Tino Kamal has never been one to play it safe—and with Switch, he doesn’t just bend the rules, he obliterates them. The UK multi-hyphenate returns with a genre-jumping EP that refuses to sit still, blurring grime, punk, hip-hop, and raw emotional confessions into a single, volatile body of work. Built on instinct, contradiction, and a deep-rooted refusal to conform, Switch is both homage and rebellion—an unfiltered self-portrait from one of the UK’s most unpredictable voices.

You’ve described your creativity as “unpredictable by nature.” Has that ever been a challenge, or has it always been a strength?

No, not at all. It’s exactly as I mentioned before; it’s instinctive. I have multiple personalities throughout my day, along with the unpredictable thoughts to follow, so with that combo to live with, I’ve never really failed to achieve that creative consistency.

Did any track on Switch surprise even you in how it turned out?

No and yes.
No. In the sense that I always know what I bring to the table when approaching my ideas. Long story short, I never doubt the spontaneity of how something turns out because there isn’t really a right or wrong way for me; it’s just what it is in its moment.
Yes. Because I never knew I’d combine this set of songs/versions together when it came to piecing the project together the way I did. It kind of just made its way to what it was meant to be, and it turned out pretty well for me in the end.
So yeah and no, no and yeah, haha!

The title Switch feels as much about switching personas or identities as it is about switching sounds. Was that intentional from the start?

Again, yes and no, but also not at all. This is just how I work. I like to switch it up at all times! When I go into the booth, the material that comes out doesn’t have a rule book of which ways it’s going to execute itself exactly. I just let it come.
I also think that the first impression of the back of a listener, they’d most likely assume this. But the tape is actually named after my mom, who grew up with this name in the streets for her unpredictability in any case. Switch is the metaphor and homage in one.

In what ways do you feel like this EP is a “self-portrait,” even through all its stylistic transformations?

I felt like it was the road to Heaven that felt like Hell, and the road to Hell that felt like Heaven.
In a sense, everything I wanted from it as a body of work made sense in terms of wanting to demonstrate my nature to the world (Heaven)!
But also a painful truth in the sense that opening up such vulnerabilities lyrically only leads to more evil. The controversy kind of starts to take the lead fully.
So I’d say it’s a hot and cold piece of art, like me.

Tell us more about “Curry Goat Riddim.” Beyond being your favorite dish, what cultural or emotional layers does that track hold for you?

It’s just the way I chose to present self-awareness creatively when it comes to being well seasoned.
What I feel like I stand for to myself and what others may think could vary in different worlds or rooms, but I’m not creating for approval.
The Curry Goat is an embodiment of anarchy in every aspect. In layman’s terms, the flag I’m choosing to fly with.

On “Girl Better Know,” you flip the script on traditional love songs. What’s the story behind that “tough-love” message?

It’s a story that has more than one side to it.
Correct—the ‘Tough and the Love.’
I just spoke from the honest place of being the person who loves hard, but from a distance.
The truth isn’t always highlighted enough in relationships/situationships or the songs. I feel we choose to ignore or miss it, whether good or bad, in most cases, to please a certain human.
I chose to fill the “emotionally unavailable” gap with this.
The more truth the story holds, the more weight it holds.

You’ve said, “Being able to shape-shift generations to come is the real art.” Who are the artists that shaped you—and how do you see yourself reshaping what comes next?

Most definitely!
I’m going to have to go with my mom, who introduced many creative disciplines from an early age.
Salvador Dali for his eye in paintings, and Michael Jackson is up top for the musical range.
Later on, I kind of just started to create more shapes out of that first combination. Taking away the versatility they had, most importantly.
This triggered the shape-shifting effect all around. How I see myself doing this for others would be by passing on that torch of versatility because it’s the ingredient to have if you want to exist creatively.

What kind of cultural footprint are you trying to leave—not just in music, but in the wider creative world?

I’d go with the print that staying well-seasoned across all creative disciplines is paramount! And that you must put your mind, eyes, and hands towards it all together.
You can’t lose if you over stand the power of versatility.

You’ve worked with D&G, KTZ, Hood By Air… What do you look for in a fashion collaboration?

I look for the weirdness and the bravest in the ocean and then have a wave baby.
If I’ve seen it before, I don’t want to know about it.
The thought of wanting something you haven’t had makes sense every time. We see with our brains and eyes long before we can touch or taste.

What’s something fans should know about Switch that you haven’t said anywhere else?

It’s the only Switch we will ever have.
So treat it well. Love you all x