From Hood to Farm: Fekky’s New Life in Nature
What led you to transition from rapping to farming?
I used to get in a lot of trouble on the streets. In 2011, I ended up stuck in the house with [an electronic tag], so I picked up music. Then it was non-stop music, shows, touring… and in 2018 I finally crashed. I had to take a break. I went to live in Thailand for three months and fell in love with nature. I came back to lockdown, so I started gardening, filming it and sharing it on social media. It became a thing: Fekky’s Garden. People were invested, messaging me about my trees, and I began to see the mental health benefits. I decided I wanted to do it full-time and live in the country on a farm.
What benefits did you experience?
It helped me with anxiety and trauma from the streets. I’ve been stabbed, my friends have died, and I just got on with it. Then I became famous and had to be on form ’cause I had eyes on me all the time. That brought lots of anxiety. But nature’s made me slow down. I’m still doing music, but I’m enjoying the process without the pressure. When you’re gardening, it’s just you and the plant; there’s no place for anger. What you gonna be mad about? It’s not gonna start cussing you out.
Coming to nature has helped me find myself again
What made you launch your YouTube series, Hood2Farm?
I grew a potato, and then I thought about onions, then strawberries, cabbages… then I got some chickens and ducks. I knew I wanted to start my own farm, so I reached out to farmers, told them I want to learn, and went for a day or two to each farm and did exactly what they were doing. Milking the cows, herding the sheep, beekeeping – I was doing all of it. And it was surprising how we all got on. I thought they’d judge me, but I still talk to them now. If I have problems with my chickens, I call my chicken farmer.
How did your community react to the transition?
They loved it. People were ready for me to show them something else. Some rappers are scared to grow up, still trying to catch trends, and it’s a disservice ’cause they’ll always be compared with the next person coming up. But if you show people you’re growing up, express it and be real, you won’t get compared with others; you can just be yourself.
Tell us about the charity you set up, The CC Foundation…
I launched The CC Foundation [named after his sons Capree and Cuben] to put good back into my area and inspire people to do the same. We empower underprivileged youth and families, and we have a food bank every Thursday in Lewisham where I donate food I’ve grown, and eggs from my chickens. We also have a laptop library, and we hold employability classes to help the youth take control of their futures. But, most importantly, they know that someone who was so bad back in the day is the one doing this. That means a lot to people from my walk of life.
What are your plans for the future?
I want to film more seasons, travel to farms around the world – China, South America, Africa – and use the knowledge to open my own farm. I’ll have a produce shop on my farm, and young people can come help me for 24 hours and experience it themselves. We’ll have parties, and I’ll bring artists to come and perform. We’ll cook food from fresh produce and shift the culture. I don’t want people to think you can only be a footballer or a rapper – one of those cliché careers. I want to open up everybody’s eyes to the wider world.
What have you learned about yourself on this journey?
My charity does a turkey drive every year where we hand out 5,000 turkeys up and down the country. Last year, I said to my friend, “Can you believe that I’m giving out turkeys?” And my friend said yes – because I’ve always been a caring person. But when you go through trauma, you block out so much of yourself. Coming to nature has opened me back up to how I was. I found myself again. I still get mad here and there, but in general I’m at peace.