Shogun wants to put music out that forces society to examine itself through his intelligent brand of rap music. Having previously supported big names on tour and with his own BBC Three documentary, Shogun is an accomplished rapper who’s here to show he’s not finished yet.

Why did you apply for The Rap Game?

The reason I applied for The Rap Game was to show people that Scottish people are true lyricists. I wanted to be a moniker of that. I feel that we’re undermined to some degree and I want to try and change that.

How would you describe your style?

Intricate. It’s very intricate. Almost to my own detriment sometimes. I feel like, not to sound pretentious, but it’s been reborn. I’ve had more real life experiences in the last couple of years and have put stuff into proper context. I feel like I’m more concise and refined with my style now. It’s a sapling - not quite a tree yet, but getting there.

What do you like about rapping?

I love being able to say whatever I want, whenever I want - and get paid for it. I love rapping for the fact it can change people’s lives and give people a way to vicariously escape their own lives. That’s what I listen to rap for. It takes me places and gives me father figures and points of reference that I didn’t have before… listening to an album or an EP. I love rap for the persuasiveness it can have. Rap can influence entire cultures, not just single individuals. I want to try to be a part of that. I love it. I wouldn’t have anything else to do if I didn’t rap. I’m not good at anything else.

What does being Scottish mean to you?

It’s a big part of my identity. It’s the first people notice about me - that Scottish rapper. It’s borderline the first word that comes out of people’s mouths when they think of me. Scottish, Scotland, whatever. I just wanna try and be a good representation of that - a true representation of that. Whether I seem right, wrong or on the fence… I wanna try and truly give people a sense of what it’s like to be in Scotland, in my own little cryptic way. But, like I say, as my style is more refined and my maturity level is higher, I am able to put things into words that I wouldn’t have been able to when I was first being noticed. Hence why I’m here - to reintroduce myself.

What do you think about the competition?

It’s surprising. They test you in ways that you wouldn’t think would get to you. It gets to you… and you don’t even notice until after. That’s the thing that kills you in the competition - thinking too much on things. You need to just do, you need to be proactive. You can’t be too strategic in this competition, it’ll just lead to you overpreparing.

What are you looking forward to about the competition?

I think this competition will be a good opportunity to showcase my true talents and my true personality… in the past I feel like things have been skewed. I want to come here and show people that I’m an artist. I’m gonna get things wrong, I’m gonna do stupid stuff, I’m gonna act out of place sometimes… I’m learning my way through an industry that can be vague and misleading and I don’t really have a lot of guiding lights… So I want to show people that I’m really trying to do something. I’m trying to represent my country to the fullest and show people that there are true lyricists and artists in Scotland - it’s not just the angry Scotsman with his political raps. We do have that in abundance but I’m just trying to show people that we can make very, very good music and we can hold our own with the elites of the rap game. That’s why I’m on The Rap Game UK.

Where would you like to be in five years time?

In five years’ time I want to be so busy that I can’t see anybody that I love.