The London Issue will be distributed exclusively to Living Proof Members. Sent to our members for June, 2026.
D Double E is a British MC regarded as one of the foundational figures of grime music. Emerging from East London in the early 2000s, he first gained recognition as a member of the influential N.A.S.T.Y Crew. His work helped define early grime through pirate radio sets that became central to the genre’s development. Over the years, he has bridged multiple eras of UK music while remaining in touch with grime’s original style. His collaborations span generations of artists, and his influence can be heard in the stylistic approaches of countless MCs who followed. He is featured in conversation with DaMetalMessiah for Issue 14 of Living Proof Magazine.
At this point in your career, does a show like that still give you nerves, or is it just another day in the office now?
No, no, definitely not man. Every day is a different day. Some days can be less, some days can be surprising, overwhelming. I don't know, it's all different, man. It's not all the same day in the office.
How does that compare to the early raves you were doing at like, Sidewinder or Palace Pavilion?
Yeah it's got more resemblance to back in the day. Yeah, it felt like that, man. It had that feeling. I mean, it happened at Sidewinder, it happened, but this was a bit more me. When I'm on stage with twenty MCs, it’s a joint effort, you know? When I perform Street Fighter and it's just me, it’s like “this is what I'm doing, wow.” When I'm doing things with a lot of people, it's just like I'm adding in. So that was a good feeling that night. And they knew it as well, which is good. It's not just me trying to get a reload. It's a track. It's a song which is the pinnacle of this, which I've learned now, over the years. Before, I just would be happy with the reload, but I prefer performing my songs because it makes you an artist and spitting just makes you an emcee. Two different brackets.
Obviously everyone knows you for being on sets and getting reloads. Does that still mean something to you, or do you feel that sometimes you just want to get your bars out without getting cut off?