UK rapper guarantees Aussie show next year with new album
'I love the Australian saying, 'How you going', because we say, 'How's it going', or 'How you doing', but you guys have kind of merged the two.'
UK rapper AJ Tracey loves performing in Australia due to high-energy crowds and passionate fans, and he can't wait to be Down Under some time next year.
The 31-year-old has just released his third studio album, Don't Die Before You're Dead, which marks a return from a self-imposed hiatus.
The album traverses grief, therapy, faith, family, healing and what it means to be British, where recent singles like 3rd Time Lucky tackled his mother's battle with cancer, and West Life closes in on private, romantic corners of the star's life.
'I'm excited for this new music to come out, and I'm excited to get touring, get to festivals, and hopefully get back to Australia soon,' he said.
'I never really intended to take a massive break. It kind of just sort of happened. I was just living life and trying to take a break and clear my mental state. And it just ended up being longer than I thought.
'I want to say (to the fans) thank you so much for waiting, and I appreciate it. Every time I come to Australia, you show up for me and show me love. I'm not joking. Everywhere I go, whenever people say, 'Where do you like performing? ' I always say, 'I love performing in Australia'. AJ Tracey (middle) with Headie One and Aitch. Credit: Supplied
And also it feels like home. It feels like when I'm in the UK, the same feeling is when I'm in Australia. It just feels very similar. Everyone understands we've got the same kind of culture. The music taste is the same.'
AJ said he wanted to be in Australia playing summer festivals at the start of next year to get away from the UK's brutal winter.
The album took three years to create and sees the Ladbroke Grove native become more vulnerable in his lyrics.
'I think this album is basically my experience of being British as a mixed-race man,' he said.
'I want to showcase growth, to hammer home that the UK is a melting pot of cultures, and that I'm proud to be British—no matter how hard people try to make it about 'us versus them'.
'All the features are British. 99 per cent of the production is British. And I just feel like it's cool to champion where you're from and just celebrate what we have here.'
One of his favourite songs from the project is Crush featuring Jorja Smith, whom he worked with on 2019's triple-platinum Ladbroke Grove. AJ Tracey and Jorja Smith for their song Crush. Credit: Supplied
'She's the goat, yeah, she's a G Man. We went into the studio, and she was like, 'Yeah, I want to rap on this record'. And then she just killed it,' he said.
Reflecting on his break from music, AJ said he 'realised I hadn't been doing enough growing'.
'Learning new things, going to new places, spending time with my mum, studying Islam. It was necessary for me to take my time,' he said.
'I went to therapy, had difficult conversations, spent time with my mum, and finally made peace with my dad. He's just a human who made mistakes.'
He also said it was important not to get caught up in social media.
'It's cool to use Instagram and TikTok. Obviously, they're a tool, and it's good to have fun on them. But I think they're not the end of the world.
'You need to experience things like going for a walk in the park, enjoying your family time, and enjoying being with your friends. I just think that's really, really important. And I think COVID-19 taught me that, because during COVID-19, the whole world was just locked down, and I felt like I needed to be grateful for the things that I do have going for me. When we came out of lockdown, I needed to enjoy life more than I have been, because we take things for granted.'
It seems AJ fans won't have to wait another four years for an album to drop as he said he plans on keeping to release singles and 'another album soon'.
He also revealed he hoped to collaborate with Australian singer and rapper The Kid Laroi.
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