There’s teasing your debut album, and then there’s Avelino. The trail of crumbs leading up to the release of ‘God Save The Streets’ has included multiple mixtape drops, a self-assured claim at the NME Awards in 2020 that he’s making “the greatest UK rap debut in history”, and most recently, the release of explosive single ‘Vex’ featuring Ghetts and BackRoad Gee. Almost a decade has passed since the north London rapper started gaining attention for his debut mixtape ‘Underdog Music’ and the Stormzy tour support stint that followed. That wait has helped Avelino build up a hefty portfolio of thoughtful, experimental UK rap music, growing as an artist to help ensure that his debut album is a coherent, well-crafted project that reflects his identity, and represents where he comes from.
“I wanted to make a classic British album,” he tells NME over Zoom a week before ‘God Save The Streets’ is due to land. An ambitious, career-defining project executive produced by long-time collaborator Wretch 32 (with major production contributions from Fraser T. Smith and Raf Riley), it’s refreshingly short and sweet, consisting of 11 purposeful, inventive tracks that blend elements of drill, grime, punk, and more. It’s an ode to UK rap’s rich history — with Kano samples and features from the likes of Ghetts and Wretch 32 — and a tribute to the ties between rap and punk, with striking Sex Pistols-inspired album artwork and a collab with former Pistols bassist Glen Matlock.
Avelino’s upbringing in Tottenham shapes his storytelling throughout, as do the experiences of reformed gangster Marvin Herbert, whose speeches are peppered throughout the record to bolster the cinematic feel. The message is clear — whatever hardships you’ve suffered, there’s always a positive path forward. NME caught up with the ‘Energy’ rapper to talk about cultivating that positive mindset, working with UK legends like Wretch 32 and Skepta, and creating a classic rap album.
At the NME Awards in 2020, you said you were working on “the greatest UK rap debut in history”. What is it about the project that makes it special?
“To make what I believe is a great album, it needs to be about more than exhibiting some talent. Nina Simone said “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times,” and that really resonated with me. It needs to have context, it needs to reflect the times, it needs to push the culture forward. Drawing the inspiration that I did from ‘God Save The Queen’, and talking about what I’m talking about in terms of ‘God Save The Streets’, all the themes and messages, I feel like that was something that was achieved. I genuinely love the whole thing.”
How did you settle on ‘God Save The Streets’ as the title?
“I remember coming across the artwork for ‘God Save The Queen’ by the Sex Pistols, and literally the first thing that came to my mind was “God Save The Streets”. It embodied everything I wanted to talk about on a debut album, it embodied my perspective and relationship with the streets, and also, being inspired by the Sex Pistols, who were coming from the punk movement, I felt like it was fitting because I’ve always had the idea that rap is the new punk. At the time, [punk] was the music of the streets, of the working-class people and the rebels… in today’s time, the music of the streets is rap, grime, drill… I feel like the comparisons are quite clear.”
Paying tribute to that punk music influence, you featured former Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock on the album. What was it like working with him?
“It was quite straightforward. He was just like “There’s two types of music, good music and bad music, and you know what, I like this”. He’s quite chilled, I’m sure he’s a lot more chilled than he was in those times… we were going back and forth on melodies, on the guitar etc., and it was just like working with any other creative that’s talented and that enjoys making music.”
On ‘Twin Flame’, you sample Kano’s ‘Brown Eyes’. Was it important for you to pay homage to UK rap heritage on the album?
“Definitely. I used to love ‘Brown Eyes’, so I always had the idea to flip it in some way at some point, and I came up with that on this album, and it just seemed to fit. I suppose it was the perfect time, especially if I’m saying to myself “I wanna make a classic body of work” — to take and flip something from another UK classic body of work, it was a no-brainer really.”
The album’s core message is about finding positives in negative experiences and overcoming obstacles. Do you feel like you have a responsibility to show people that pathway?
“100%. Essentially, that’s the essence of ‘God Save The Streets’, the fact that the struggle, poverty, hardship, challenges, these things have a negative connotation but depending on how you relate yourself to them, it’s very possible that these things are blessings. Without struggle, how do you get stronger? It encourages resourcefulness like maybe no other circumstances would, it pushes us to dig deep… it builds our character. There’s all these advantages of struggle, and poverty, which is what essentially I’m tryna play on, all you gotta do is just shift your perspective, accept your circumstances, because you’re better off in your individual life relating yourself to a way where everything is now beneficial.”
On that, your recent Daily Duppy sees you rap: “My dad died, so I made my surname my stage name, so I could represent in that way.” How does that help you continue his legacy?
“It’s no longer the worst thing that’s ever happened to you when you make a decision to be like “Cool, that’s happened, I’m gonna make my surname my stage name to continue the legacy, and do him proud.” Then, all of a sudden you’ve got this unlimited source of motivation, and a career, and all of these amazing things that stem from something that should be completely tragic. It doesn’t qualify as the worst thing that’s ever happened to you anymore because it’s been used to create amazing things. That mindset in general just means that whatever’s thrown at me, I’ve got something to fall back on.”
Reformed gang member Marvin Herbert plays an important role in the album, with his motivational speeches layered across the record. Why did you decide to include his voice?
“That was an executive input from Wretch 32. The album’s called ‘God Save The Streets’, so I’m talking to and for the streets. Marvin Herbert existed in a criminal underworld, he’d seen and done it all. Over ten murder charges or whatever he’s been through, shot millions of times, stabbed millions of times, he’s got one eye. He’s made all the money in the world, he’s come into contact with millions and millions, and for him to open up the album by saying “I was a successful criminal, but I amounted to nothing” is just an opportunity for all of us, the streets, to unify, zoom out, like ‘Bang, he’s an old OG, and even this guy’s saying “I’ve amounted to nothing.”‘ After all he’s been through, he’s got nothing.”
On Vex, you rap “Never had enough and it made me vex”, but other tracks like ‘Rich Soul’ discuss finding wealth in the non-material — have you had to adjust your understanding of what wealth is?
“I believe ‘rich’ is a state of mind, a state of mind in which wealth follows. You only gotta look at statistics of lottery winners that go back to square one — they were never rich, they just had money. With ‘Vex’, what I wanted to do is channel old frustrations and encapsulate the beginnings of all our issues, because most people have money worries throughout their lives that make them more miserable than they need to be. You’re better off focusing on how to prosper, how to grow and thrive. Who’s richer than a man that’s found the thing he loves and does it? Who’s richer than a man who shares his blessings? Who’s richer than a physically healthy man? You only gotta speak to someone who’s not so able-bodied to tell you how rich that person is.”
What are you hoping for in terms of the album’s reception?
“I want it to last forever. Taking inspiration from ‘God Save The Queen’ 50 years ago, I want the same thing, and more. [Albums like that] represent something, they reflect the times. They embody a genre, this one being rap, British rap… over here in Britain, we’ve rapped over grime, hip-hop, drill, and I wanted to bring them all into one place and embody that whole thing, that whole spectrum. And show attention to detail, from the song selection, to the artwork… everything needs to be iconic.”
‘God Save The Streets’ is out now