Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud
Episode: Fashion Neurosis with Kojey Radical
Date: September 24, 2025
Guest: Kojey Radical (musician, poet, style icon)
Episode Overview
In this richly intimate episode, fashion designer and host Bella Freud welcomes celebrated UK musician and rapper Kojey Radical to her podcast “couch.” Their conversation explores the resonance between fashion and identity, using personal anecdotes to journey through creative drive, childhood, parental influence, self-doubt, and self-expression. Kojey and Bella trade reflections on clothing as language, how culture and upbringing shape style, and the emotional landscape behind creative work. The episode is peppered with humor, warmth, vulnerability, and practical insights into how Kojey Radical has forged his creative path and continues to use dress as a way of communicating with — and armoring — himself.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Clothes as Creative Language
[01:32–03:33]
- Kojey describes his outfit (cut Margiela shirt, hoodie, “random” jeans, rings) and his adventurous approach to fashion (“I just go with whatever I feel that morning.”).
- Quote: “Clothes kind of give you the opportunity to kind of articulate how you feel before you've ever had to say anything.” — Kojey Radical [01:59]
- Discussion of irreverence toward fashion’s “pedestals”; while Margiela is legendary, Kojey feels even those clothes invite customization.
- Quote: “We can put [clothes] on a pedestal sometimes and it's like, actually, nah, they're just clothes.” — Kojey Radical [03:02]
2. Growing Into Creativity & the Name "Radical"
[03:35–06:03]
- Kojey's creative confidence comes from daily presence: "As long as my eyes open, I know I've got work to do." [03:56]
- The origin story of “Radical”: From a comic-book superhero version of himself — “Escapades of Koji Radical” — and skate culture slang, only later growing into its meaning.
- Quote: “I picked the name Radical at a time where I was a kid... the name started to make sense. Like, I kind of grew into my name.” — Kojey Radical [05:53]
3. Identity, Names, and Cultural Hybridity
[06:03–07:43]
- Kojey shares how his Ghanaian roots and the complexity of his real name played into his sense of self and outsider experiences in school.
4. Poetry: Entry Point to Artistry
[07:43–11:13]
- Kojey’s foray into poetry began at Hoxton Hall with encouragement from a local rapper (“Your pen’s special.”).
- Inspired by seeing Sully Breaks perform, Kojey writes a comedic poem about feet — but quickly seeks more substance: “Once I realized I can capture people's attention … I wanted to use it to actually speak about what I felt and what I was seeing around the world.” [10:17]
- Incorporating live musicians into spoken word performances to stand out, leading naturally to music.
5. Influence and Community
[11:19–15:17]
- Early poetic influences: Benjamin Zephaniah (“literary sense”), Saul Williams (“performance”).
- A formative moment performing with Saul Williams as a tour opener.
- Bella and Kojey connect over shared love for The Last Poets and the importance of creative mentors and community.
6. Imposter Syndrome & the Artist’s Mindset
[14:28–16:34]
- Spoken word scenes gave Kojey both confidence and imposter syndrome. He’s learning to flip self-doubt into creative fuel, viewing pressure as motivation rather than a hindrance.
- Quote: “Maybe lean into it, you know, maybe stop seeing it as a hindrance and something that's supposed to anchor you down rather than it being something that sets you free.” — Kojey Radical [16:08]
7. Love, Family, and Formative Lessons
[16:42–20:42]
- Kojey’s mother is cited as a foundation of support: “She was like, it's not soft, it's not tough. It's just love. She's just a G, innit?” [16:54]
- Story of going on his first major tour with Young Fathers and the behind-the-scenes struggles that solidified his commitment to music.
- Memorable Oxford story (19:44–25:51): From disastrous hotels to financial chaos, a humorously grim tale of “paying dues” early in his career, ending with, “That was the day I really had to sit there and think to myself, boy, is this what I want to do with my life? Short answer was yes.” [25:51]
8. Style Icons, Fashion Evolution & Personal Taste
[28:41–36:35]
- Childhood style inspirations moved with music genres: Pharrell’s skate days, punk, “jerking” (dance craze), trying (and rejecting) skinny jeans, evolving through trial and error.
- Kojey changed outfits multiple times a day as a kid — fashion was always play and experimentation.
- On grills: how gold/silver teeth jewelry helped reclaim confidence around smiles, their connection to culture, and how often entertainers lose track of their expensive accessories.
9. Mood, Clothes, and the Body
[34:05–36:35]
- Textures and fabrics can console or inspire self-esteem. The right clothes can comfort emotionally; the wrong fit can spark insecurity (“A T-shirt can be the meaning of a gym membership sign up immediately.”).
- Style opinions change—embracing trends he once dismissed (“There’s so many things I hated on until I tried it. … But now I'm back to being a hater!”) [36:23]
10. Vulnerability, Awards, and Creative Emotion
[37:10–41:44]
- Kojey’s emotional openness at the Mercury Prize and in music, particularly when his mother is central to his work (“Being emotionless isn’t cool.”).
