Through the Blue Lens: Blanco on New Music, Football and Anime
Following the release of his latest EP, Blanco links up with us to discuss his new project, drill music and his decade-long tenure at the top of the rap game.
Blanco in 2025. Images property of Sophia Carey.
Many know Blanco as their introduction to drill in the late 2010s when he was spitting bars with London's Harlem Spartans. Others see him as the guy laying silky flows over Brazilian-influenced beats, producing hits like "Brilliant Mind", "Shippuden" and "Londis".
But what people might not commend him for are his absolutely valid football takes. "Arsenal are going to win the league at some point, they've got a big chance this year 'cause other teams ain't firing," he says whilst wearing a smirk on his face and a Man City jumper.
Despite being a South Londoner at his core, seeing Robinho and Tevez working their magic on the pitch made him a dedicated ultra—but he knew supporting the blues in Manchester wouldn't make him popular with his peers. "I just wanted to be different innit, so I was going to school saying I support Man City. From then on, I've just been City through and through, man."
Blanco has carried that mentality into his music, breaking away from drill, which was making waves across South London when he started, and expanding into Latin beats. Again, in this season, it makes sense for him to explore another realm.
"Regime"—a Paradise on a Lifeboat standout—links back to his rich family heritage. He explains, "When I heard the beat, it just reminded me of Congo. Growing up, my dad only played Congolese music even though he's Angolan. I wanted to make the song political, about the Bongo tribe, the Congo, to make sure people know their struggle."
Before the track dropped, Blanco had taken to Instagram to dedicate it to the late Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of an independent DRC, who was assassinated just months into his term.
Calling himself a descendant of the resistance, he believes the fans are seeing another side to him. "People have been saying that it's one of their favourites, but they're not deepening the lyrics. It was a song that I wanted to drop for a while and it's one of my favourites on the project."
The title of his new EP presents a juxtaposition, just like his life and roots whilst growing up in Kennington. Paradise on a Lifeboat—inspired by a filler arc of the same name from one of his favourite anime series, Naruto—contains six tracks that go through deep wordplay but don't stray too far from the Blanco people know.
"Fillers, for me, they're important, just like EPs—sometimes they're not part of the bigger story but they still have meaning and people have more creative space. It's obviously still going to be Blanco, still going to have some vibe beats but it is also going to be a lot of hard-hitting lyrics."
A meaningful project takes a lot of time spent perfecting each track, and for a guy like Blanco, who's been all over Europe this summer, performing in Leeds and Belgium and hitting up fashion shows in Paris, the craftsman had to delay the release. "It was meant to come out in March and we're all the way in November but I'm finally happy with it. It took me a couple of months because I was chopping and changing certain songs, changing certain lyrics, and that just adds time."
During this busy time, he also linked with the great Fred again.., who joined him in the studio to concoct the track "Solo", which Fred performed on a rooftop in Italy. Later, fans in Glasgow were treated to the track live in October.
"On Gilberto's Son, I had a song called 'Soda Lime', he heard it and made his own version. Obviously he's got a lot of other commitments, but randomly hits me up saying, 'I want to put this on my project.' From then on, constant communication. Came out to his show—17,000 people, crazy."
It's not the first time that Blanco has experimented with electronica. Since his early days recording tracks alongside drill legend Loski and the late Bis, he has always had an ear for the untapped potential in swapping hi-hats for syncopated basslines. "In the Harlem Spartans era, there's a good three unreleased songs that I've done with garage in it. Now, it's blowing up again, especially in hip-hop culture."
True fans could spot early hints of Blanco's playfulness with the genre on his 2023 mixtape ReBourne, when the track "Carpe Diem" subtly switches to a shuffling garage rhythm, laced with crisp percussions as he shells it hard and reminisces on his Harlem days. This was just a sneak peek at the heavy-hitting collaborations that were to follow, with his feature on 2024's "Races" alongside DJ Interplanetary Criminal and "Sorry I'm Like This" this summer.
With a creative mind constantly evolving, Blanco confronts creative problems daily, some of which he faced during the recording of his EP. "It was really challenging because I had different ideas at first."
Elaborating on the thematic seeds of his project, Blanco sits up slightly in his chair, adding: "First, I wanted it to be an extension of my last project, but then I settled for this—an EP touching on subjects that are above the ends, the streets, about bigger problems that go on every day. I had to change my mentality, and that's hard to do when you've already recorded certain songs."
Unsurprisingly, it was the love from his dedicated fanbase and his close circle of friends and family that kept him going through it all. "It really is the little stuff. When I go on social media and get random messages about how I've helped people. Even though fans don't know I read their messages because I may not respond to them all, I always appreciate the love. Having real people around you that want to elevate with you is the most important part."
This same group of people play a big part in preparing him for his shows on some of the world's biggest stages. Just like any other artist, Blanco's got some serious pre-gig essentials. "Me and my team start with a little prayer. Then we might take a shot which is definitely needed because you want to loosen yourself up when you go on stage. I like olives and cashew nuts in my dressing room, I love to eat those foods before a show. Everything else is standard."
Away from the shows, studios and the glamorous lifestyle that comes with being one of the UK's most celebrated rappers, there's several ways Blanco puts his mind at peace. "I'm a serial anime, football and TV watcher. Sometimes taking a trip helps, getting massages, all of that stuff, it's good for the soul."
Having been in the game for a decade now, slivers of stability and comfort are hard to come by, especially considering how unpredictable Blanco's journey has been. "Being an artist is difficult. People think it's fun—and it is—but it's also really stressful. There's a lot of ups and downs, but we pull through. I remember the Harlem Spartans, I'll cherish them: but I don't want to go back. My new chapter's already started."
Luckily for fans, Blanco's latest evolution is already taking shape. "I'm doing another music video for one of the songs on the EP. I'll also be podcasting a lot, too. On socials, people can look forward to seeing more of my personality, seeing a lot of stuff that I normally never used to show before. It's very important for me to be honest with my fans and build that connection."
“Being an artist is difficult. People think it’s fun—and it is—but it’s also really stressful. There’s a lot of ups and downs, but we pull through. I remember the Harlem Spartans, I’ll cherish them: but I don’t want to go back. My new chapter’s already started.”
While many may consider him an OG of the rap scene and an inspiration to a whole generation of rappers coming up during lockdown, Blanco remains as humble as ever. For this young man from Kennington, things are just getting started.
"I certainly do not want to be considered a legend, I'm too young for that. However, I do want to carry the torch forward and be as different as I can be, and at the same time enjoy myself and make good music. Even when I didn't have certain things, I made the most of the worst situation. I feel like the streets, the block, the ends, are part of the paradise on a lifeboat that I'm on right now."
Stream Paradise on a Lifeboat below: