Dan Whitlam Is New In Town 

Following an experience of knife crime, aged 16, the Londoner turned to lyricism – now he’s viral, and his debut album is on the way.

“Uplifting, emotive and maybe transportive” is how Dan Whitlam hopes people find his live performance. “I really want my shows to bottle the feeling of ‘you’re not alone,’” he tells Man About Town. “You can be around like-minded people and experience something both musical and theatrical. Both rap and storytelling.” 

The London-hailing spoken word artist, actor, author and musician’s pathway into artistry certainly has the power to inspire. After being stabbed, aged 16, he turned to poetry to digest the myriad emotions that came in tow – exploring his own mind following trauma, as well as that of the young person who inflicted his injuries. Today, he lays out the textures and tensions of young adulthood in immersive cuts spanning love, identity, resilience and social media – with over 340k followers connecting with his words on TikTok and a debut album (Strangers, Again) imminent. 

His latest track, “Hear You Speak”, is a postcard from a relationship so nourishing it cocoons – providing a sense of home regardless of where one finds themselves. Pairing up for a second time with the mellifluous soulful tones of Scottish artist Tamzene, the track emerges as a musical balm, a remedy for broken hearts and January blues alike. Over breakbeat production, Whitlam’s tenderly spoken affirmations land so effortlessly that the track encapsulates not only the ‘you’re not alone’ sentiment his music aims for, but the essence of why he’s swiftly becoming one of his generation’s most turned-to rising lyricists. 

Hey Dan! You’ve been attracting millions of views in the last year or two for your poetry online. For anyone new to your work, can you bring us up to speed on what you do and where we find you in your story? 

Of course. Thank you so much for having me. Simply put, I’m a musician who blends rap and spoken word poetry. I’ve always been a massive lyric person. Growing up, I really obsessed over words in songs and the effect they had on me. I started writing poems when I was around 20 years old, just for myself at the time, and eventually I gained the confidence to put those poems on social media. I was blown away by the reaction. I put my words and voice over an empty train seat going through London and the videos seemed to really resonate with people. From there, I began recording songs and performing live, selling out The Jazz Cafe, KOKO and then performing at The Roundhouse for my most recent headline show. Now I’m preparing to release my debut album, Strangers (Again), which continues the blend of rap and poetry. 

Congratulations on “Hear You Speak”. Can you tell us about the day you made the song? 

Of course. I’d written these lyrics previously about someone really special in my life, and I knew I wanted to work with Tamzene on it (an artist I’d worked with previously on a song called “BLUE”). We got into the studio in Dalston, and I said I wanted to create a song with these lyrics that had this breakbeat type of feel to it – something really warm and happy. I think in the past my songs tended to go down quite a melancholic route, so I wanted something bouncy. She wrote the most beautiful hook and we finished the whole song in about 40 minutes. It was pretty surreal. 

What do you feel when you listen to the track now? 

I feel happy. I know that sounds quite simple, but it just puts a smile on my face listening to it. More often, after I’ve finished a song, I don’t listen to it for a long time, but this is a song I can keep picking up and really enjoying. The hook is such an earworm. Everyone I’ve played it to is singing it for days after. 

We were really interested to read how your artistry began following an experience of knife crime. Can you tell us more about the catharsis your art has offered you? 

I was stabbed at the age of 16 in a gang attack where my lung collapsed, and I was rushed to hospital. Following the attack, I wrote a poem about the story of me getting stabbed, and then the poet resets and tells the story of the boy who stabbed me. The poem and the writing of it were my journey to where I am today, essentially. I’m a strong believer that turning your trauma into art is such a brilliant form of human expression. It’s not therapy, but it is therapeutic, and I found that when writing that poem. My art really allows me a place to write from what I know and what I’m going through. I won’t say I write purely from my experience, as many of my songs and poems are imagined and fabricated, and that’s the beauty of art, I think – to be able to write about a subject to better understand it yourself. 

The video for “Hear You Speak” sees you out and about in central London. What’s on your itinerary for an ideal day in the capital? 

Phwaor. Tough question. I’m not a huge wake-up-and-eat-breakfast kind of person, so I’d wake up, and go for a walk in Peckham (where I live), and grab a coffee at NOLA down the high street. Then probably get a train over to Waterloo and mill around Southbank. I love walking around that area. Then I’d head over to Brick Lane for a salmon and cream cheese bagel, and maybe do some vintage shopping. My favourite restaurant I went to recently was Noble Rot in Soho, so I could dip in there for dinner before going to see a show or a gig around the corner. 

You released a book last year (I Don’t Want To Settle: Words for a Lost Generation). Tell us about the response! Is that something you want to dive into more? 

It’s been amazing! I’d been asked by quite a few people for a long time to release a book of my poetry, and when my editor Lucy came along and asked if I wanted to release a book with her publishing team, I jumped at the opportunity. It’s incredible to know people around the world are reading my words and taking joy in things that I wrote at my desk in South London. I’d love to write another book one day. I found the whole process really inspiring. 

You’ve received some nods from esteemed artists already (Fred Again, Arlo Parks). Who’s someone you’ve always wanted to collaborate with that followers of your work wouldn’t expect? 

Someone they wouldn’t expect… I’ve always loved country music and the storytelling aspect that it brings. So, for me, an off-track [collaboration] would be someone like Zach Bryan. 

Finally, art and career aside, what’s your non-negotiable New Year’s resolution for 2026?

This sounds insane, but – to take a moment before speaking or making big decisions. Often when I’m stressed or trying to get something across, I tend to spit out my words before I’ve really had a [moment] to think. I’m trying to feel a lot more grounded this year. Keeping my feet on the floor and remembering to breathe when things get heightened. Taking a moment before I make a decision or say something.