Words by Rachel June @mixdjrj
@nativejamesuk
In the world of rap, there are artists who speak, and then there are artists who summon. Native James is ready to revolutionise with his otherworldly blend of grime, rock and metal. London raised and now living in Ipswich, Native James has seen it all. He only started making music a year ago, but it has lived with him his whole life. His sound, in his own words, is described as “unkempt, rage and raw”. A mixture of metal, grime and rock, with something else mixed into the potion - something that can only come from his spirit alone. He stood unbound amid the crowd as the air filled with electric power. As we watched him perform live in Strongroom London, he told ASBO, “I am here to put on a show”, and that's exactly what he does: a show that doesn’t just entertain but leaves you changed. "Sometimes I don’t know what I even just said," he admits, but that’s part of his magic. He is the storm – unrelenting, untamed, and unwavering.
“The crowd can tell when it’s real, when it’s raw, when it’s coming straight from the gut”
Native James doesn’t seek praise. He seeks revolution. “I am not here to be praised as this Valiant Knight,” he says, “I’m here to give people an opportunity to come and help build a world because they realised there is something within them that’s more than what the world is telling them.” He’s here to dismantle the lies people often believe, telling people they are worth less than they truly are. His music is a battle cry, and his shows are a sanctuary for those who need it most, full of moshing, headbanging, and living in the moment. In this madness, the chaos around him feeds the fire. “If there’s no soul in it, if there’s no love in it, no one is gonna receive it,” he says. “The crowd can tell when it’s real, when it’s raw, when it’s coming straight from the gut”.
Native James started rapping from a young age, but through his rocky relationship with rap and the societal pressures that came with it, he decided to give up. Then came the moment that felt like a dream: opening for Skindred. “Opening up for Skindred was just insane”, he reminisced. In June and July, Native James will be supporting Let Live, and the future looks brighter than ever. He’s also got a collaboration with Professor Green on a new track, and the industry is beginning to take notice. “Shout out to Co-Op,” he laughs, recalling how his song Power featured in one of their adverts. The likes of Ghetts, Kano, Dizzee Rascal, Tinie Tempah, Lamb of God, System Of A Down, Korn, and Bring Me the Horizon have all left their imprint on him, and you can hear those influences in his sound. Lamb of God “made me realise the way I wanted to scream. He was so raw”. Currently on repeat for Native James is the Ascendancy album by Trivium and The Poetic Edda by Synestia, which he says is the “perfect playlist for the gym if you wanted to just go insane”. His favourite film, Queen of the Damned, offers a glimpse into his dark side - a love for vampiric thrillers and things of the night that seamlessly blend into his fashion sense. “My friends tell me that I always dress in black,” he laughs, adding, “Fashion is tethered to rock.”
“A new world, a new space, a new era.”
He was born for this, but first, he had to remember who he was. "The people need something, I feed it," he says, and now, he’s feeding the people what they’ve been craving: a voice, a safe space, a chance to scream out their frustration and feel heard. “Misfits are welcome here,” he adds. It’s not just about the music, it’s about creating a “new world, a new space, a new era.” In just one year, Native James has gone from a whisper in the shadows to a force of nature. His advice to others? “Understand who you are before you go into this,” he warns. “If you do not have fun, it turns into a job you don’t like.” His message is simple: “I love you, love yourselves. You are better than what you thought you were yesterday. I’ll see you in the pit.”
So, stay tuned. Native James is just getting started. More music, more madness, and more of that dark, untamed energy. Welcome to the new world.