NICKI KNIGHTZ INTERVIEW: VIPER PRESENTS [FEATURE] BOLD ENGAGING INTERVIEW 2025
NICKI KNIGHTZ INTERVIEW: Raised in Hackney and sharpened by life, UK rapper, songwriter and musical artist Nicki Knightz has a sound that’s rooted but ever-evolving.
What five words define your sound?
Honest, gritty, soulful, cinematic and unapologetic.
Tell me something unique about your creative process
My process is intense — I’m a perfectionist, so I can spend ages on one song. It’s very stop and start. I need to be locked into the story emotionally to even reach that flow state. If I’m not connected to what I’m saying, the words don’t come. I’m not someone who can just write for the sake of it — it has to mean something.
Which song of yours would you like people to hear first?
That’s a tough one, but if I had to choose, I’d say ‘1964 Howlett Drive’. I still believe it’s one of the best songs I’ve written. It means a lot to me — I was able to pay homage to my grandparents and my mum, both sonically and visually. The music video feels really wholesome, and it captures a side of me that people don’t always see.
What inspired you to make that song?
I was working on my EP, ‘For the Uninformed’, at the time — a three-track tape exploring my identity as a mixed-race woman. One of the songs, ‘Blacker the Berry’, spoke to the traits I got from my dad — resilience, work ethic, all of that. So ‘1964 Howlett Drive’ was always going to be the song for my mum. I knew it instantly as soon as I heard the beat — it was slow, soft, and had this warmth to it. It gave me the space to honour her, my grandparents, and where I come from.
What’s the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be when writing/making music?
I feel like I’m always quite vulnerable in my music — or at least I try to be. I don’t like leaving anything off the table, even when the stories are personal to me or to people close to me. That can be tough. If I had to choose, I’d say ‘Cold Nights in East’ is probably the most vulnerable I’ve been so far. I went a bit deeper into some sensitive topics I’ve usually kept to myself.
What’s the best/worst experience you’ve had on stage?
Ha, okay — best experience has to be a recent show I did in Bow. I was way too drunk and kept forgetting my lyrics, but the crowd was so lovely about it. It ended up feeling more like stand-up comedy — everyone was laughing with me, not at me. I actually felt really comfortable, which isn’t always the case for me on stage.
Worst? Easily a showcase I did with Henny Knightz at Brixton Jamm. He called me on the day with this idea to wear balaclavas on stage. We went with it, and it was a complete mess. We couldn’t get them on or off properly, kept bumping into each other — it was clumsy, chaotic, and just not it.
Which artist/song/album made you want to make music?
I’ve always got to show love to my older brothers, Juno and Leftfieldlouis from Third Order Wizardry (3OW). They really inspired me — watching them made rapping and being an artist feel possible, even cool. I learned so much just from observing them. And of course, I’ve got to shout out my right hand, Henny Knightz. He really helped me believe in myself when I couldn’t. He pushed me, was patient, and never gave up on me. There honestly wouldn’t be a Nicki Knightz without him.
If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead?
I’d probably still be doing something creative — I’ve always been drawn to storytelling in different forms. Fashion would be dope, maybe even modelling. I’d also love to write screenplays and books one day. That’s definitely something I plan to explore further down the line.
What’s success to you?
Success to me is multi-faceted. On a personal level, it’s about feeling good within — at peace with myself and my journey. But if we’re talking monetarily, I want to be in a position where I can really look after my people. My family’s been through a lot, and being able to ease their worries would mean everything. I don’t want to win alone — I want to bring my people with me. At the end of the day, I just want to make a real living from this and create something that lasts.
What moment in your life/career forced you to change direction?
When Henny Knightz moved to Australia, it really forced me to change direction. We did everything together musically, so it was a big shift. At first, it felt scary and isolating, but it took me out of my comfort zone. It gave me the space to make more decisions for myself and start building trust within my own voice and vision. That change really shaped the artist I’m becoming now.
