Five Minutes With… Kay Greyson
We talk to the Newcastle rapper about the city’s music scene and the buzz around the 2025 MOBO Awards
In case you’ve been living under a rock, it was recently revealed that the MOBO Awards are being hosted here in Newcastle for the very first time next year (February 18th 2025 at Utilita Arena – put the date in your diary!).
It’s an exciting time for local musicians, especially rapper Kay Greyson who performed during the official awards announcement at Newcastle Civic Centre. We had a chat with Kay to find out how being a Geordie has shaped her music and what hosting the 2025 MOBO Awards means for the city and its music scene.
As a Black musician, how exciting is it to have the MOBO Awards happening in Newcastle?
It’s an absolutely amazing thing to have the MOBOs come here to my hometown which I care about so much.
I do a lot of work in the community with young artists and the effect that this is going to have on them – it’s a beautiful thing. It’s going to invigorate the next generation of Black musicians coming from the North East and I think that’s an amazing thing.
Were the MOBO Awards an inspiration to you growing up?
They were a massive inspiration! I used to sit there and watch it with my mam and be like “That’s going to be me one day, mam!”, so to be involved even in a small way is full circle moment for me.
How would you describe your music in a nutshell?
Hip hop that can make you dance but can also make you think.
How has being a Geordie shaped your musical style?
Geordies are people who can make something out of anything, you know? We have a lot of fun; we have that energy – but we’re also very wise people and we know our history.
I know my history and I’ve got that energy, and I bring all those Geordie qualities to my music.
Do you think Newcastle is a good place to be a musician?
Newcastle is the best place in the world for me! Obviously, I’m biased but being a musician in Newcastle right now is really exciting.
There’s been a real renaissance, especially in Black music, over the past ten years in this city. I feel like we’re the cool ones – like we’re on the edge of something completely new – so it’s a really exciting place to be.
Will we see you performing at the MOBO Fringe Festival?
I’ll definitely be a part of the Fringe Festival in some way or another. It’s very hard to keep me off a stage, so you’ll see me there!
Kay Greyson is signed to EMI North and Soul Kitchen Music and recently released her debut album Chekhov’s Gun. To find out more, visit www.instagram.com/kaygreyson.
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