Born in south London, Big Narstie, 36, was a rapper with N Double A and later went solo. His music includes the hit When the Bassline Drops, a 2015 collaboration with Craig David, and his 2018 album BDL Bipolar which features Ed Sheeran. He has a Bafta-winning chatshow on Channel 4, The Big Narstie Show, which he presents with Mo Gilligan. Big Narstie’s Narstie Night Out is on BBC Sounds, with new episodes on Radio 1Xtra every Sunday. He lives in Essex and has two children.
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What is your greatest fear?
Leaving my children destitute.
Which living person do you most admire and why?
Ed Sheeran, a little ginger boy from the farmlands in Suffolk who ran away to London, slept on the streets and became the biggest musician in the world.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
My stubbornness.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
I don’t really like people, I prefer dogs.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
When I was around 10 or 11, I went swimming and someone stole all my clothes. I had to go home in my Speedos, down Brixton high road, with my cousin laughing all the way.
Aside from a property, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought?
Passion projects. I built the world’s first CBD steam room, opened the first Jamaican restaurant in Tenerife, I’m about to open a bar. Because I come from poverty, I want to make sure my children have a better start than I did.
Describe yourself in three words
Electrifying, orgasmic, charismatic.
What makes you unhappy?
Boris Johnson.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
Nothing, I’m fucking sexy.
If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
Winston Churchill, to sort this country right out. I think he should come right out of the grave and punch Boris on the jaw. Old school.
What is your most unappealing habit?
Telling the truth.
What scares you about getting older?
Nothing.
Who is your celebrity crush?
Debbie McGee – she is buff for 63!
What is the worst thing anyone’s ever said to you?
We’d be here all day.
What does love feel like?
It isn’t supposed to hurt, I know that.
What was the best kiss of your life?
I don’t like to kiss, I’ve got a phobia. I am destined for loneliness.
What did you dream about last night?
Erotic sex.
What is the worst job you’ve done?
When I first got excluded from school at 15, my dad gave me experience as a roofer. That’s when I came to realise I’m scared of heights.
When did you last cry, and why?
Yesterday – I’m bipolar.
How often do you have sex?
As much as I can.
What keeps you awake at night?
Documentaries, my dog and Pornhub.
How would you like to be remembered?
As an honest person who tried to help where he could. Nothing fancy.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Don’t put anything past anyone.
What happens when we die?
HMP Satan or Costa del Heaven.
Tell us a secret
I’ve got crazy ambitions of making a school in central London.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jan/29/big-narstie-describe-myself-in-three-words-electrifying-orgasmic-and-charismatic
