Avelino is one of the most inspiring British rappers on the scene. Growing up in Tottenham like collaborators Skepta and Wretch 32, Avelino has what it takes to reach legendary levels. His wordplay is second to none, he works with producers that provide much-needed distinction, and he can rap with melodies. His mega track, ‘One In A Million’, still gets regular radio play six months after its release, and shows his softer side, whereas tracks like ‘You Can Stand Up’, encourage positivity despite adversity, conveyed through thoughtful lyricism. Who can sleep on someone who spits bars like this in a freestyle (Fire in the Booth with Wretch): “Had to burn bridges to make profit, like Moses, there ain’t a bush”? With an attitude clear from project names alone, ‘F.Y.O’ (Fuck Your Opinion) and his latest project, ‘No Bullshit’, he’s not stopping for anyone.

We caught up before his first ever US show as part of the Musicalize showcase at SXSW. On the line-up with his long-time artistic partner, Wretch 32, as well as Jaykae, Big Tobz and Rude Kid, Avelino managed to whip up a mosh pit during ‘Energy’, and had everyone singing back the words to ‘One in a Million’, of course. We spoke about how ‘Young Fire, Old Flame’, came to be, what the potential of being a ‘conscious rapper’ means, and why reaching the US isn’t necessarily the ultimate goal.

UHH: When ‘No Bullshit’ came out, I genuinely listened to it all day, and on repeat for a few weeks’ before taking a break. Such an amazing piece of work.

Avelino: Thank you so much.

How does it feel to have it out? Everyone has been giving it so much love.

I'd imagine it’s like if you were having a baby. You hold onto it for so long, this beautiful thing that is yours. Then you have the child, and it’s the happiest day of your life when it's out. You get to share it with the world, and other people get to see the child. You know what I'm saying? I don't know if that's the best analogy, but that's the first one that came into my head.

It makes sense, I've heard artists say that before. Did you think it would do as well as it has?

How I manage my expectations is by not having too many. So what I mean by that is, I just make the best music I possibly can and then put it out into the universe, in whatever way I see fit, and the rest is up to the powers that be. Those things are not really in my control like that.

‘One in a Million’, I don’t even know what to say. It’s so crazy.

You're just saying that because I'm here.

No. Are you kidding?!

The word 'conscious rap' is quite loaded, but you’re talking about real life things on tracks like ‘You Can Stand Up’, but it’s not about necessarily politics either.

You know what, in terms of politics, per se, and what the word actually entails, I don't really rap about politics, and I don't think I ever have. I’d love to brandish myself as a conscious rapper, that would be a beautiful thing, because I think it's a beautiful thing to be conscious. But we just spoke about One in a Million, you know what I'm saying? If I do stuff like that as well, then how can I then call myself a conscious rapper?

But it’s all uplifting.

Yeah, everything I do, I always try to have a positive message, in my own way, somehow. I'm from a negative place, and the way we grew up, the things we saw as normal and right, in a lot of senses just ain't. I just chose to use my talent to not add to the negativity that exists. I try to add a little twist to it, without being this preacher or corny guy because, you know, just like all the other rappers, I'm from the same place, and I know the same stuff. I'm just using my skills in maybe a slightly different way. It’s not watering down anything.

You’ve worked with Wretch 32, who is a certified legend. What was it like working with him?

Wretch is my guy. It was quality, because Wretch is an OG in every sense of the word. You know, he’s someone to look up to, learn from, he always has time for you. Looking back I always think to myself, he didn't have to do that mixtape with me at the time that he did it, but he did, and I stepped up to the plate and proved myself, and took it in my stride. So Wretch is, to sum it up, a sensei in every sense of the word.

How did you come up with the name 'Young Fire, Old Flame'?

It was random in the sense that he always called me Young Fire and one day I was just on the phone and I called him Old Flame. So that was just the title of the project, it was a no-brainer.

I think that's a very unique way to work with someone, creating a whole mixtape, not just a track. You were more up-and-coming then, and with Wretch, who is one of the greatest artists we have.

To be fair we just had a lot of stuff in the studio, we were on the phone one day, and he was like, “Yo, we should make some more songs and turn this into a mixtape”. I'm not gonna say no to that, you know what I'm saying? It's a beautiful thing and I'll always look back and be grateful to Wretch 32 for seeing in me what I saw in myself.

You also worked with Skepta and Stormzy on ‘Energy’, which is a mad track as well. How did that come about?

I just had a song, the beat, the first verse and the chorus, and [Raf] Riley helps me a lot in the studio and I just thought, I heard those two people on the record. I also heard this with Dizzee Rascal, but Skepta and Stormzy I have a personal relationship with them, and I thought maybe just the two guys would be enough, it would be quite epic. Luckily, Stormzy being a good friend of mine, and Skepta being something of an elder person from a similar area to myself that I can call upon. They came through with great verses, and we made a song that was really good.

I feel like that’s probably where you hit the mainstream, in terms of people hearing you on radio more?

Yeah, we were lucky to get the song used a lot by different people. [Including the FIFA 18 soundtrack]

Is this your first time performing in the US?

Yeah, it's my first time in the US, period.

What’s your view of UK music transferring into the US? I moved two years ago, and not a huge amount has changed.

Someone will just take it over the edge and be the real connection, it's gonna happen. But at the same time that's not the goal, that's not the aim. That's part of the progress but you build from home, where we're doing great. We're not looking to territory-ize success. Success is everywhere, so that's not the goal, but at the same time, it's a beautiful destination that I see us reaching.

Find Avelino here:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/039zhJoEkboZ8Ii6K40Fb6?si=rgndLhnnQGKn5nj32jGZDA

Instagram: instagram.com/officialavelino

Twitter: twitter.com/officialAvelino

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCEbDKVrsfMh2TKC_tib9VhA