Loyle Carner says he will be steering clear of drugs at Glastonbury
The south London rapper warned students at the Brit School that drugs could make the music industry a ‘very dangerous place’.
Brit-nominated rapper Loyle Carner has said he will be staying away from drugs at this year’s Glastonbury festival.
The musician, 24, is due to play on the festival’s second largest stage, The Other Stage, on Sunday afternoon.
He said he planned to behave himself and “steer clear” of anybody trying to give him drugs.
The rapper was speaking alongside school principal Stuart Worden during an event about mental health at the Brit School in Croydon, London, where he was a student.
Jason Iley, Brits chairman and chief executive of Sony Music UK and Ireland, also presented a £250,000 cheque to a number of mental health charities including Mind and the Brit School.
Carner warned students that the music industry could be a “very dangerous place” because of the availability of “substances that can ruin your life”.
Asked how he felt about his forthcoming performance at the Somerset festival, he replied: “I’m f***ing nervous.”
Carner, who does not take drugs and has suffered mental health difficulties, said there was a “big issue” in the music industry.
He said: “I don’t do any of those things. I drink a little bit of beer but that’s whatever. But there is a big issue at the moment but it’s getting better.
“But when you are a musician anything you want is right in front of you. When you are a musician you are alone a lot of the time because you travel around.
“You are in the hotel room alone, you’ve got to be up at the crack of dawn.
“And when everyone can go out of the venue to go and get some dinner you can’t do that because everyone will mob you.
“It’s a very dangerous place where there can be so many free substances that can ruin your life.
“The thing I would say is that what needs to be done, music industry-wise, is to help people understand that when you become a successful person, or moderately successful in my case, you are vulnerable.”
Carner also referenced the death of US rapper Mac Miller, who died last year following an accidental drug overdose involving cocaine and fentanyl aged 26.
He said Miller’s death showed the dangers of fame.
He said: “You need to remember that you can have everything but you can still lose everything.
“So at Glastonbury I will be behaving myself and staying clear of anybody trying to give me any drugs.
“That’s what I will be doing at Glastonbury.”
The Brit School will use their portion of the donation to fund a pilot for Mind’s Whole School Approach which promotes mental health wellbeing.
Further funds will be distributed to Music Support, ELAM, Urban Development and Music for Mental Health.