- He describes a moving act at the Mercury Prize: taking a rehearsal trophy straight to his mum as thanks (“No one can take that moment from me. … my way of giving back to my support system.”) [39:59]
- As a father, he now looks forward to sharing memories and creative legacies with his own son (“…this will be the coolest thing to you. … Once it clicks in your mind, these memories will last forever.”) [41:00–41:44]
11. Performance, Proportion, and Uplifting New Designers
[44:05–47:52]
- Stagewear as creative license: “The theater of stage lets me wear things I can't wear day-to-day.”
- Kojey supports graduate designers, remembering his own fashion college days at London College of Fashion:
- Quote: "If I want something fresh … Graduate collection is like the rawest you can find … seeing it in movement is different to seeing it on a mannequin." [46:08]
12. Attractiveness, Scent, and Conscious Fashion Choices
[50:24–53:10]
- First time dressing to impress involved conscious scent (“I put on cologne. Gotta smell good, man. Pheromones.”) [50:35]
- Kojey’s perfume line “Cashmere Tears” ultimately became the title for his breakout EP, with all the emotional undertones the name suggests.
13. Humor, Dating, and Fish Finger Sandwiches
[54:07–56:16]
- Style turn-offs: “Jeggings. Uggs with a lean. Get out of here.” [53:18]
- Bella teases Kojey about his appearance on “Love At First Bite” and his description of a “passive aggressive” fish finger sandwich (“It felt like the meal that you get served the day after you’ve had a row.”) [54:42]
- Light banter about comfort food and childhood meals.
14. The New Album – "Don't Look Down"
[56:21–65:21]
- The album title arose from a poem composed in Japan with friends, about the loneliness and disconnection of success:
- Quote: “Don’t look down if you’ve got the world at your feet... The fear is not necessarily the fall itself, but… not being sure who’s going to catch you when you land.” [58:18]
- Kojey wanted this record to confront his own floor as a narrator and break down the wall between himself and the story.
- Shares stories of how increases in career success fostered disconnection from close friends, and the emotional labor involved in reckoning with relationships lost and those that can (and can’t) be repaired.
- Quote: “Tough things make you stronger.” [65:21]
15. Personal Superpower: Adaptability
[66:00–67:21]
- Kojey sees his “superpower” as adaptability — echoing his childhood comic hero — referencing Marvel’s Darwin: “His superpower is his body will adapt to whatever situation he’s in. So he either wins or survives.” [66:23]
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
On clothing as pre-verbal communication:
“Clothes kind of give you the opportunity to articulate how you feel before you've ever had to say anything.” — Kojey Radical [01:59] -
On embracing self-doubt:
“Maybe lean into [imposter syndrome]...maybe stop seeing it as a hindrance and something that's supposed to anchor you down rather than it being something that sets you free.” — Kojey Radical [16:08] -
On family support:
“[My mum] was like, it's not soft, it's not tough. It's just love. She's just a G, innit?” — Kojey Radical [16:54] -
On creative vulnerability:
“Being emotionless isn't cool… hiding them is, like, pointless.” — Kojey Radical [38:31] -
On sartorial self-confidence:
“At a certain point, bad becomes good… Before, a belly top: Impossible. Can't go out in a belly top. But now everyone wants to crop their T shirt to the point where it's all snail trail and boxer lines.” — Kojey Radical [35:57] -
On legacy, fatherhood, and creative intent:
“Once it clicks in your mind, these memories will last forever. Like, because you're so... This is your normal. ... One day you'll realize, like, wow, like, all of this really happened and I was there. Like, I got to see it.” — Kojey Radical [41:00] -
On success and loneliness:
“The climb to success is usually a process in which you have to isolate yourself. ... The fear is not necessarily the fall itself, but the idea of, like, not being sure who's going to catch you when you land.” — Kojey Radical [58:17]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [01:32] — Opening discussion of outfit and clothes as emotional language
- [05:53] — Origin of the name “Radical” and meaning
- [07:51–11:13] — Discovery of poetry, influential mentors, merging poetry and music
- [16:54] — Portrait of Kojey’s mother and parental influence
- [19:44–25:51] — Oxford tour story: early career hardships
- [30:42] — Evolving personal style and self-expression
- [32:18] — On grills, confidence, and learning the craft
- [34:05] — Mood and clothing: comfort, insecurity, and change
- [37:10–41:44] — Emotion at the Mercury Prize and family legacy
- [44:05–47:52] — Fashion performance, supporting emerging designers
- [50:24–53:10] — Scent, attraction, and the “Cashmere Tears” story
- [56:21–65:21] — Album concept “Don’t Look Down”: success, sacrifice, and reconciliation
- [66:00] — Superpower: adaptability as core trait
Final Note
This episode is a masterclass in the emotional truths behind creative work, offering rare vulnerability, wit, and wisdom. Kojey Radical’s journey through fashion, poetry, family, and fame unfolds in thrilling, relatable detail — clothing and selfhood woven together, never quite static, always evolving. For listeners interested in the intersection of style and identity, art and survival, this conversation is full of inspiration and heart.