Inked Exclusive: iTCH Music Video Premiere

INKED’s Exclusive Music Video Premiere: iTCH with Taking Back Sunday’s Adam Lazzara live video for “Homeless Romantic.”

iTCH, a London-based rapper, dropped his new single with Taking Back Sunday’s Adam Lazzara “Homeless Romantic,” earlier this summer just in time for his shows on the Vans Warped Tour. Here’s the world premiere of the live video filmed during that crazy tour.

On the rise in the US, the dynamic lyricist iTCH says it’s like having a clean slate, “I was in a band in the UK for like 10 years. Everyone out here [in the UK] has pre-conceptions of me, whereas in America, I’m a totally new artist. It’s really nice that I can be judged on the music that I’m making now.”

You can see him live and judge for yourself as iTCH just fired up a tour with Deltron 3030 (who are bringing an orchestra), that circles the States and ends up in London.

“I genuinely love Deltron 3030—their first record was life changing for me,” he says. “I think the fact that some of their beats are going to be mixed with an orchestra, or a choir, that’s mad cool for me. I went with them to Rock the Bells and they had the orchestra and everything, it was the best rap show on earth.”

While practicing at a Vans warm up show, iTCH jumped off a 20-foot balcony and shattered his leg. Not one to be slowed down by anything, he finished the rest of the tour in a wheelchair, as you can see in the video.

“I’m a very physical performer and my legs do a lot of that, so having to do it by my mind and mouth, made me a better rapper,” iTCH says. “The fact that I was given the opportunity to do this, there’s no way I’m going to let anyone down. If I’m given an opportunity I’m going to take it.”

iTCH believes that people are beginning to see what he’s capable of. He is about staying true to who he is as a person and an artist, and he works that into his lyrics.

“I’m a working class street kid from London,” he explains. “I’ve seen real things and lived a real life. I think that kind of wisdom and knowledge comes with life experience. Every struggle I’ve ever came through makes sense later on in life and I think that I put that into lyrics.”

This “Homeless Romantic” artist was indeed actually homeless. By age 13 he was kicked out of his house and living in a squat with Spanish punk rockers who were much older than him, whom were all tattooed up.

“Those dudes where like real motherfuckers they all had teardrop tattoos before it was fashionable and it meant they fucked with people,” iTCH recounts. “I grew up with some real hardcore motherfuckers so tattoos were always just around. It was a thing that people always did because they were bored it wasn’t like a fashion thing.”

Getting his first tattoo at age 12, done by a friend, iTCH is now covered by what he calls “ridiculous tattoos”—among them is a matchstick man and a “punk for life” quote. Almost all of his tattoos were done by himself, or a friend. He tells us “being in the street you associate with a lot of vermin,” which is why he got a massive rat on his left arm done by Brian Thomas. He has a lot of plans for more ink, but doesn’t know if they will be done by a professional or not. He’s always thinking about another tattoo, but he doesn’t want to get too much too quick. In the next year he hopes to add at least three more. Two of which may be located above the eyebrow and front of the neck.

Catch iTCH (SongKick: Upcomging Concerts) before the “Homeless Romantic” goes back home to London.