Seasoned with wing-related puns, Headie One and Tiffany Calver stop by to chat about their friendship, favourite new artists and all things Wingstop Hot Honey Glaze.

Find us another drill artist whose debut album heads straight to number one; who Fred again.. flocks to and Drake bands the best rapper in the world; who Floating Points and Four Tet want to remix and who has collaborated with Stormzy, Skepta, Dave, Jamie xx and FKA twigs. In short, there’s nobody quite like Headie One. The Tottenham rapper has broken down more doors for drill than any carpenter or joiner could ever replace. Inspired by the sliding elements of the Chicago scene in the early 2010s, combining it with grime’s underdog spirit, Headie and his contemporaries manifested a wave of music that infiltrated America and became a global phenomenon. 

 

Tiffany Calver is on a similar journey of innovation. Running the record label and club night No Requests and providing a support system for emerging artists via her Radio 1Xtra show, she is synonymous with a new generation of UK rappers who are continually ripping up the rule book. Add this to her bookings at major festivals like Wireless, and you can see why she’s deemed such a vital contemporary figure in British music.  

 

Curation is Tiffany’s bread and butter, and as one of the first radio hosts to play drill, Headie and the scene are in debt to her early support. The genre’s mainstream appeal has a lot to do with 1Xtra’s brave programming, spotlighting disaffected youth in London who were expressing themselves through conventional means but controversial subject matter. Once drill was on the radio, people started to take it seriously.

 

Earlier this year, Headie and Tiffany’s worlds intertwined again when Wingstop tapped them up for the Hot Honey Glaze campaign. The first UK exclusive flavour since 2018, like the artists themselves, the taste is unapologetically bold, which is why the chain has become the choice chicken shop for those interested in British music culture. This isn’t the first time rap has collided with culinary delights: Action Bronson’s F*ck, That’s Delicious springs to mind, as does D Double E’s obsession with Oysters, and as Wingstop’s chicken achieves cult status, the crossover looks set to continue.  

 

Stopping by to chat about their friendship, favourite new artists and all things Hot Honey Glaze – seasoned with some wing-related puns – tap into our exclusive chat with Headie One and Tiffany Calver below:

The sun is shining in London, what do your perfect days look like in the capital when the weather is like this?

TC: I’m not gonna speak for Headie, but whenever it’s been sunny and I’ve seen you, it’s usually been a big group of us, and we’ve been at a rooftop bar. We’re all just sitting, drinking cocktails.

 

HO:  It was fun time.

 

HO: I think I had a Spicy Margarita.

 

TC: Don’t lie. 

 

HO: Or was it a Pornstar Martini?

 

TC: There we go. 

What were your first opinions of each other when you first met? Can you remember that moment?

TC: The first time we properly met was when you released ‘18HUNNA’. I made you dress up as Santa Claus to do a freestyle as a forfeit because you were late for the set. 

 

HO: That’s one of the best freestyles I think I’ve ever done. I fully had the hat on, the glasses, everything, even the beard. I was in a festive mood that time there, it brought the best out of me. 

Tiffany, what drew you towards Headie’s music when you first heard it?

TC: I remember the first time I properly heard his music was at uni, when he started releasing singles like ‘No Better’ and ‘Golden Boot’. I had just started DJing and getting bookings, and those were my go-to records to make everybody lose their shit on the dance floor.

Headie, you’ve got a new single out called ‘It Is What It Is’. How did it come about?

HO: I’m feeling happy about it. I feel like I’m in this space where I’m trying to release fun music again; I just want to be fun with my releases and do things without much thought behind it. That’s the space that I’m in right now. 

Can you remember the last thing you said ‘It Is What It Is’ about?

HO: I say it all the time. It means not trying to do things with too much stress, you know.

Any other releases on the way?

HO: I’ve got lots of music on the way. The one thing I’m trying to avoid is thinking about what I’m going to do next. I’m trying to wing it and have fun.

“Wing it” is the first Wingstop pun of the interview, hopefully it won’t be last. Both of you run record labels, what have you learnt about yourself while exploring this extension of your artistry?

