Rapper ArrDee isn’t missing ‘heavy’ work at Amazon during busy Christmas shopping period: ‘It’s horrible, man’

ArrDee has had a stratospheric rise to sucess in 2021, notching up three UK top 10 singles within six months.

The 19-year-old from Brighton might be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Anne-Marie and KSI at Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball with Barclaycard at the O2, but he hasn’t forgotten his roots.

The musician – real name Riley Davies – wrote his track Cheeky Bars while working for E-commerce giant Amazon.

Catching up with him on the Jingle Bell Ball red carpet, ArrDee’s thoughts were with his former colleagues during the particularly busy festive shopping period.

Speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk, the rapper revealed he wasn’t missing dealing with Christmas shopping.

‘Yes, it’s horrible, man,’ he said. ‘Obviously, I don’t want to say too much ‘cos set men are powerful – large up Jeff Bezos and them man there – but it’s like the working conditions are mad, and I can only imagine what it’s like this Christmas time, because obviously when I was there it was lockdown so everyone was ordering stuff anyway. Like, it was heavy.’

Reflecting on his change of career in 2021, he added: ‘But it’s mad, it just goes to show like, if you put in the hard work and the effort, dreams can become reality. So sometimes you just got to keep working and powering through.’

Arrdee’s a far cry from the Amazon warehouse these days (Picture: WireImage)

ArrDee has peaked at number six with two singles since June, Oliver Twist and Wasted, as well climbing to number five with Flowers (Say My Name) in November. The rapper also just won a Mobo Award after featuring on the remix to Tion Wayne’s hit single Body.

He is hugely grateful to the fans that have got him there.

‘Obviously, it’s amazing to feel that successful and be that successful and have that love from the fanbase, where I can drop songs where I’m notin the studio trying to make a chart-topper – I’m being the same person I was four months ago, writing music, but I feel like my fanbase are quite… propelling for me, and they want me to do well.

‘So entering [the top 10] every time: I entered Oliver Twist, my first single, at number seven. I entered flowers at number five, so it’s wild, it’s crazy.’

The rapper bucks a few of the clichés his cohort is known for, admitting: ‘I don’t really buy myself that much. I like to save my money.’

His most expensive purchase so far has been a blinged up gold watch he’s wearing tonight, but only as it’s a special occasion.

‘But again, that’s an investment. I’m not really that materialistic. I don’t have like no chains. I don’t even wear this that often. It’s only because I’m here. I thought, “Let me just style up a little bit”, but normally I leave it in a safe and let it appreciate and whatever.

‘But apart from that I’ve bought my friends [things] and my mum a car.’

On the topic of his mum, ArrDee’s looking forward to seeing her after his set at the Jingle Bell Ball.

‘My family is here as well, I’ve brought my mum out so it will be nice to see her. I haven’t seen her in a while because I’ve been in London for like a week and a half or so.’

More: Christmas

With the festive show his biggest gig so far, he’s planning on involving his mum again after bringing her out on stage for her birthday during Wireless in September.

‘Yeah, we’re gonna shout her out once again out there, we’re gonna find them!’

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