The Switch Asks Rapper Mikill Pane What's on His Quarantine Playlist

We're back, baby. 

You lot seemed to enjoy our first playlist with Arsenal's ​Leah Williamson, so we thought it was only right to 'give the people what they want'. And here we are, back with another one.

Next up in the hot seat: songwriter, wordsmith, Arsenal fan, radio presenter, soft-touch extraordinaire and voiceover OG, ​Mikill Pane. The London-based rapper has been making music for longer than he'd probably care to admit. Collaborating with some of the biggest names in the industry, from Ed Sheeran and Example to P-Money and Sway. 


The genre-spanning wordsmith recently released the first part of his new EP, ​The Night Elm on Mare Street Part Iback in August. With Part II dropping this summer and a new single and video for My Legacy already released (below), what better time to find out what he has been bopping to during lockdown?

We virtually sat down to find out why he's Arsenal through and through, why football is so important to him and his Quarantine Playlist. 


Enjoy.


Who's your team? Why?

I grew up in a part of Hackney that lies in north London, so I’m an Arsenal supporter and have been for as long as I can remember. I realised I truly loved the club after seeing David Seaman’s dejected reaction to Nayim’s goal in the 1995 Cup Winners’ Cup final. I felt so sorry for him, I'm pretty sure I cried.

David Seaman


Why is football so important to you?


Football means more than just sport to me. It’s always brought people together, even if it’s just to argue. When I was 10 years old, my family moved from Stoke Newington to Shoreditch and all the other kids in my new area were already acquainted, so I had to choose wisely when it came to the moment I introduced myself. 


I waited until a football match that was taking place in the pitch at the end of my road. Long story short: my first touch was so good, no more needed to be said. 


Nowadays, I’m an Arsenal season ticket holder and so is one of my best friends. We don’t get to see each other as much as we used to because he has a young son, so sitting next to each other at home games guarantees us opportunities to catch up or just hang out. 


Anyway, here's my playlist:


‘Genius of Love’ / Tom Tom Club

I’m a big music lover, but I’m also a fan of lyricism, especially when the words of a song are prescient or relevant. This song is perfect for the lockdown we’re in because it contains the lyrics: ‘What you gonna do when you get out of jail? I’m gonna have some fun. What do you consider fun? Fun, natural fun’.


’The Rat’ / The Walkmen

This song is perfect for running, something I’ve been doing a lot lately - only once a day, in case anyone from the government is reading this. It’s the perfect level of frenetic a rock song should be and when I’m not thinking about the shift the drummer must have put in to record this track, I’m pondering over the lyrics that go: ‘When I used to go out, I would know everyone that I saw. Now I go out alone, if I go out at all’.


‘I Just Called to Say I Love You’ / Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder. I’m lucky to have seen the legend that is Stevie Wonder perform live twice and both times, the renditions of this song brought tears to my eyes. During these uncertain times, it’s important to stay in touch with loved ones from a safe distance, so right now, this is more than just a song - it’s a lifestyle.


'Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)…’ / JAY-Z

It was a toss-up between this song and ‘Make the Road By Walking’ by Menahan Street Band, which this song samples. I chose this because I wouldn’t know about the original if it wasn’t for this song, plus the line ‘We in the house, house, house’ is very pertinent.


‘Luchini’ / Camp Lo

This song makes me happy. When I hear it, I think about the time I used to spend watching Yo! MTV Raps with my older sister, who got me into hip-hop. Also, if I could soundtrack the world’s return to normality on the other side of this pandemic, this is the track I would use.


​Mikill Pane also created a full playlist which you can check out on our Spotify channel right here. It's an eclectic mix of absolute bangers with no discrimination shown to any genre.

Whose playlist would you like to hear? Let us know on our Instagram - DM's are always open.


Source : 90min