Mic Minded People - The Podcast

Grime didn’t appear out of nowhere -  and no single person invented it.

In this episode, Fokus sits down with The Grime Journalist for a wide-ranging conversation about the roots, evolution and culture surrounding one of the UK’s most important homegrown sounds.

Starting with Windrush and Caribbean influence, the conversation moves through jungle, garage, pirate radio, legendary crews and the gradual formation of what would become grime.

The Grime Journalist also reflects on his own journey - from MC Dream and the early pirate-radio days, through years of working around music and culture, to returning to the frontline and releasing his debut album, Who Invented Grime?

They also get into the realities of independent artistry: physical releases, Bandcamp, streaming economics, building a real audience, dubplate writing, the craft of MCing and why relevance today gives history more meaning.

A conversation about lineage, creativity, independence and the people who helped shape UK MC culture.

 

🎙️ THE GRIME JOURNALIST

Instagram: @thegrimejournalist [https://www.instagram.com/thegrimejournalist]
Bandcamp / Who Invented Grime?: [https://thegrimejournalist.bandcamp.com/]

 

👇 Tap below to watch, listen and follow:

🎧 Listen:
Podbean: https://micmindedpeople.podbean.com
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16ZUeZQGwA8oSvJPZCpgAd
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mic-minded-people-the-podcast/id1804623810

📺 Watch:
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@micmindedpeople

📱 Follow on Instagram:
🎙️ Mic Minded People: https://instagram.com/micmindedpeople
🎤 Fokus: https://instagram.com/mcfokus

 

For the love of MCs - the culture, the craft, the conversation.

Big Dreco is a UK artist and MC refusing to stay in one lane.

 

In this episode, Fokus sits down with Dreco to trace the journey from North West London, grime events and radio through to becoming an artist in his own right.

 

They talk about Caribbean heritage, sound-system culture, grime, garage, dubstep and jungle, alongside the life experiences that shaped the energy behind Big Dreco.

 

Dreco also breaks down his approach to independent artistry – from turning social-media attention into actual listeners, to knowing where to invest your money, finding the right sonic fit and building both online and in the real world.

 

Plus: the story behind Whole Leap Ah Licks, the many different versions of the track, the changing grime landscape, why proper MCs still matter – and an a cappella to close.

 

⏱️ CHAPTERS

00:00 – Intro: Meet Big Dreco
01:12 – Whole Heap A Licks & grabbing attention online
07:04 – Viral views vs real listeners
09:02 – New Grime Order & building community
17:36 – Growing up in North West London
31:04 – Loss, violence & choosing a different path
34:24 – Training your ears & finding your sound
51:29 – Caribbean heritage & sound-system culture
01:14:30 – Making the track BST
01:18:00 – Advice for independent artists
01:23:27 – The story behind Whole Leap Ah Licks
01:30:50 – Ultimate MC Cypher
01:41:30 – Grime, D&B & why MCs still matter
01:48:05 – Big Dreco a cappella

 

👇 Tap below to watch, listen and follow:

🎧 Listen:
Podbean: https://micmindedpeople.podbean.com
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16ZUeZQGwA8oSvJPZCpgAd
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mic-minded-people-the-podcast/id1804623810

📺 Watch:
youtube.com/@micmindedpeople

📱 Follow on Instagram:
🎙️ Mic Minded People: https://instagram.com/micmindedpeople
🎤 Fokus: https://instagram.com/mcfokus

🔥 Connect with Big Dreco:
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6c6B2Odn54uyI4n9IBURcw?si=LVSaAs5ATlqhekZmGfM0Dg
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/big.dreco_/
🎵 Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bigdreco_wmw

 

🎙️ MIC MINDED PEOPLE
For the love of MCs - the culture, the craft, the conversation.

Rolla and Fokus go deep into the journey behind one of Essex's most respected MCs.

From growing up in Basildon and discovering grime through LimeWire, to Payback, PyroRadio and creating his deeply personal new album BAZ, this is an honest conversation about resilience, identity and staying true to your roots.

We also explore childhood, pirate radio, the Essex grime scene and the people who helped shape Rolla's career, alongside plenty of stories from the early days that forged his unique style.

