23-year-old Taz is the freshest name to hit the UK hip-hop scene yet he is no stranger, having co-produced for last year's break-through artist Dizzee Rascal.  Now taking a step forward, the South Londoner is ready to introduce his own take on contemporary urban music, but it's been no easy ride as he tells uk-fusion

You’ve worked your way up from Djing, producing and this week sees the release of your debut single 'Can't Contain Me' – what’s it like on that side of the fence?

It’s just more work!  (laughs)  It’s just more work and it’s become reality now. 

There’s more pressure on you.

Yeah, pressure – most definitely,so I have to succeed plus I’m a person that likes to succeed any way; I like to achieve my goals.

Have you picked some kind of image?

I’ve just been myself.  That’s the good thing about it.  I’m not a boy band, I’m not trying to be sexy, I’m not trying to lick my lips, I’m not trying to do anything like that.  I’m just being me.

Not blinging then?

I do have a couple of watches.  I bought a chain but I’m not really into that whole blinging thing.  I’m still my area where I am, in my council estate area!  (laughs)

So you're still living in Clapham?

Yeah, I’m still there!  The same way – still get the same food in the same flat! 

But that’s going to change with what’s being said about you in the press – you are going to be the next big thing in UK hip-hop.

You reckon that’s going to change?
It may do.  Maybe you might upgrade to the next area code south of the river.
Well, time will tell but at the moment, I’m not going to pretend that money I don’t have, I have. 

Before this, you spent some time in the army but why did you kicked out?

Bad behaviour.  I was really young then (18 years old) and ‘cos I was so stressed there, I would cuss corporals.  I was stressed there, man – it was not my place.  I would even cry sometimes.  I had to wake up early in the morning; I wasn’t fit for it. 

What did you get out of being in the army?

The discipline of waking up early in the morning.  It helps me ‘cos when you have to come out of hotels quickly, like the other day my boss said, “Listen, at 6 o’clock we have to be ready” and I was.  I woke him up!  It has made me see straight too.  Some people will go “Oh I haven’t got this, I haven’t got that”.  I can live with the bare necessities.