TC: For me, I realised how much of the business side of music I didn’t like. I stepped back and was like, ‘I don’t know if I want to be on this side of history’. It was about being a part of the change, giving artists creative freedom. I think people are less inclined to develop artists nowadays. It’s super important and sets people up for success. I also don’t really want to retain a massive chunk of anybody’s rights to their masters. I just don’t think that’s the way the world’s going. I had a really fun time signing artists I believe in, and that ethos was always there for me, taking chances on people and giving them the opportunity to tell their story.

And what about yourself, Headie?

HO: For me, it was about trying to have the balance between being an artist and getting into the record label stuff. I’m definitely not as experienced as Tiffany, but like I said, I was just winging it.

Tiffany, as a curator, who’s exciting you at the moment?

TC: Everybody’s eyes and ears are on this underground scene: it’s new, it’s exciting and it’s different. I’m obsessed with BXKS. There are so many artists like her coming through. I like the super weird wave of rap, like YT, Len and Lancey; he was the first guest I ever had on my Radar Radio show. I just like the weirdos, to be honest, because that’s where the future is. It’s always the things that are a bit weird. 

Speaking of the UK Underground, you were in a video with Jim Legxacy and YT the other day, Headie. 

HO: I’ve done lots with him. I’m a fan of his music. I think he has a very soulful voice. I just like good music, to be honest. When I come across artists who are coming up and doing good music, I like to show my appreciation.

 

TC: Of all the artists who are now established household names, I have to give it to Headie, he will always be that person to go out of his way and co sign new artists. What you did with Chy Cartier was wicked. Bringing the attention to ‘YO’ like you did, that really matters.

What did you think of Headie One’s broadcasting abilities in the Wingstop video?

TC: It was funny to switch the roles. He’s got it, man, and he’s got the voice for radio as well.

Do you know each other’s Wingstop order? Headie, if you were to guess Tiffany’s?

HO: I’ll go with Hot Honey Glaze and Spicy Korean?

 

TC: I had that literal order last week. I’m a Virgo, so I alternate to keep it exciting, but I’d never tried the Spicy Korean, and I was really sceptical, but I loved it. My boyfriend ate more than he was supposed to, so I was a bit fuming, because he liked it as well.

And Tiffany, what do you think his order is?

TC: You might be a Lemon Pepper kind of guy. It’s a classic and I feel like you’re a classic man.

 

HO: I don’t like everything to be that sweet, so I’m more balanced between that spice and sweet and something that’s a bit dry and classic. I balance it out with a side. Yeah, it’ll probably be a Hot Honey and a Lemon Pepper.

How do you individually like to spice up or add flavour to your life?

TC: I can answer this one for Headie, he’ll be on a boat somewhere tropical, in a shirt. I’ll FaceTime him thinking he’s still at home, and he’s in Greece on holiday somewhere.

 

HO: I like a little boat ride; it clears my head.

 

TC: I spent the majority of my 20s with zero balance and all spice, and now I’m learning to have the balance. I absolutely love my job, I love everything I do, and I’m grateful that I get to do something I love for a living but I’m learning to take a breather. 

Headie, you and OFB were on Balamii Radio a few weeks back. Any OFB plans in the near future that we should know about?

HO: We’ve been speaking about doing things together, we’re always in a studio and doing different things. Something will come naturally in due time.

What’s next for you musically?

HO: I’m trying to drop loads of music this year. I don’t want it to be too rigid; I’m just trying to drop. Whenever I feel like dropping, I’m gonna drop. 

Tiffany, anything you have coming up that you’d like to plug?

TC: I’m doubling down on growing something of my own and building out No Requests. We just sold out Outernet, which was unreal to me. It’s amazing to look at a crowd of nearly 2000 people and be like, ‘Oh, okay, they get it.’ I’ve got some very exciting Notting Hill Carnival plans. I’ve got some big shows coming up this year and next. 

What have you got planned for the rest of the week, other than eating Wingstop?

HO: Probably watching loads of football. There’s loads of football this week. I might even find myself in Spain tomorrow to watch Manchester United.

 

TC: You see what I mean? Sadly for me, no Spain. I’ve got a kitchen getting delivered tomorrow, so that’s my plan for the weekend, watching that get built. And then I think just enjoying the weather, to be honest, trying to get this house done because I’ll be inside knocking walls down or burning things in my garden. It’s all about the balance.