Ghostface600 is something of an odyssey. Never has an artist combined violence and beauty in such a way; his threat-laden lyrical war cries counteracted by angelic autotune vocals really shouldn’t work, but it really fucking does.

Since his emergence in early 2020, the prolific rapper and singer has built his character, his flawed narrator, into a complex study of masculinity, street life and relationships. Impeccably creative across the board, Ghost’s sonic and visual identity is as strong as any in the UK; his infamous mask, soaring vocals and vibrant visuals transcend the Wave-Drill genre. 

Three tapes deep, Ghostface is beginning to intensify hype for his next project, set to be released on the other side of summer, which he personally feels is his strongest and most eclectic body of work to date. With an increasingly diverse sound and fan base, Ghostface’s progressive artistic nature and untainted appetite sets him on a path towards potential worldwide stardom. 

I chopped it up with the enigmatic figure to discuss his latest single 'Super Freak’, his deepening character development, his stylised sound and his future ambitions.

Who is an influence to you?

People like Lil Durk, King Von, more American names. I’m trying to create my own sound like people like Travis Scott. A lot of artists just replicate other artist’s sounds, but I’m trying to create my own. 

How would you define your own sound? 

It’s different, it’s something that people haven’t heard before. People often can’t tell what country I’m from, which I think it’s a good thing to have because it allows more people to understand you. 

There is the definite influence of Middle Eastern sounds in your music, where does that stem from? 

My mum is half Iranian, and I also just really like that sound. My dad used to play it a lot when I was growing up. I’m trying to change it up, I like to hit harder beats with different types of samples. It’s dreamy, when you put headphones on, listening to me can switch you off. It’s hypnotic. 

One thing I like about you is the juxtaposition of the often emotional or vibrant samples against the hard hitting, street-influenced lyricism. How have you worked to combine two polar opposites?

I’m influenced by everything around me, every aspect of my life. My bars are often conversational. I could say violent bars in a song and the listener might not even clock it and just enjoy the melody. I often just put Drill bars into melody and slow it down and sing it. 

When did you start doing music?

I took music seriously in early 2020. When I released my first tape, I got a better reception that expected, I had over 400k on my first track. From there I just took it seriously. The pandemic gave me time by myself, just locked away. I ordered music equipment and I planned a lot. 

You’ve got such a set aesthetic with the name and the mask in particular. Where does that come from? 

Yeah, it’s like a character. Now, I’m trying to build up two different characters; me and the character of Ghostface, almost like I’m playing a role. My bredrin had a mask, he gave it to me and I wrote weird shit on it and then it was just a face. The mandem call me Ghost, so just thought might as well call myself Ghostface, and my block is 600 so it made sense. 

The way you’ve built that character with your visual approach is really impactful too.

I’m really hands on, I don’t let anyone do my shit, I’m very particular. I tell them what I want, and then the cameramen do their thing. This year I plan to keep the visuals up, they are always going to be crazy. Even if I’m working with a low budget, it’s still going to be mad. Travis Scott is a big influence to me visually and his career path as well. It depends what people want from their videos - do you want a video on the block or do you want something that stands up artistically. You have to think about what you’re doing, some rappers don’t think the steps through and just want to be famous tomorrow. 

What’s the end goal for you? How far can you take it? 

It’s all about timing, everything clicking at the same time. One of my main goals is to break the US market. I feel like my sound is something that an American audience can relate to; my tracks are catchy. Sometimes with UK Drill, other countries can’t really understand what we are saying and they think it’s too fast. I do the opposite, my music is very slow, very reverbed. I also want to build a mad core fan base and rise properly, rather than just get famous through a song on TikTok. I’m trying to make a name from myself. 

You are a cult figure in the scene, is that the way you want it to be or are you trying to be the biggest artist? 

A lot of people call me underrated. The feedback I get is more and more positive. For me, the tracks I’m releasing now are nothing compared to the tracks I have unreleased. Obviously though, I’m trying to be one of the biggest names in the UK. It’s a cycle; at the moment the UK scene is wrapped up in Drill, but when it comes out of that cycle I’ll be ready, I’m loading. I’ve got a lot to come. 

Talk me through the ideas behind Super Freak’s video?

There’s six rooms and every room is different. I’m searching for a girl who I met at the beginning. At the end, the mask comes off and people will think that it’s off fully now but it’s not. It’s a revelation about the character. 

I really like the way you’re building your catalogue, why do you release so often? 

 I like building up and releasing tapes. People always tell me to release singles but I’m trying to showcase my talent further. I’ve already got like forty songs released in the past two years. You can’t take a break from this. I’d release more music if I could, but to get to the big leagues you have to plan everything out, you can’t rush it. This tape I’ve got coming is the one I’m trying to chart with. It’s a slapper, a no skip tape. I’ve kind of avoided features to this point as well but this tape is different, I’ve got like 5 or 6 features on there. There’s shit on the tape that the UK has not heard before, new styles. 

If you were introducing yourself to a new listener, what track would you play them? 

It depends what mood they are in. If they are in a calm mood, I’d tell them ‘Best Company’ , but for a hype mood I’d be saying 'Tuggaville'. ‘Best Company’ is the only song released right now that’s going to be on the tape.  

When is the new tape going to drop? 

Autumn, maybe September. There will be singles throughout the summer to build up to it. This tape is going to be different.