🔥 Topics include:
• Growing up in Basildon & finding music
• Discovering grime through LimeWire & pirate radio
• Kirby T, Payback & the Essex scene
• PyroRadio, Radar & early breakthrough moments
• The story behind the BAZ album
• Staying true to your roots and believing in your craft
• Supporting independent artists

🎧 Listen
🎙️ Podbean: https://micmindedpeople.podbean.com
🎵 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16ZUeZQGwA8oSvJPZCpgAd
🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mic-minded-people-the-podcast/id1804623810

📺 Watch
▶️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@micmindedpeople

📱 Follow
🎙️ Mic Minded People: https://instagram.com/micmindedpeople
🎤 Fokus: https://instagram.com/mcfokus

🤝 Connect with Rolla
🎵 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3TzsdN3dHma7u0D72Aew5K?si=xretoaTpTCuz0tqlgLhrDQ
💿 Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/rolla/1389846150
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollapayback/
📹 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@rolla1325?si=K8p4aBrcIAqjDCwc

For the love of MCs – the culture, the craft, the conversation.

Genesis Elijah and Fokus get deep into conversation. From golden era UK hip hop to creativity, self-belief, independent artistry and the realities of making a living through music, this is an honest and inspiring look behind the scenes.

We dive into the making of his debut album back in the day, plus Brixton roots, open mic battles and why staying true to the craft matters more than ever.

Topics include:
• UK hip hop's golden era
• Creativity & longevity
• Building a career as an independent artist
• Brixton, sound system & rap influences
• Voiceover work, TV & transferable skills
• Self-belief, purpose & staying inspired

🎧 Listen:
🎙️ Podbean: https://micmindedpeople.podbean.com
🎵 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16ZUeZQGwA8oSvJPZCpgAd
🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mic-minded-people-the-podcast/id1804623810

📺 Watch:
▶️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@micmindedpeople

📱 Follow:
🎙️ Mic Minded People: https://instagram.com/micmindedpeople
🎤 Fokus: https://instagram.com/mcfokus

🤝 Connect with Genesis Elijah:
🎵 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7ykM9gwcxoplthUOlrih06?si=c5j91waQQi2t83fkmBV9yw
💿 Bandcamp: https://genesiselijah.bandcamp.com/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genesiselijah/

For the love of MCs – the culture, the craft, the conversation.

The Craft #1: How I Made a Mixtape in 7 Days
About The Craft
The Craft is a new series within Mic Minded People. Alongside the guest conversations you've come to expect, these episodes take a deeper look at the art of MCing - exploring the creative processes, tools, techniques, and mindsets behind the music.

Episode Notes
What happens when you give yourself just 7 days to make a mixtape?

In this first episode of The Craft, Fokus breaks down the making of his 7 Day Mixtape - from beat selection and rapid-fire writing sessions to trusting instinct, embracing vulnerability, and letting the music lead. He shares the mindset behind creating under pressure, how storytelling shaped the project, and why documenting the process became just as important as the finished music.

A conversation about creativity, discipline and getting out of your own way.

In this episode:

The idea behind 7 Day Mixtape

Writing and recording at speed

Trusting intuition over overthinking

Using personal stories to build deeper songs

Blending styles, skits, and older material into a narrative

Finding the balance between quality and quantity

Keeping momentum and energy alive after release

Key takeaway
Sometimes the best way to unlock creativity is to stop waiting for the perfect moment and start creating with a deadline. Just start!

Listen to The 7 Day Mixtape
🎧 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/mc-fokus/7daymixtape?si=d7ed10c9ddab4baa94b8e8cbca1c213a&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

👇 Tap below to watch, listen and follow
🎧 Listen

Podbean: https://micmindedpeople.podbean.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16ZUeZQGwA8oSvJPZCpgAd

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mic-minded-people-the-podcast/id1804623810

📺 Watch

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@micmindedpeople

📱 Follow

🎙️ Mic Minded People: https://instagram.com/micmindedpeople

🎤 Fokus: https://instagram.com/mcfokus

For the love of MCs — the culture, the craft, the conversation. 🎙️🎤🔥