While on his North American Tour, Aitch stopped by Chicago, where we had the chance to chop it up for Q&A’s with Clark Street.

CSC: Aitch, welcome to Chicago. How are you feeling? 

Aitch: Thank you very much. Excellent, excited to be here. 

CSC: First time here?

Aitch: First time, I'm losing my Chicago virginity today.

CSC: Let the people know who you are and what you're about. 

Aitch: My name is Aitch. I'm a rapper from Manchester, UK. Right now, I'm on my North America tour, just got back from Toronto. Today obviously, I'm in Chicago, got a couple more dates after this. Yeah, man, I'm the fucking littest, best rapper in the world. If you didn't know, get to know. 

CSC: Do you remember the story of how it all exactly went down the day you quit your job to pursue rap full-time?

Aitch: I think I was just going up and down to London having meetings with different labels and whatnot. We kinda had a meeting with every single label possible, and everyone was offering money. So I was just kinda like, 'I don't know what I'm going to do right now, but I'm definitely picking one of them.' So I just phoned my grandad and said, 'I'm not coming in tomorrow because I'm going to go sign a contract,' and I never went back. 

CSC: How did he react to that?

Aitch: He was happy. He didn't want me to work there. That was just kinda just giving me something to do while I waited for rap to work out. In my head, I was just like, let me get this job and waste some time until I blow up. 

CSC: What type of job were you working?

Aitch: It was laboring like construction, but nothing like no skill set to. I was just cleaning up after everyone else. It's the worst job in the world. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

CSC: You've been rapping for over half a decade now, about seven years. Has there been a moment in your life in which you said to yourself, 'I made it.' or is that moment yet to come?

Aitch: I think it's still to come. I've had moments, but you quickly realize how much you've not made it. I felt like earlier in my career. I remember getting my first paycheck and thinking that I'd made it. I spent it and not made it anymore. There's been different points in my career where I felt that I made it, but I get to the next point, and I've not made it yet. I'm nowhere near. You can't just get too comfy. You have to keep pushing. This has been making me feel good, this America tour. 

CSC: What are some other goals you want to accomplish?

Aitch: My album needs to be crazy. I'm trying to make my album go number one. Go silver, then go gold, then go Platinum. 

CSC: How about Diamond?

Aitch: Diamond, yeah, that doesn't even come in the conversation in the UK rap scene. No one has gone Diamond yet, but I will be the first person. 

CSC: In the rap game, what has been your biggest Learning Curve?

Aitch: I think just learning the game and learning that you have to toughen up and understand quite quickly that if you cant ask someone to do something if it doesn't benefit them, their not necessarily going to do it. You need to come to terms that it's fine. If it doesn't do anything for them, why would they do it for you. 

CSC: Are you still waiting on the Stormzy verse?

Aitch: Stormzy never sent me the verse. That's my guy, though. That's different. I'm going to bump into Stormzy, and we're going to have a fight; no, I'm just joking. We'll get that verse. 

CSC: Now, what about in life? What has been your biggest Learning Curve in life?

Aitch: Different ones for different reasons. I think making money is a learning curve it push you to the test a little bit. If you are crazy or not, a lot of people get put in your position, and it can go left a whole different way. Also, just growing up and being in relationships. I say, ships I've only been in one. Different things man, I've learned a lot just naturally growing up has made me learn. 

CSC: Teach us some UK slang. 

Aitch: Mine's a bit different because I'm not from London, so like, for example, in top boy, people say 'bruv,' I don't say 'bruv.' That's not a Manchester thing at all. So for house, we say 'gaff' I'm going to my gaff, I just bought a new gaff, bought a new crib. 'Scran,' I think that's what I'm about to do in a minute, scran this food. My personal Manchester one that no one uses a part for people from Manchester is 'archid', which just means brother. 

CSC: How do you greet someone?

Aitch: The UK is influenced by Jamaicans, really. Man's say 'wagwan.' I know that sounds crazy to some people because people just see that as strictly Jamaican, but that doesn't come to people's heads in the UK. Canada and the UK is very very similar. They say we got some 'bad tingz,' like bad girls, you know what I'm saying, and people in America don't say that it's just a Canadian and UK thing. 

