From starring in Attack the Block, securing a lead part in Waterloo Road and releasing two mixtapes all within three years, female rapper/actor Paigey Cakey has seen stock rise markedly along with her work rate. We sat down with the in-demand artist to discuss her latest Body of work, ‘The Right Paige’ EP.
‘Trust Me’ was quite surprising. What was the thinking behind it?
Usually I’ll put out a bit of singing with rapping, but I thought ‘Nah man, it’s not every day do rap.’ And I just thought, ‘let me put this thing out.’ I thought it was a vibe, everyone I’ve shown it to thinks it’s a vibe, every artist I’ve shown it to thinks it’s a vibe.
It’s a departure from previous work, certainly. Was that one of your main themes behind the EP?
This is just a warm up to show you that my mixtape is not gonna be full of rapping but there’s also going to be four duets on it with the likes of Jordan Morris and Abel Miller. I also have another song on the E.P where I’m singing and Yungen is on the verse. I’m just trying to put out the rapping and the singing because there may be people who don’t like my rapping but like my singing and vice versa so I’m going to try and appeal to all of my fans.
What does it feel like to have reached a stage in your career where as a female rapper you can work with some of the hottest Male UK rappers in the game?
It feels nice to know you’re the first female rapper Yungen has worked with. Capone, Tef and Young Spray haven’t either. So I think I’m gonna start a little craze (laughs). It was sick working with all of them because I’m a supporter and fan of all their music. They’ve all made a mark on this industry in their own unique way. I made it clear though that didn’t want to work with just anyone that was popping, I wanted to work with my favourites. Sneakbo, Young Spray, Tef (Youngs Teflon), Snap Capone, Stormzy and more. I worked with everyone I personally think is doing their thing.
You said that ‘The Right Paige’, your last musical release, exceeded expectations. Do you feel added pressure this time around?
If anything it motivates me. From ‘The Next Paige’ I know this mixtape is a thousand times better. To me, that was another experiment. now it’s no longer an experiment; this is what I want to do. I lot of trap vibes, a lot of hip hop and RnB… fully put together by myself. I got all of these collabs myself. Before I used to go the studio and say ‘yeah, okay let’s do that’. Now I don’t. I know what I want and if something ain’t how I want it then I’m gonna scrap it, start again or keep working on it until I’m satisfied. This project is the one I’m most content with.
You started off your Career acting, have you ever been torn between that art and rap?
I haven’t, you know. I like them both and I like to balance them both out. If I had a favourite I’d pick music. I say that because music is the part that comes naturally. I could sit here right now and do a freestyle. With acting you need to get into the role. You have to be told, ‘Do this. Do that.’ With music I express myself. With acting I just play another character.
From Attack the Block and Waterloo road to dropping a mixtape full of bangers with the hottest talent in the UK Music Industry in 3 years, does the pace of how fast your career has been moving ever feel unsettling?
A lot of it still doesn’t feel real. When I got the role in Waterloo Road, I thought my agent was joking. I’ve had to get used to it quickly because everything happened so fast. Before I released ‘Damn City’ I could walk down Hackney and no one would know who I was… they might mention, ‘You were in ‘Attack the Block!’ but that was quite rare. When I did the videos with Lady Leshurr, people in my area started to know who I am. When I got the part in Waterloo Road, my entire life changed. Every day someone recognizes me. But even today I’m sometimes can’t believe how everything is turning out but I’m so happy that I’m on this path.
In ‘Day One’ you claimed it would be far easier you in the industry if you were a male. Since then you were recently on the BET UK Cypher. Considering that, do you think the stigma on female rap is fading or are there still signs of it in your experiences?
I think the stigma is still there.When I first came out, a lot of guys weren’t feeling my music and making nasty comments. Now I think I get a little more respect. But I felt like I really had to prove myself. it’s a very male dominated industry. The more females who step out and make their mark, the easier it will get for other female rappers.
The Right Paige is out now and available to download here .
Words: Henry Stonez
