87InterviewYou know a show has reached mass appeal when
Drake puts his weight behind it, which is exactly what
happened to cult British showTop Boy. Originally running
on Channel 4 for two series between 2011 and 2013, the
gritty drama starred Kane Robinson and Ashley Walters as
Sully and Dushane – two drug-dealing ‘spiritual brothers’
navigating life in London’s Hackney. While the show was
off-air, Drake began sharing his love for it on social media,
eventually becoming ‘instrumental in the acquisition of
the show’ and buying the rights, explains Kane, 34, of its
sudden revival on Netflix. But the return ofTop Boyisn’t the
only thing on his mind. Kane, whose stage name is Kano,
is widely recognised as one of the founders of the UK grime
scene, with six studio albums under his belt and
his introspective lyrics setting him apart from his
contemporaries – touching on raw subjects from rifts
between friends to the impact of knife crime in London.
And by the time you read this, he will be performing the
biggest gig of his life at London’s Royal Albert Hall,
celebrating the release of his latest album, Hoodies All
Summer. Here, he talks about his return to the limelight...
Why do you thinkTop Boyis so popular?
‘It resonates with a lot of people. Whenever there’s a show
made that feels so real, the people – from the environments
we’re speaking of – recognise it so well, and you rarely see
that on TV. With the previous series being on Netflix now,
I really see that when I travel, people have caught up all
around the world. They just love it. Not being on TV for six
years, you’d expect people to forget about it, but I was
getting asked non-stop when it was coming back.’
Did you always know you wanted to revisit it?
‘Yeah. Me and Ashley [Walters] were always keen to get it
back – if anything, just to give ourselves a break from people
asking! The most important thing for us was it needed to be
made in the same fashion with the same crew, being as real
Hittingthe UK with a sell-out tour and new seriesof Top Boy, grime star Kano (AKA Kane Robinson) is thename back on everyone’s lips. Here, Sophie Goddardgets the low-down on his big returnBACKas possible. We know there’s a wider market now, but we’re
not trying to play to that or appeal to an American market- it has to be made in the same spirit as before.’
When did you find out Drake was a fan?
‘When he started sharing it on social media. He seemed
keen to go beyond being a ‘fan’ and to see how it could come
back. He played an integral part in acquiring the Netflix
deal, but he wasn’t a creative, day-to-day on the shoot.’
Drake loves the British grime scene. Was he
responsible for [grime artist] Dave’s involvement?
‘No, that was probably the casting director [Des Hamilton] - he’s good at spotting talent. It’s not that we try to stay away
from people because they have a popularity, but you soon
find the job is so demanding, it has to be something you’re
taking seriously. Dave surprised me – he does really well.’
Is music your first love?
‘Definitely, I still don’t know if I love acting. I just love this
show! Music was always the thing I loved to do; the thing
I’ll always do. Acting was never on the cards, but Des
Hamilton persuaded me to read theTop Boy script and
I went up for it and have been involved with the creation of
it ever since. I don’t have major ambitions to act.’
You played football for Norwich City as a teenager.
You’ve had a lot of careers...
‘I wouldn’t call it a career because I made no money! I was
doing it because it was something I was good at, but
I wasn’t in love with. I played football for my school,
district, then did a trial and played youth for Norwich City.
When music came along, that was my passion – the thing
I would do if it wasn’t my job. I wanted to do it every day - I couldn’t put my pen down.
Your lyrics are very honest and raw. Is writing
therapeutic for you?
Yeah, even to this day. Not every piece of music is that, but
sometimes there have been things I’d say in music that
I wouldn’t necessarily bring up in conversation. You can get
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