While the rest of the world was sleeping, I jumped on the phone with Ceebo early on a Sunday morning. Lambeth’s most exciting rapper was flipping pancakes and ready to talk about how his life feels, post-Blair Babies. With his favourite topping — honey — lined up, we got into it. For someone entering a new phase of his career, it’s interesting that one of the first things on Ceebo’s mind isn’t himself. He kicked off the chat with news about the talent show he is putting on with Warwick Caribbean Culture Society. “Well my experience as a rapper in the early days was all about gaining experience and stripes. For me it was open mics, basements, people’s parties, the underground circuit in uni that prepped me as a performer.” He sees the show as an opportunity to provide that same platform for someone else. “I don’t need to be at a certain level to consider making it easier for someone else to come up, that’s why it’s so important to me.” The finalists have been rehearsing for weeks and he’s genuinely excited about what could come from it. “There’s going to be another Ceebo and Funmi (manager), A&Rs, set designers, and we’d be doing them a disservice if we don’t use the bricks we have to lay them a foundation".
That mentality is probably what drew me to Ceebo. He feels like a student of the game —a rapper’s rapper. The first thing I wanted to know was whether he thought rappers and audiences loved rap as much as he does. “No, and it upsets me. People don’t see rap as a craft or an art and there’s so much to learn.” For Ceebo, there are people in the scene who feel the same passion, but “it’s few and far between. That obsession with rap explains why one of the most striking parts of his style is how witty and competitive he can be on the mic. He states “it’s vital to the way I create, and a bar I’m trying to set as an artist. It helps me put my best foot forward because it can be really easy to coast when the only thing pushing you is the impulse of your creativity.” It’s a mindset that explains why he’s been receiving co-signs from not only his peers but some of the country’s best MCs. The excitement around Ceebo has already stretched beyond Britain, with Baby Keem showing love after hearing him freestyle over a grime beat. He says cheekily, “it made me wonder what he’s trying to do on 140".
