Hailing from Peckham, South East London, Carter The Bandit is an independent rapper known for his “bad bih energy. Inspired by the Vogue ballroom community as much as UK Rap, get to know the unique artist via this VIPER interview…

What five words define your sound?

Cheeky, Mysterious, Energetic, Sexy, Hype.

Tell me something unique about your creative process.

I book four to five hour studio sessions As I like to listen to the beats in the back of the track before I write or record. My ears are quite sharp so I tend to write off the background beat and always start with a catchy hook or a random chant. Me and my friends will mess about and sing, then I go in to write my verses while I’m in the booth with the lights off for like an hour or two, then we record.

Which song of yours would you like people to hear first?

As I’m entering a new era I would like the first song to be ‘CARRY ON’ featuring mc taboo.

What inspired you to make that song?

Well my best friend is a part of the Vogue ballroom community and he is very close friends with mc taboo so we thought why not connect UK Rap and Vogue together as the UK has nothing like that, where two communities collide and the song was made off a chant, “can you do the carry on?” Meaning you’re a bad bitch or a independent boss and about your bag, just full of confidence.

What’s the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be when writing/making music? 

I’ve started writing about my dating life and what I want in my future relationship as well as writing about my goals and personal life.

What’s the best/worst experience you’ve had on stage?

The best experience I’ve had was performing for BIA at Fluid Ldn. The worst experience I’ve had is with a wired mic not working properly chipping in and out.

What is your favourite song to perform?

Something I haven’t released yet and can’t wait to play in summer it’s gonna be very hot!

Which artist/song/album made you want to make music?

Ms Banks and Saucy Santana.

What’s the meaning behind your name?

The mean behind my name Carter the Bandit Is very mysterious cause I’m everywhere without being everywhere.

If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead?

I’d be dancing and teaching dance classes.

What’s success to you?

Success to me is when you can finally kick back, relax, live your soft life knowing you’ve done everything you wanted in life and created something for a whole new generation.

What moment in your life/career forced you to change direction?

2023, I just went through a lot with family and friends. I just needed a break to be honest and needed to re-evaluate myself and just sit down and think about what I want out of my career, how I want to sound, how I want to look especially as I am a independent artist; I just needed to reflect on my growth.

Where can people keep in touch with you ?

You can find me on all platforms: @carterthebandit or @histhebandit