It’s good to see you – it’s been a while. What have you been doing since we saw you last?
Just working on my solo material and doing what I need to do. OK, you’ve been on the grime scene for quite a long time now.
How have you seen the industry change over the years?
It’s changed immensely; when grime started it was a lot rawer. It was all about the one-liners and you could get away with practically anything. Now it’s heading in the direction of making proper music; there’s more money in it and it’s becoming more commercial.
So do you think the fact that it’s becoming more commercial is a good thing?
Well yeah, it’s reaching a bigger audience so that’s good – but being commercial can be a bad thing too. You’ve gotta make sure that you stay true to yourself; you have to find that balance.
There’s a lot of negative press that surrounds grime music. How do you feel about that?
Obviously it’s not nice, but that’s just the way it is at the moment. I know a lot of MCs vibe off of that – I know I do. Now that grime’s getting out there a bit more it will probably start to ease up.
You’re called Fumin because of your infamous temper. What makes your blood boil?
Questions like that [laughs]. Nah, not really. There’s a lot of stuff that makes me mad – we’ve all things that push our buttons. Emm… what makes me mad? Not eating breakfast – that really gets me fuming.
Once an MC has crossed over into the mainstream do you think they have a duty to support underground talent?
I don’t think they have a duty no, but it’s good to help others out – that’s what I’d do. If there was someone I could relate to and I could see they were trying to do their thing, then why not?
There are not that many female grime artists around. Do you think women have a role to play on the scene?
There’s not that many but there are a few. I think women have a huge role to play on the scene. They can bring it from a female’s point of view – that’s something that none of us men can do.
Who would be your ideal celebrity date?
That’s a hard one, I think it would have to be a mixture of Beyoncé, Christina Milian – and I’d have to have Nicki Minaj’s bum in
there somewhere.
Seeing as you’re a lyricist you must have some pretty decent chat-up lines?
Nah, I think all that’s cheesy – just be yourself. If you got it you got it. Plus I’ve been with my girl for nine years so I don’t need any chat-up lines.
So what’s next for Fumin?
I don’t wanna say ’cos it sounds like a cliché but all big things. I got my mixtape Moodswings coming out in a couple of weeks and the album Year 7 should be out by the end of the year.
Fumin’s mixtape Moodswings is out now
Interview by Antoinette Powell