We’re back with another powerhouse encounter of words and rhythm. Prepare yourselves as we collide with the unstoppable force that is Charlie Sloth. We delve deep into the origins, the passions, and the disruptive spirit that fuels the fire within.

From the origins of his rap fascination to his ventures in AU Vodka and his captivating residency at The Mansion, Charlie Sloth exemplifies the art of disruption. With ‘Fire in the Booth’ conquering new frontiers and his unwavering commitment to unearthing exceptional talent, the future holds limitless possibilities for this visionary.

Charlie Sloth sat down with Wordplay Magazine to chat about Charlie:

Wordplay: Charlie, you’re an OG in the rap game and are responsible for pushing hip hop to new heights in the UK, but I really want to know, how did it all begin? What sparked your love for rap music?

Charlie Sloth: I’ve told this story a few times - and it’s actually a really sincere story. When I was younger, my mum used to be a cleaner at people’s houses. One day, I was sent home from school and I went with my mum to her work at a lady’s house in Primrose Hill, London. She told me to stay in the kitchen and said “Don’t move and don’t touch anything” and of course, me being a curious 8-year-old kid, I decided to snoop around until I came across a cassette tape.

I picked it up and saw these big red letters and I turned it over, checked the tracklist and I was like “Whoa, this looks dangerous”. Rookie move - I took it home, put it in my cassette player and listened to it and I was like “Wow, what is this?”. N.W.A’s epically-acclaimed Straight Outta Compton is what it was.

I just felt a connection to it - although I didn't always understand the full context of what the artist was talking about, but it really resonated with me and it just gave me purpose. From that moment on I knew no matter what happened in life, I would be involved in the music industry.

WP: We can’t mention Charlie Sloth and not mention the phenomenon that is AU Vodka. First off, congrats on the growing success of the brand, could you tell us a little bit about how it started?

CS: Thank you! At the time I was working on a vodka brand and spent a considerable amount of money developing it. For some reason, I just couldn't get it right, but one day I checked my DMs on Instagram and had a message from a company called AU Vodka.

I checked the page, which I usually rarely do, but at that time I was really interested in starting a vodka brand. When I saw the bottle I thought “Wow, these guys got it right.” From there, I contacted the guys and I asked if they needed an investment which they declined so I waited for them to change their minds. And they did.

Two weeks later I was in London, they hit me up and asked if I was keen to meet up for coffee and when we did, I pitched my five-year plan and they signed me right on the spot!

I invested in the business, but this was their first year so it hadn’t really taken off yet, but I saw the potential in the brand and in my partners, Charlie and Jackson. Now,  it’s the top-selling vodka brand in the UK and we just sold out in one week in the United States! It’s safe to say that we're rapidly growing!

WP: Your relationship with FIVE Hotels and Resorts came around through a friend and colleague of yours; DJ Jonezy, what’s the story there? You recently started a residency at  The Mansion at FIVE Jumeirah Village, the concept sounds amazing, can you talk a bit more about it?

CS: My relationship with FIVE came about by a good friend of mine, DJ Jonezy. Since then, my relationship with FIVE has been incredible. Sometimes you meet certain people in life who share the same vision and have the same energy and passion.

When you meet people like that you click and I think that that’s what happened when I encountered the FIVE Team. I felt like everyone shared the same vision and it’s just been an incredible relationship ever since.

All the FIVE venues that I play at make sense because the brand’s energy is incredible, in particular at the jaw-dropping The Mansion. I feel aesthetically it’s hands down, the most disruptive nightclub in Dubai, if not the best club in the world. I’m privileged enough to travel around the world and play at some of the most incredible venues, but I definitely think The Mansion is out there as one of the best venues in the world.

WP: How does The Mansion differ from FIVE Palm Jumeirah’s BLING and The Penthouse?

CS: I think The Mansion has a certain edge to it. It’s almost like The Mansion is the naughty child of the three. The Penthouse is very glamorous and light. BLING  is epic and intimate, whereas The Mansion for me is the ‘Look-At-Me’ club.  If they were siblings, The Mansion would be the middle child -  100%.

WP: You have taken Fire in the Booth from strength to strength, it is THE show to be featured on as a rapper, regardless of where you come from.  We have loved ‘Fire in the Booth’ the original, but also Dubai, Jamaica, and Scotland.  What can we expect next from the brand?

CS: 'Fire in the Booth is a brand that has been going from strength to strength, especially since my partnership with Apple Music. We’ve just launched Fire in the Booth Germany, where we have our own local host - a German guy who is totally connected to the community and has the same passion as I do for rap music and is someone who understands that territory better than anybody else.

Growing the ‘Fire In The Booth’ brand in different territories, having hosts who are familiar with their communities, for me, is something that I want to explore and expand on over the coming months - and it works. We’re making sure that we continue to deliver artists that we feel are pushing boundaries, challenging and excelling for different reasons.

WP: Are there any artists on your radar right now that we should check out?

CS: There are SO many artists right now that are exceptional. I would say in the US, it'll have to be Symba. He’d recently done a very legendary ‘Fire in the Booth’ which went absolutely crazy and had the likes of Lebron James. He’s an artist who I feel is not only very skilful and creative but also has an underlying message throughout his music. It gives him that edge in today's climate when a lot of artists find subject matter regarding more glamorous things just to talk about.

In terms of UK artists, it will probably be Rimzee. He’s another great artist - someone who has a very powerful voice and is the polar opposite of Symba and their content. But I feel that he is very raw and has a lot to say and I think he does that in a very creative way.

WP: What can we expect next from the Charlie Sloth brands?

CS: Everything for me is about being disruptive, just always trying to disrupt the market no matter where I am. I feel like a lot of people in today's society like to play things safe and I think a lot of people are scared to be different.

I feel like that has always separated me and the brands I am involved in because I’m not scared to try things that other people are scared to do. If other people go left I wanna go right and that’s how I conduct myself and that is the ethos of everything that I do.

WP: What do you like to do when you're not making music?

CS: To be fair, my schedule is pretty intense. I don’t really have many down days because I’m always travelling around the world. I’m either deejaying, doing a ‘Fire in the Booth’ or Apple Music commitments. But when I do I enjoy my free time, it’s often with my family.

WP: Name Three things you can't live without when you are on the road.

CS: A portable charger for my phone, which I ironically don’t have now. The second thing I can’t live without is my microphone because without it I can’t record my interviews for Apple Music. And the third thing is a bottle of AU Vodka…Cheers, guys!

Connect with Charlie Sloth on instagram here

Connect with AU Vodka on Instagram here

Connect with Fire In The Booth on Instagram here

Interview by: Ed Lindsay