It’s no secret that right before Meridian Dan showed off his “German Whip” with Big H and Jme, and before Skepta threw his Gucci in the bin for “That’s Not Me”, the grime scene in London—the home of its birth—was on its last legs. During this time, from 2009 to 2013, Birmingham, aka The Second City, held down the fort in a major way, with the MCs (Trilla, Jaykae, Lady Leshurr...) producers (Preditah, Emvee, Swifta Beater...) and DJs (Big Mikee...) putting their best foot forward and doing everything in their power to keep the sound alive while its epicentre was half-dead.

Another Brum Town soldier who helped push things forward was an MC (and singer) by the name of C4, who solidified his position as a key figure by blending playful lyrics with infectious beats. Not only did he carve out a smooth, ad-lib-heavy sound all his own, he also consistently delivered tracks that resonated with the vibrant underground music scene—most notably “Off Track” and “Oorite”. Whether it’s collaborating with grime heavyweights like Jme and Frisco or working with iconic producers like Sir Spyro and his big brother, Preditah, C4’s contributions have become essential listening for fans and tastemakers alike.

After building his career with a string of impactful releases and even a clothing brand at one point, C4 has recently unveiled his latest project, Between The Lines. The 14-track offering, featuring a diverse line-up of collaborators and production talent, marks an exciting new chapter in his journey. As grime continues to push boundaries and redefine itself, C4 remains at the forefront, letting his music tell the story. TRENCH’s Sik Frydas sat down with the MC to discuss the process behind Between The Lines, his musical evolution, and his thoughts on the future of the scene.

TRENCH: You have been making and releasing music for over a decade now. What made you want to pursue music in the first place, and what was it about grime that initially piqued your interest?

C4: My whole family has always loved music, so it just worked. I’m good at a lot of things and I’m very creative, but music was what took off first. Growing up, I heard a lot of reggae, and dancehall around me, while I fell in love with gospel from going to church. I started spitting bars at a youth club, and people in my area loved it! When I came up with the ‘Oorite’ bar, it blew up in Birmingham, so the people kinda decided my path for me. Grime was the popular music of my generation; in school, all the guys and girls were MCs—everyone had bars. When I got established with “Off Track”, my management wanted me to delve into garage music, but I’ve consistently done grime because that makes the most noise.

Looking back on your career, which is still blooming, what would you say has been your best moment to date?

I’d say the “Off Track” period, around 2012, was the most exciting because it was all new to me. At the time, there weren’t many artists from Birmingham being accepted across the UK, especially on radio and TV. During that period, a lot of doors opened, and I gained access to things I’d wanted for a while. Birmingham has a lot of talent, but not much light is shone on it, so having some of my tunes take off was really good for me.

Do you ever find yourself nostalgic for the MySpace and Bluetooth era of 10-15 years ago?

Yeah, man. Definitely. I feel like people cared more about music back then. If you dropped music, it was a thing. There was less congestion, and everyone was on MySpace to hear it. Nowadays, it’s more image-based and gossipy; the music has taken a back seat. It’s less important to be an artist now—but back in the day, if you were an MC, it was a big deal. I miss those days, but you have to keep moving and adapt to what’s going on now. I guess…

At its core, grime has always been an offline genre, but with how important the internet is now, how do you see that changing?

I can’t really predict the future, but I do see people using technology well now. Mak-10 has been doing outdoor sets, and they’ve been going off! He’s used his head, adapting to TikTok and creating a buzz with grime sets in a new way. People are watching people walking by, seeing their reactions, and wishing they were there. Stuff like that needs to keep happening, bringing the raw energy to today’s generation.

So, let’s talk about your new project, Between The Lines. It’s great. I’ve had it on repeat since its release last month. What’s your favourite track on there?

Thank you, man! That’s sick to hear. It changes day by day, but the tune I play the most is “Try Me”. It’s like an everyday situation where somebody annoys you and you have to keep your head and stay calm. That tune always comes to mind when someone’s annoyed me [laughs]. “That’s Life”, my tune with Tinchy Stryder, is pretty sick too—it was one of the last tunes I finished. When the harmonies come in on that one, I get excited because they took so long to perfect.

Who do you think has the best verse on “Raw N Ragz”?’

Flippin’ hell! Everyone goes in. Hitman’s verse always gasses me, and I love how Roachee comes in as well. So Large has a sick flavour, too. It’s very balanced, and each artist has an element that makes me love their verse. Obviously, I hit them with a Google Maps bar as well [laughs]. I’d say it’s a tie; I’m being politically correct here, but it’s a tie.

What do you want people to take away from the mixtape?

I want people to remember that I’m one of the best artists in the UK. Unless you’re famous and charting, you don’t really get taken seriously as a proper artist. I want people to listen to the tape and think that even though I don’t do crazy numbers, I’m right up there. I’m a one-man army right now, so if anyone can listen to the tape and help me level up and get to the album stage, that would be sick. Everything I do is trying to get to the next level. Hopefully, the people who listen to the music can tell a friend to tell a friend.

You've got quite a few iconic bars, with one of the most memorable being “X, everybody knows my bars in X.” Can you share how that line came to life and when you first decided to use it?

I’ve always been a fan of one-liners, growing up in grime. Back in the day, I was doing a set with Big Mikey and I had the lyric ready, but I wasn’t sure if it would go off, you get me? Initially, it was just one location, but during the set, I started using different locations, and it got a mad reload. On the Off Track set, I did it again and that’s when it really blew up. Since then, around 2012, I’ve been using that bar because it’s effective.

Who are your favourite artists from Birmingham right now?

The younger generation are killing it: I like T Roadz and Trappy a lot. T Roadz was on Rap Game and he’s blowing up on TikTok. I think Trappy’s ready to blow as well. He’s very good on a set—he’s got sick wordplay and he’s just sick at spitting bars. I’m rooting for both of them—they’re real grime kids.

You’re 32 now—what’s your hopes and dreams for the next 8 years?

When I’m 40, I want to have achieved most of my ambitions. As I said at the start, I’m good at a lot of things; I’m good at acting, for example, but I wanna be taken seriously as a proper artist first. I also want to be in the tech world—I’m great with technology. Honestly, bro, I want to be well-off so I can improve the lives of everyone around me. I’ve been doing lots of live shows, and next year I wanna do a proper tour. I’m just trying to be outside, doing more performances, remaining consistent and, hopefully, I can build up to a sold-out headline show. That’s the next target for me, just taking things up a notch.