The Culture. The Craft. The Conversation.
This podcast takes a deep dive into the fascinating world of MCs from across the musical spectrum. Hitting it from all angles - discussions, interviews, acapella bars and more.
Hosted by Fokus - a Drum & Bass artist with over 25 years of experience in the underground music scene.
Listen: Apple Podcasts & Spotify (link below)
Watch: You Tube (@micmindedpeople)
Connect: Instagram (@micmindedpeople)(@mcfokus)
Episode 34: No One Invented Grime | Windrush and the Birth of a Culture with The Grime Journalist
Grime didn’t appear out of nowhere - and no single person invented it.
In this episode, Fokus sits down with The Grime Journalist for a wide-ranging conversation about the roots, evolution and culture surrounding one of the UK’s most important homegrown sounds.
Starting with Windrush and Caribbean influence, the conversation moves through jungle, garage, pirate radio, legendary crews and the gradual formation of what would become grime.
The Grime Journalist also reflects on his own journey - from MC Dream and the early pirate-radio days, through years of working around music and culture, to returning to the frontline and releasing his debut album, Who Invented Grime?
They also get into the realities of independent artistry: physical releases, Bandcamp, streaming economics, building a real audience, dubplate writing, the craft of MCing and why relevance today gives history more meaning.
A conversation about lineage, creativity, independence and the people who helped shape UK MC culture.
🎙️ THE GRIME JOURNALIST
Instagram: @thegrimejournalist [https://www.instagram.com/thegrimejournalist]Bandcamp / Who Invented Grime?: [https://thegrimejournalist.bandcamp.com/]
👇 Tap below to watch, listen and follow:
🎧 Listen:Podbean: https://micmindedpeople.podbean.comSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16ZUeZQGwA8oSvJPZCpgAdApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mic-minded-people-the-podcast/id1804623810
📺 Watch:YouTube: https://youtube.com/@micmindedpeople
📱 Follow on Instagram:🎙️ Mic Minded People: https://instagram.com/micmindedpeople🎤 Fokus: https://instagram.com/mcfokus
For the love of MCs - the culture, the craft, the conversation.
13 Sept 2026
Episode 33: London Mic Man | Vibes & Versatility with Big Dreco
Big Dreco is a UK artist and MC refusing to stay in one lane.
In this episode, Fokus sits down with Dreco to trace the journey from North West London, grime events and radio through to becoming an artist in his own right.
They talk about Caribbean heritage, sound-system culture, grime, garage, dubstep and jungle, alongside the life experiences that shaped the energy behind Big Dreco.
Dreco also breaks down his approach to independent artistry – from turning social-media attention into actual listeners, to knowing where to invest your money, finding the right sonic fit and building both online and in the real world.
Plus: the story behind Whole Leap Ah Licks, the many different versions of the track, the changing grime landscape, why proper MCs still matter – and an a cappella to close.
⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 – Intro: Meet Big Dreco01:12 – Whole Heap A Licks & grabbing attention online07:04 – Viral views vs real listeners09:02 – New Grime Order & building community17:36 – Growing up in North West London31:04 – Loss, violence & choosing a different path34:24 – Training your ears & finding your sound51:29 – Caribbean heritage & sound-system culture01:14:30 – Making the track BST01:18:00 – Advice for independent artists01:23:27 – The story behind Whole Leap Ah Licks01:30:50 – Ultimate MC Cypher01:41:30 – Grime, D&B & why MCs still matter01:48:05 – Big Dreco a cappella
👇 Tap below to watch, listen and follow:
🎧 Listen:Podbean: https://micmindedpeople.podbean.comSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16ZUeZQGwA8oSvJPZCpgAdApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mic-minded-people-the-podcast/id1804623810
📺 Watch:youtube.com/@micmindedpeople
📱 Follow on Instagram:🎙️ Mic Minded People: https://instagram.com/micmindedpeople🎤 Fokus: https://instagram.com/mcfokus
🔥 Connect with Big Dreco:🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6c6B2Odn54uyI4n9IBURcw?si=LVSaAs5ATlqhekZmGfM0Dg📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/big.dreco_/🎵 Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bigdreco_wmw
🎙️ MIC MINDED PEOPLEFor the love of MCs - the culture, the craft, the conversation.
25 Aug 2026
Episode 32: Essex Grime Story | Rolla Talks BAZ, Basildon And Building A Legacy
Rolla and Fokus go deep into the journey behind one of Essex's most respected MCs.
From growing up in Basildon and discovering grime through LimeWire, to Payback, PyroRadio and creating his deeply personal new album BAZ, this is an honest conversation about resilience, identity and staying true to your roots.
We also explore childhood, pirate radio, the Essex grime scene and the people who helped shape Rolla's career, alongside plenty of stories from the early days that forged his unique style.
🔥 Topics include:
• Growing up in Basildon & finding music• Discovering grime through LimeWire & pirate radio• Kirby T, Payback & the Essex scene• PyroRadio, Radar & early breakthrough moments• The story behind the BAZ album• Staying true to your roots and believing in your craft• Supporting independent artists
🎧 Listen
🎙️ Podbean: https://micmindedpeople.podbean.com🎵 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16ZUeZQGwA8oSvJPZCpgAd🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mic-minded-people-the-podcast/id1804623810
📺 Watch
▶️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@micmindedpeople
📱 Follow
🎙️ Mic Minded People: https://instagram.com/micmindedpeople🎤 Fokus: https://instagram.com/mcfokus
🤝 Connect with Rolla
🎵 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3TzsdN3dHma7u0D72Aew5K?si=xretoaTpTCuz0tqlgLhrDQ💿 Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/rolla/1389846150📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollapayback/📹 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@rolla1325?si=K8p4aBrcIAqjDCwc
For the love of MCs – the culture, the craft, the conversation.
Who has been a guest on Mic Minded People - The Podcast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
MC AD
Mantmast
Carasel
Big Gub
Freddy B
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
590
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
5.0 / 5
10 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 33 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
20
Social presence
94
YouTube
66
Engagement
0
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