The old warehouses and industrial buildings of Hackney Wick have long provided sanctuary to East London’s artistic community, and this launch event was no exception.
Shae’s, a creative hub and community space, opened its doors to a host of London-based artists and industry peers, with one purpose: to celebrate the launch of a new project by Pozzy, a rapper, musician, and rising talent in the UK alternative music scene.
As the room filled and the crowd made its way to the food table, the beer bucket, or one of the sofas, there was a distinct homely feel to the venue, all the more so thanks to the photos plastered on every wall of a younger Pozzy. This was a deeply personal event, and when the rapper took to the stage (a rudimentary PA setup at the front of the room), a semi-circle formed around him.
The first bars of the new EP, it’s all up in the air., began to play, and the crowd grew tighter. The audience was captivated - quiet and still during each track yet exploding with rapturous applause as they ended. Few actually danced; most were here purely for the listening experience, feverishly nodding and stepping to the break beats and hi-hat shuffles that make Pozzy’s music so recognisable.
Speaking to the artist weeks later, he reflected warmly on the EP launch and the importance of feeding off the inspiration and support of his friends and collaborators - many of whom were in the crowd that night. When asked about his influences - rather than name-dropping prominent rappers - he said: “I get inspiration from my friends… it’s almost subconscious.”
Having written beats and lyrics since he was sixteen years old, it was only when “friends from home would be like, ‘Oh this is pretty good to be fair,’” that Pozzy began to see music as a viable career path.
Now, with more than 60,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, various notable co-signs - including namesbliss, AntsLive, and Sir Spyro - a viral appearance on BBC 1Xtra, and a DJ Mag best breakthrough vocalist nomination under his belt, his dream has become a reality.
it’s all up in the air. has a monologic, lyrical flow that reflects Pozzy’s introspection as he captures what life is like as a young adult in London. The first track, just say it (intro), sets the tone for the rest of the mixtape, featuring criticism of the current Labour government and comments on the cost of living crisis and recent protests.
The second track - step on the train - gives a more playful account of the day-to-day life of a young Londoner. When asked about this tone shift, Pozzy shared his intention to “be as authentic as possible, in the form of just being myself.”
He said: "I have very strong political opinions. I also like going to the pub, you know what I mean?"
Pozzy’s songwriting process changes with each track. “Sometimes I’ll start with the lyrics, sometimes a beat. Sometimes I’ll be with a friend,” he explained. In fact, step on the train was written in only half an hour after finding the beat in his spam inbox.
it’s all up in the air. is Pozzy’s first attempt to construct a thematically linked project, citing British rapper Dave’s various concept albums as inspiration.
Pozzy said: “I first wrote a lyric in 2023… it’s really just about not knowing where you’re going to go next or what’s going to happen but being content with it.”
It feels as though the music industry is in a similar state of limbo, and nowhere more so than in London. The monopolisation of streaming services, the capital’s declining nightlife culture, and the replacement of the live experience with clipped, sanitised social media content is beginning to erode the counter-cultural scene Pozzy is proudly part of.
Though Pozzy himself has built a following through TikTok and other social media platforms - as it seems to be a necessity for all creatives seeking a wider audience in the modern age - he reflects positively on the continuing importance of people and community in his subsection of the London music scene.
“I’m mostly prominent in the mellow grime alternative UK rap scene,” he continued. “It’s beautiful, everyone’s really open, there’s not really too much ego, everyone’s just supporting each other.”
He is also part of an east London-based collective, Dockside. “It’s sick that I can be in a community. There’s lots of cool people here… from all different backgrounds and upbringings. It doesn’t matter because we’re all brought together through music.”
The rising costs of touring and going out in London undoubtedly make it difficult for a young artist to break onto the scene, but the buzz around Pozzy’s latest project and his upcoming headline show at the Camden Assembly tells a different story: London can and should always be a place where grassroots music can thrive, based on community and not commercialisation.
