Clash Magazine 128 AJ Tracey

The West London kid who made it to the top, AJ Tracey went from underground hero to a chart-crashing star. CLASH has charted those formative steps, covering those seminal radio sets when he was still in high school.

Honouring AJ Tracey with his first CLASH Cover, we find an artist who is revelling in maturity, using his responsibilities as fuel for his creativity. To the passive observer his rise has been easy, a triumph of talent and commitment – but, as he tells us, he’s had to overcome more than his fair share of obstacles along the way.

Revelling in his status, AJ Tracey is ready to locate new challenges, while remaining tethered to the sounds – and the community – that first fostered him.

As AJ Tracey puts it: “I’m blessed to be in this position. People still rock with me.”

Elsewhere in this issue you can explore the realm of future RnB auteur Saya Gray, and gain an audience with enigmatic UK rapper Jawnino. Jodie Harsh reflects on shifts in London’s queer nightlife over two decades, DIIV and Been Stellar dig deep into New York’s DIY underworld, and Hollywood actor and musician Rome Flynn reveals all.