Born in Trinidad, To1Swerve moved to the UK at the age of ten years old. Growing up in North London and facing discrimination at school, music quickly became a healthy outlet for him to understand his emotions, traumas, and self-worth. Since the beginning of his professional career in 2015, he has explored a variety of aliases — from Swaggz to Swerve and, ultimately, to To1Swerve. This version of himself, coined in 2019, reflected a change in the artist’s musicality and mindset. Following the success of singles such as “Man Down” and “Eye for an Eye”, To1Swerve released his debut mixtape, “Son of the enslaved” to a growing fanbase eager for more of his impeccable storytelling, nostalgic flow, and modern sound. And his listeners have not been disappointed. Now back with a new album, Trapped Star, he lets himself shine even brighter.

We talk to To1Swerve about his musical origins, the meaning behind his new project, and what’s to come.

Stream Trapped Star…

Watch the visuals for lead single “What’s The Price”…

And now for the interview…

Hey! How’s it going?
I am blessed, I can’t complain about a thing.

Tell us how you first got into music.
I first got into music as a hobby, having fun recording, until one day my brother told me he thought I was good and had the potential to do something great. I laughed and didn’t take it seriously, but I kept on working on it as I recognised he saw something I didn’t.

What are your musical origins and how do they present in your work?
I grew up listening to Calypso, Soca, Dancehall, R&B and Hip hop. All these things vary in how they present themselves in my work. Some in the production, some in the flow and some in the lyrical content and rhythm.

How did your upbringing influence your work?
My upbringing influenced my work, you can hear from my lyrical content and how the message is being put across. I may say things a certain way or use certain phrases, all these things are a reflection of my upbringing. My production choice is a reflection of my upbringing as the instruments and sound gives a taste of the bittersweet upbringing I had.

What is the meaning behind the name To1Swerve?
The meaning behind the name is there is only one swerve. My original music name was Swaggz but it was too attached to my street lifestyle. When I started doing music my close friends used to always call me Swerve so I changed it to signify that this is the artistic me.

Do you have a songwriting process or does it vary from piece to piece?
I actually don’t write music. I make sure and pray and hold a positive meditation before recording line for line. I put my music together like a puzzle or a painting I should say. Bit by bit and the end product is a masterpiece.

What is one of your proudest career moments so far?
So far my proudest career moment would be charting on the UK hip hop charts for my latest release, Trapped Star.

What is the message behind Trapped Star?
I had been living in my comfort zone for too long, so the last two years I have been living out of my comfort zone and I love it. I always knew I had star qualities and could do great things but I didn’t see it with my own eyes until I came out of my comfort zone — which the name Trapped Star comes from, as I came to realise I’d been a trapped star. Doing the same things over and over again, shining but not to my full potential because I am playing in the safe zone.

What musical influences run through the fabric of your latest project?
There are a lot of 90s musical influences in my latest project. 90s hip hop, R&B, and urban pop. They are not in your face but you can feel them in the vibes of the music.

“What’s The Price” has been hailed by GRM Daily, what was this experience like?
The experience is something I look forward to all the time. I want to say a big thank you to GRM Daily for their support and our professional relationship.

What does the future look like for To1Swerve?
The future for To1Swerve is bright. Stay tuned. From Trapped Star to Flying Star.