Jo Fuertes-Knight catches up with Professor Green for an exclusive interview on the set of his new video ‘Hard Night Out’.

One of Hackney’s finest and arguably the UK’s most talented freestyler, Professor Green seemed to slip under the radar after the collapse of Mike Skinner’s label The Beats. But shuffling through a crowd of cage fighters and a bum-pinching midget I caught up with Pro on the shoot of his brand new video Hard Night Out to talk frankly about The Beats going bust, his hiatus from the battle scene and dousing tits in vodka.

Professor Green - “Hard Night Out”

 

So where’ve you been? Sitting on your arse?

Nah, just filmed my first video in a year and a half and I’ve stopped smoking weed.

 

Aside from not being lean have you taken some time to recover from The Beats going under?

You could say that. I was still tied to Warner after they pulled the financing so I became their property. I didn’t want all that music to go to waste, so nine months and five grand in lawyers fees later I eventually got everything back, but it took a long time.

 

And now? You seem to have an actual game plan?

You’re trying to get me to say something about The Beats!

 

Maybe…

Yeah, there was a lot of disorganisation but there also weren’t enough people behind it. Everyone that was involved had the best intentions and we still got a lot out of it and are all still friends…to my knowledge anyway. Example is a cunt though…

 

BEEF!

Nah! I love him he’s good peoples.

 

In the long run has it been a blessing or was there a massive anti-climax?

It was an anti climax but we had a lot of good times and it was a learning curve. I’m thankful for the experience and for the opportunities that arose from that situation. I’m definitely more determined now though.

 

Your EP sounds very slick, what can we expect from the album? Was the slickness a conscious effort as you’re from a battling background? Like “fuck you, I CAN RECORD!”

It was more a case of “FUCK I need to finance the Gym Class Heroes tour but only have four days to put something together so I’d better get to work”. Four of the songs were written, mixed and mastered in those four days.

 

So is it fair to say you’re now an ex-battle mc?

I’d never say that, I miss it too much. I said I wouldn’t battle but I ran at the chance when MySpace offered £50,000 of promotion. I did it because I like doing it, I like humiliating people and making it rhyme. That said I’ve got so much more material now I’m focusing on what I should have been doing a few years ago. With this single coming out and plans for a digital single every month till August, it’s a lot.

 

Speaking of the MySpace promotion, you’re an internet fiend, do you think you could survive as an artist without coverage on the internet?

I think it’s an integral part of anyone’s marketing now. People want to hear and see what they want to hear and the internet gives them just that.

 

Is it more important to maintain a big internet profile what with everyone being skint and magazines going bust?

It’s always been important and I’ve always been more into the online side of things so I wouldn’t say I’ve changed what I’m doing. It’s definitely gash the shit that’s going on now.

 

Do you get a lot of internet groupie love…honestly?

I get gash.

 

Stories please!

I’ve had some proper dodgy propositions. In Liverpool on the same tour as Sway and I was selling some CDs and this woman came up to me and asked if I wanted to come for a spliff and kept coming over to make conversation. She was a bit older and a bit strange and, erm, not as attractive as you’d like. The next day I checked MySpace and she sent me a message saying you “could’ve been sucking on spliff while I was sucking on something else.”

 

ROUGH!

I know…

Twitter, MySpace or Fassybook?

Facebook. Plenty of Gash.

 

Have you kissed and made up with Lady Sovereign and Jamie T? Do you have to blank each other if you walk past them in the street or is it all a clever PR ploy like 50 Cent or summat?

Haha nope. I don’t know if me and Jamie T have a problem, it was just hearsay and I was just poking fun at Sov, I have no problems with anyone at the moment, it’s quite a nice feeling.

 

How about artists you’re rating?

Wretch 32, Ghetts, Giggs, Rinse, there’s probably more but I’ve just been on a three day binge having drunk my body weight in vodka at least twice and coherence evades me.

 

A lot of the more successful UK rappers are white, do you mind people bringing up the fact you’re white?
I don’t mind it, should people feel the need to state the obvious they are welcome to…pricks.
 

…so who’s the UK’s best white rapper

Me.

 

As a rap man do you ever just cotch and watch Come Dine With Me and listen to Mozart or do you listen to Biggie all day surrounded by women pouring champagne on their tits in bikinis?

I like Grand Design. I want to build my own house one day. Not by myself obviously, I just want to employ a great architect and interior designer then take all the credit when friends come over. As far as champagne on tits in bikinis, it’s more a case of Glenn’s vodka being dribbled over tits in cheap underwear. 

 I like Glenn’s vodka…Wagamamas or Nandos? Discuss

Wagamamas. Nandos is hit and miss. Bare times I’ve got dry chicken, Wagamamas has variety too. I used to be a Chicken Katsu Curry man but I’m into the Chilli Beef Ramen at the moment. And I like the fruit juices to.
 
 
Finally describe your music in the form of a poem please.

My music is sometimes funny,

My music is sometimes dark
My music IS my music, music is MY craft
 

Oh fuck this, fuck off with your clever questions! Do I look like a poet? I’m called a rapper for a reason. I’m not smart, I just make words rhyme.

For more on Professor Green:

http://www.myspace.com/professorgreen

 

http://twitter.com/professorgreen 

 

Interviewer: Jo Fuertes-Knight

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