first started making songs I didn't have an album in mind, that's why a lot of them I like - I'm talking about how I haven't got a deal, how I'm living, you can never really top the first time, but we'll see how it goes.

I'm not into releasing throwaway music for the sake of it.

Me and Skepta, we're kind of from the same world but have totally different-sounding albums. That's why I get funny sometimes when people say I'm a grime artist. Not in a negative way, but I don't feel it's a true representation of the music I'm making.

I do feel that it's very important to see positive imagery.

I know how important imagery is.

Lyrics came quite easy early on in my career. But I always wanted to push it further and stand out a bit more. We were coming from the garage era when lyrics were simplified, purposefully, to work in the club environment. They were about hyping up a crowd or bigging up a DJ. Moving into grime, our lyrics became more in-depth.

You fight for your character in the script. It's part of our job to evolve them, show all sides of them.

Most raves used to end by getting CS gassed. It wouldn't be like: 'Last orders! We've gotta go!' It'd be: 'Sigh, it's been CS gassed, we've gotta leave.'