The first single I bought
It’s Alright by East 17, from Woolworths in New Malden in south-west London, aged 11. In my mind, they were naughty young boys doing hardcore rap, even though really it was just pop music. So that was my introduction to rap.
The song I do at karaoke
I’ve been through lots of karaokes where all I do is an underground rap song and no one gives a shit and it ruins the whole vibe. At the time I started to get into hip-hop I was also into Green Day – but only the one song, When I Come Around. I learned every lyric and can do a really good impression where you just sound really nasal.
The best song to play at a party
There’s a bit of a theme here … But I’ll put on Shook Ones, Part II by Mobb Deep, rap every single lyric, ruin the vibe and then get told to leave.
The song I inexplicably know every lyric to
Who Am I (What’s My Name)? by Snoop Dogg. Doggystyle was the first album I bought. Actually, I stole it from my older sister’s friend and learned every single lyric. I used to braid my hair with rubber bands and walk around junior school thinking I was Snoop and no one knew what the hell I was talking about.
The song I stream the most
Gold by Conducta ft BIJI. The lyrics are about being from London and Kurdistan. I’m Kurdish, and this really helped put Kurdish culture on the dance music map, which was pleasantly surprising. I’ve been banging it out every day.
The song I secretly like, but tell everyone I hate
I used to hate Iris by Goo Goo Dolls growing up. But when you hear it now, it becomes a nostalgia thing. I heard it playing in a cab the other day, Shazamed it, went home, watched the live version and cried on my own. Five minutes later, I put Snoop Dogg on and I was fine.
The song I can no longer listen to
Bad by Michael Jackson.
The best song for my mental health
Redemption Song by Bob Marley gets me thinking, purging, crying, vomiting, and ready for the new day.
The song I wish I had written
Illmatic, Nas’s first album, changed the way I saw music. I just love the lyrics. My aim was to rap as well as he could.
The song that changed my life
I remember hearing 138 Trek by DJ Zinc at a house party gone mad. It was the start of my love for garage and grime, and what got me into doing pirate radio and writing a show called People Just Do Nothing. That trajectory changed my life.
The song that gets me up in the morning
Pump Pump by Lil’ Malik and Snoop Dogg gets me gassed and ready for the day.
The song I would like played at my funeral
Get Out the Way – Kurupt FM.
Allan Mustafa is supporting Movember, taking on mental health, suicide, prostate and testicular cancers. See Movember.com