CSC: Talking about 'bad tingz,' how does Aitch slide into the DM's?

Aitch: It depends who it is. If I feel like I'm going to have to work a little hard, I would usually be dropping compliments in there like you're gorgeous, or I like to drop the 11/10 line. Send them their own picture that they posted and put you are an 11/10 that usually works. You know, different strokes for different folks. 

CSC: What's your go-to order at Jak's Kitchen?

Aitch: I don't even order nothing I just say, 'Yo I'm coming!' It's usually just like chicken, prongs, mac cheese, everything, and anything good that you can think of it's just on that plate. Anyone that goes to Manchester trust me, just go to Jak's Kitchen. 

CSC: Anyone in Chicago or the states that you want to make a track with?

Aitch: You know who's hard from Chicago, that new guy PGF Nuk. He's so fucking hard. He's the coldest. I like him a lot. I've always wanted to make a song with Chief Keef, but I feel like his love for music isn't even there anymore, so it wouldn't be the same. 

CSC: Let's play a quick game of Fuck, Marry & Kill (Avoid). Amelia, Lizzo, and Ms. Banks. 

Aitch: Oh, for fucks sake! I would... Fuck... I would fuck Ms. Banks, yeah. You have put me on this spot with this one bro. I don't know what to say with Amelia because do I pick avoid her because we've done that already or out of love, do I marry her because we've done that already. Fucking hell, man. I need to fuck Ms. Banks, and I need to marry Lizzo. That's only because I've never done either of those things before. 

CSC: You've worked with Stormzy and Ed Sheeran before. Have they given you any good advice that you've followed throughout your career? 

Aitch: Ed is always giving me advice. I was chatting a bit with Ed before, to be honest. He's always giving me good advice on the DM's. Never anything in particular. He hypes me up a little bit when I speak to him. He makes me feel like I can do it, so yeah, man Ed's my guy, and so is Stormzy. They both taught me a lot, even without even knowing them before and just watching them do their thing. 

CSC: When you're introducing someone to UK Rap/Drill, what artists will you show them or what songs are you going to put them on with?

Aitch: If I had a couple hours, I would do the ins and out. I would show people Skepta and Giggs. They are the OG's. These are what everyone in the city grew up on these people. These the ones who started doing grime, and grime developed, and now their doing other things and whatnot. Then there are OG's who aren't as old as them but are older than me. I'm a new school OG. In the new school, we got Central Cee, Ardee, Tion Wayne, Headie One, you name it. So we could be there for days, to be fair, but I'd just play my album. 

CSC: Is the album ready?

Aitch: Yeah, it's coming out in August. It's called 'Close to home.' See how I plugged it there. I call it a free ball. It's a soccer term. I don't know what they call it in the NFL. 

CSC: Who can we expect to be on it?

Aitch: Ed Sheeran on there, AJ Tracey on there. That's my guy. Do you know Bakar? (No.) He's from England, but he spends a lot of time out in LA. He's like friends with Kylie Jenner. I got a sick song with Bakar. It's coming out in August. It's some of the best music I've made. It's definitely a bit more from the heart over than from the penis. 

CSC: While in America, what's something you look forward to doing?

Aitch: Just experiencing everything, the culture, and all the different cities. Having a good time and I'm with my team, my actual friends, it's like a big boy's holiday. Apart from the early mornings. I'm not just saying this to make anyone laugh. This is a genuine answer here. There are beautiful women around the world you need to go see, and I suppose for the girls, there are beautiful men around the world they should go see. Come to Manchester, come find me and have the time of your life. 

CSC: Before the year ends, what else can we expect from Aitch?

Aitch: Obviously, I'm on tour right now. A tour which you obviously can't buy tickets to no more because it sold out, but I got my Australia tour in July. Australia and New Zealand in July. Album out in August. September, I will just be promoting the album, making some music videos, and whatnot. Octoberish, we doing a UK tour out there, and December is my birthday. I'll be getting drunk as fuck, and in the new year, more sick new music; just keep going, man.