AJ Tracey is refusing to give in to “TikTok pressure” and release music he's not happy with.
The 30-year-old rapper has released two studio albums, 2019's self-titled LP and 2021's Flu Game, and he wants his next record to be something he can look back on in a few years and be “proud of.”
Speaking on The Red Carpet Treatment podcast, presented by the BRIT Awards in partnership with Mastercard, he said: “To be honest with you, it's not because I want to appear mysterious. I want to take my time and make sure that when I'm done with music, I can look back on it and say, 'This is something I'm proud of, and I'm glad I put it out like this,'” he said. “It's not because I feel pressured by TikTok or pressured by, 'I have to do this.'”
The Ladbroke Grove hitmaker admits he often wonders whether it's the right thing to “not follow the crowd and just release music every week”.
He said, “I'm a human being, so of course I worry. But I'm not worried about whether people like the music, because I think the quality of the music is good. I'm more worried about whether I'm doing the right thing, following my artistry, than pandering to the masses and releasing music every week. I know I'm doing the right thing, but as a human being, I still think, yeah, maybe I should do that.”
Meanwhile, AJ said performing on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in 2022 would be a “once in a lifetime experience”.
He said: “It's a once in a lifetime experience. Every time we get a gold or platinum record, I'm just as excited as the first time it was certified, because it's a blessing. This isn't the norm where we come from. When I was a kid doing little raps at the back of the West Block at Holland Park School, I never thought I'd be on the Pyramid Stage with a live band. You have to live in the moment, enjoy it and give the people your best performance.”
Catch up on the podcast episode across all platforms or check out the video version on The BRITs YouTube channel.