He’s been to Southampton, and he’s even been to Scunthorpe. But, in the years since his 2010 breakout hit “Pass Out” catapulted him to international fame, how has London’s favourite rapper been getting on? With a return to music on the horizon, we asked Mr Tempah, now 36, what role sport and his beloved Arsenal FC play in keeping him grounded.
Were you into sports growing up?
“I tried various sports and obviously as a young lad, you want to become a footballer. But it didn’t happen. I worked out very quickly that I wasn’t that good. Now, I play padel, and I did get into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in the pandemic. We had all that downtime and Tom Hardy told me to come along to a gym near where we live in Richmond. People always ask me if I’ve beaten him in a grapple, but with martial arts you keep things super respectful. But he’s a higher belt than me and he’s super technical and well rounded. I have nothing but respect for Tom.”
It sounds a bit like you’re scared to insult him in case he wants to spar.
“Not at all. You don’t really discuss what happens in the gym. When I first got into it, I wanted to film everyone I tapped out. I posted about winning gold at the English Open in 2023. And then, as I’ve matured into it, I realised it’s not about that. It’s about discipline, respect, learning that good things come to those who wait. I’m a purple belt. It’s been great for overall conditioning, staying healthy, and my mental health.”
Do you get to keep up your fitness on tour?
“I do Jiu Jitsu pretty much everywhere. I’ve gone to gyms in Portugal, Dubai, Finland, Australia. Anywhere I am, I’ll find a Jiu Jitsu gym. My road manager doubles up as my coach, so I get the best of both worlds. Jiu Jitsu gyms are the most inviting and warm places you can be. It also means I can jump around on stage for two hours with no fatigue. It’s a great warm-up.”
And football. Are you on a five-a-side team?
“I used to play for a team called Teviot Rangers JFC, which is a south-east London team. I played a few tournaments, and as much as I wanted it, it wasn’t me. There were a lot of kids who put in a lot more time and effort. I still love football as a fan, but that’s when music kicked off.”
Do you keep up with Arsenal matches on tour?
“To be honest, unless it’s the Champions League final or something, I don’t really have the attention span for it. It’s different if I’m actually at the Emirates. And yeah, players like Reiss Nelson have turned up to my gigs.”
Do you get starstruck at all?
“It's more with the ex-footballers I grew up watching. People whose posters I had on my wall. Lampard, Gerrard, Gary Neville. I know Rio Ferdinand quite well now, but the little kid in me is always like ‘Oh, shit!’ whenever I see him.”
Music and sport are two of the few things that can bring together thousands of people, in person, all united with a common focus. That’s pretty special, right?
“I think sport and music are intrinsic to our human nature. Football feels like a reincarnation of ancient warfare. It’s this team versus that team. We wear this colour, you wear that colour. We’re based here. You’re based there. We’re going to meet on this day, and we’re going to have it out, and someone’s going to leave victorious. Today, it can bring 90,000 people to a stadium. People are willing to book tickets and fly abroad for one match. Football has this sense of community; it’s a great opportunity to get together with mates and go to the game. Especially as you get older and have other commitments.
“Music is the same. Whether you’re African, Celtic, Latin, whatever, it’s intrinsic to our human nature. The drums, rhythms – it’s always been a way of communicating. Both music and football can connect people regardless of race, age, sexuality. Both can evoke memories and create memories at the same time. And both can change the lives of people from humble beginnings. You can be from a council estate in Sheffield and end up travelling the world as a footballer or a musician. That’s phenomenal.”
Music is integral to football matches, too.
“Music and football tend to go hand in hand. I wanted to be a footballer, and I know a lot of footballers that want to be rappers. Some that do it in their spare time. I know Alex Iwobi from Fulham, and he releases the odd tune here and there. We want to be them, and they want to be us. That bridges the gap as well.”
