The Harrow actor and rapper gets Shift~ with Chantel1e Ficldy .
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izAhmed is a busy lad. Having already notched up plaudits for his roles in 1V dramas from The RtradTo Guantanamo to Dead Set, he's also in new Brit movie Shiftyartd the upcoming Rage, co-starring Jude Law. But he also finds time to perform under his other moniker, Riz MC. The Harrow-based26-yearold isaboutto beeverywhere. Wegrab him first. You've had a lot of achievements. What's been the best bit 50 far? Probably being at the Berlin Film Festival and getting a standi ng ovation with Road To Guantanamo, and being up there with the ex-detainees themselves. That was very emotional ... Or maybe getting nominated fora best actor award at the British Independent Film Awards againsr Colin Farrell for Shifty.) didn't win but it felt great. shifry's a tiny film so thatwasa real moment ofrecognition.
Shifty's aboutthe day in
star] Jason.FIemyngwas sweeping floors inbetween tak~s. The ~hifty the!"e tune will be the first time 8 lot of people have heard y<?u waxing lyrical. How does Riz MC differ toRizAhmed? Riz MC is my "extremes"me at mymostthoughtful or hyperactive. As.an MC, lyrical content is imp@rtaat to me - songs that are about something more than wor.d playeor -bragging_ I'm really proud oftheShifiy track. We got more votes than the new Eminem track on Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show. Why rap and not sing? Ha ha. Iget to say more if! rap, and] can'tshutup. But Iwrote the hook on the
Shifty tu ne, and am singing more gene(ally.
As a student at OXford Uni you ran hip hop nights. Do you have plans for more c1u~ events? My Hit&Run club brand runs in Manchesterat the moment but I'm putting ona really special nightat rhe Southbank Centre in Julywith fresh new music, artwork, big-name speakers from politicians to actors and a rooftop party. There's also the Shifty launch party this week. Do you want to DJ? Sure. Out ofinterest, what's the shiftiest thing you've ever done? For every role ] always end up doing shifry stuff.] did the rounds with highly illegal types for Shifty, and had to trade hash for an armed escort along the Afghan border during Road to GUQntanamo. Can someone please offer me nice rom-corn?
the life of a london drugdealer,- played by you. Is itabitgl'im? No!As~oon as) read the script I thought it deserved to De a cult classic. I ~now people will relate-to it - that thing of seeingyour old frienas from where you gr~w up, and itmakingyou revisit your old ghosts, and questiollyour present and your future. The way Shifty tells that story is a breath offresh air. No stereorypes, no glamorising crime, and no depressing, worthy docu-realism. It was shot in a few weeks for less than ÂŁlook. Must have been intense... We were stupid Iy short on time, money, crew and resou rces, so it ChanreUe Fiddy DJs ar meant all hands on Ihe Shifty launch party, deck. The props guys IIDr Rumba, Friday, ÂŁ8 would wade into the door. Shifty is sewage to retrieve a out now. The Shifty phone.because we couldn't a fforda ~iiR"I'$i\1.n.III1"C;~ on fheme tune comes out iTunes on 11 May replacement and [co- 11