With his debut album ‘Can’t Rush Greatness’ set for release this Friday, and following the launch of new four-part ‘CRG Radio’ series on Apple Music last month, Central Cee now joins Apple Music's Zane Lowe to discuss the latest single release from the album - his new collaboration with 21 Savage, 'GBP’.

He shares the story behind the track, including how he met 21 Savage while on tour with Drake. The conversation also touches on his upcoming LP, and his plans for live shows in the coming year.

Central Cee tells Apple Music about how he met 21 Savage while opening up for Drake on tour

Zane Lowe: How does this get done now? I mean, I know obviously traditionally there's lots of ways you can reach out to people and you form strong creative relationships with people as you go through this industry, you meet like-minded people. But how did you connect with 21 Savage to actually just, I don't know, get the record in front of him?

Central Cee: I can't remember how me and Savage... We might have met on a Drake tour. Yeah, we might have met on a Drake tour. I feel like I've been knowing him a while, but obviously we just haven't collaborated. But with the music thing, for me personally, obviously a relationship is important, having a natural relationship is important and that's first and foremost. But then also on top of that is I feel like the content or the song itself has to make sense. So the fact that there's a story to tell with the song obviously is I'm talking about the two different currencies. I thought that that was a cool thing to add to the story and the fact that we're talking about the two currencies, it made sense.

Central Cee tells Apple Music about how he was told he would have to change his accent to break through in America

Zane Lowe: How important is it to you that people recognise that you're not just a global artist, you could go into any country in the world and play big shows, but that you are very much a UK artist?

Central Cee: I think it is very important to me. Do you know what's funny? When I first came on the scene, again in 2020 in UK, when I started having some motion in London, I had a meeting with somebody in America because they heard me back then, but obviously it was very, very early days. And they told me on the phone, he was like, "yeah, if you want to cut through in America, you're going to have to change your accent, bro." But do you know what's mad? It was that he's street though. That's the maddest thing. He's street. But it's like... So him saying that is kind of mad. I'm thinking like, bro, this is real. This isn't a gimmick. I can't just change my accent. But I was thinking at the time, I wonder how true that is. I don't know init, I don't know what it takes to blow in America. Nobody's really done that. So I didn't know what it would've took, but I haven't tried to even break America yet.

Central Cee tells Apple Music about the process behind 'Can't Rush Greatness'

Zane Lowe: People are waiting for the urgency that you bring to your music. And I know that waiting is not a problem for you, and it's worked in your favor because 'Can't Rush Greatness' says everything it needs to be said. I mean, you've taken your time to get this quote-unquote album right. So let's just ask the big question for me, which is, has there been moments when you felt lost in that process? Like, it was tough for you to even figure out what direction I want this to be post mixtape era.

Central Cee: No.

Zane Lowe: Didn't you make an album effectively and then decide it wasn't the one?

Central Cee: Yeah, no, that one wasn't too different to this one. The skeleton is the same. It is basically the same.

Zane Lowe: Right.

Central Cee: Yeah. No, creating the album was all right, but once I've got the songs and I'm kind of funneling down, trying to see which ones I'm really trying to push and which ones are going to be singles or which ones we're going to try to put a feature on, etc, that that was a bit difficult. But nah, man, it was a rap, process was fine.

Central Cee tells Apple Music about his touring plans for the next year

Zane Lowe: All right bro. So 2025 starting big man with his brand new album, 'Can't Rush Greatness.' And I know you've already got some shows showing up on the schedule, the Primavera Sound and whatnot. What is the primary focus for you once the album is out? Is it the road? Are you going to tour solidly? Are you going to take a lead from some of your friends who've gone out there and really... Like Drake gifted everybody for a few years. Are you going to go out there and tour hard?

Central Cee: I'm going to tour. But I was just literally just speaking about it now in the car with my friend. I don't think I'm going to do the generic, kind of traditional thing, which is like drop the album and then let the album just ride for a year or whatever. Even some people ride it for years. I'm just going to keep flooding it for while I'm here, man, because it's not forever.

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