Big Narstie’s been a fixture of the grime scene since the early noughties, where he came through as a member of the N Double A crew. More recently, he’s picked up the Urban Music Award for best Grime Act two years in a row, toured the country enlisting thousands of new recruits to the Base Defence League, and dropped a collaboration with Craig David. 

He’s at least as famous for his YouTube channel as he is for his musical output. For years, Big Narstie’s been dispensing hard-hitting words of wisdom as agony uncle Uncle Pain, helping his fans through moral mazes like “My Big Brother had Sex with my Girlfriend” and “Why is My Kid Ginger?”

It’s not only people’s messy personal lives he’s got strong opinions about. In the past, he’s spoken out about gentrification in his hometown, Brixton, and against cuts to the NHS. He also tried to mobilise young people to vote ‘remain’ in June’s EU referendum. (If only more of us had heeded his warning not to fuck up the future...)

Now, he’s backing free education – and on Saturday, he played at the official after-party for the National Union of Students’ United for Education demo, along with Ohema X and Izzie Gibbs. Since the summer, the government has scrapped maintenance grants for the UK’s poorest students, abolished bursaries for student nurses and midwives, and increased tuition fees to £9,250 (which is expected to rise to £12,000 by 2026.) I asked Narstie why he’s getting involved in student politics. “Because I find it hard to turn a blind eye to fuckery”, he tells me.

Hey, Narstie. Why have you decided to take part in these protests?

Big Narstie: Basically, because the government keep pushing up the budgets and making it harder for people to get an education. So I just thought, Base Defence League’s gonna back the students 100 per cent, man. Education should definitely be free. Because, if people can’t get an education, what are (the government) expecting? Are they trying to start a university for robbers and drug dealers, instead?

You’re a lot more outspoken on political issues than other people in the music industry. Why do you think other musicians are often more cagey about their views?

Big Narstie: Because telling the truth isn’t cool. Society has made it a bad thing to tell the truth. I keep saying it. But I don’t give a shit, man, I’m just gonna say it how it is.

Do you think other musicians need to do more with the platform they’ve been given?

Big Narstie: It’s not even really about being a musician, it’s about being a good person. I’ve always said before, with great power comes great responsibility, you know what I mean? It’s like, (for this protest), we’re gonna have a party and a chinwag and all that, but, at the same time, like, you always gotta do something to help and benefit other people, and a lot of my fan base is in uni. And, if the situation is this bad now, it’s gonna be so much worse when my daughter’s old enough to go to uni.

“Society has made it a bad thing to tell the truth. I keep saying it. But I don’t give a shit, man, I’m just gonna say it how it is” – Big Narstie

Did you ever think about applying to uni yourself?

Big Narstie: Unfortunately, I didn’t get to chance to go to uni. It just was unreachable. Only very, very few people went to university where I come from. Most would be dead or in prison, to be honest. We didn’t really think of university at all.

Do you think higher fees play a part in that problem, putting off young people from poorer backgrounds from applying?

Big Narstie: Definitely. I think the money situation plays a big part in it. Because, if you don’t come from a stable family, It’s a bit rough. If it’s a choice between having 9 grand to educate myself, or 9 grand to buy food and put a roof over my head, what am I gonna choose?

Tuition fees are rising, we’re leaving the EU, and Donald Trump is in charge of the most powerful country in the world. A lot of students don’t have much hope for their future. Does anything give you hope for the future?

Big Narstie: I don't know. Smoke some ganjas. Have a little ounce.