Get to know Loyle Carner

Loyle Carner really loves his mum. Not only did he rework the lyrics of Kanye West's 'Heard 'Em Say' into an ode to her, but he also brought her on stage at his recent triumphant headline show at London's Corsica Studios to thank her for everything she'd done for him.

The 21-year-old from Peckham has built his reputation on this kind of unabashed openness. Exploring the kind of raw and confessional subject matter you might not expect from a UK rapper has won him a spot on the BBC Sound of 2016 list, and a sell-out UK tour.

But it was watching grime and UK hip hop on fondly remembered music TV station Channel U that first made him realise he could lay himself bare in his music. "Before that all the rappers I'd heard were American, or UK rappers pretending to be American," he recalls; "People like Ghetts, Roots Manuva and Skinnyman let me know I could be myself."

Writing poetry at school and taking part in playground battle raps helped hone his talent, but it wasn't until he hooked up with producer Rebel Clef just over three years ago that things really fell into place.

"We got set up by a mate," says Loyle, "and we've been best friends ever since. We were both hungry to make music and get it out there." With his lackadaisical and jazz-inflected brand of UK hip hop well established through 2014's 'A Little Late' EP and a steady stream of singles, thoughts turn to an album dropping in 2016. When exactly, though, we don't know.

"I can't work to deadlines," Loyle explains. "If you're doing a dissertation, fine, but if you're making music it just adds stress." Whenever it drops, we're sure his mum will be proud.

Loyle Carner plays London's Village Underground on February 16