In a deeply moving installment of the third series of Mad, Sad and Bad, hosted by Paloma Faith, British musician and Mercury Prize-nominee Kojey Radical delivers a raw masterclass in humility, survival, and the complexities of grief.
Recorded at Faith’s home, the episode follows Kojey’s journey from the streets of East London to the global stage. While many artists lean into the bravado of fame, Kojey is quick to dismantle the illusion of the "self-made" star. “The mentality tricks you into thinking, ‘I am Kojey, without me this doesn’t run,’” he reflects. “But actually, without everyone else, Kojey doesn’t run.”
The conversation takes a somber turn as Kojey reflects on the eighth anniversary of the death of his best friend, runway model Harry Uzoka, who was tragically killed in 2018. The loss forced Kojey into a period of destructive coping mechanisms. “I tried the usual drinking, humping—it wasn’t sex, it was humping—but none of that was working,” he admits. He speaks candidly about the "numbness" of that era and the bitter irony that the songs written about his grief were the ones that eventually propelled his career: “It almost felt like one last blessing.”
Beyond personal loss, Kojey addresses the systemic realities of knife crime. While the UK sees thousands of offenses annually—with over 50,000 "police-recorded" offenses involving a knife or sharp instrument in recent years—Kojey challenges the "doom and gloom" media narrative. While he acknowledges that many young men act out of "survival mode" and a lack of opportunity, he insists on celebrating the vibrance of his roots. “As soon as you step out [in Hackney], so much creativity and goodness happens,” he says.
From the pressures of being "lit in Stoke Newington" to the grounding reality of being a nobody in Rio, Kojey’s interview is a powerful testament to the "madness" required to pursue art and the resilience required to survive it.
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