AJ Tracey: On Independence, Loss & His Most Personal Album Yet

Rapping phenomenon and Tottenham Hotspur superfan AJ Tracey joins us for an open conversation about navigating grief, staying true to himself in the music industry, and what football has taught him about handling failure.

AJ’s been rapping since he was four years old. After dropping out of a criminology degree, he started uploading to SoundCloud in 2011—and went on to become one of the UK’s biggest independent music success stories. With five Platinum singles and over two billion Spotify streams, his breakout hit Ladbroke Grove became the soundtrack of summer 2019, and his debut album landed at number three on the UK Albums Chart.

Now, after a three-year hiatus, AJ Tracey is back with Don’t Die Before You’re Dead—his most vulnerable and personal album to date. Fusing grime, garage, and R&B, it explores themes of trauma, mental health, love, faith, and resilience. In this rare interview, he talks openly about supporting his mum through her cancer journey, learning to sit with vulnerability, and why independence still matters.

00:00 Intro
01:11 Early Life and Career
03:04 The Making of 'Don't Die Before You're Dead'
07:10 The British Influence in AJ's Music
09:00 School Days and Influential Teachers
12:34 The Challenges of Being an Independent Artist
18:18 Faith and Personal Mission
23:02 Family and Personal Struggles
24:52 Mom's Health Scare and Recovery
25:40 Proudest Moment: Buying Mom a House
27:44 Growing Up with Responsibility
30:53 Struggles and Sacrifices
33:46 Name Change and Fresh Start
38:12 Grenfell Tragedy and Community Impact
41:58 Reconciliation with Dad
43:43 Football, Family, and Life Lessons

Elizabeth and AJ answer YOUR questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#...

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All episodes in June are brought to you by @arlalactoFREE - all the taste, easier to digest. Listen to our bonus episode brought to by ArlaLactoFREE with Vicky Pattison here: https://link.chtbl.com/VickyPattison

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How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production. 

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