Native James has ushered in a new chapter of his career with the release of his latest single, ‘Never Been Scared’, marking his first new music since signing with SharpTone Records. The track pairs the genre-defying artist with grime heavyweight Frisco, the Boy Better Know MC, on a collaboration that bridges two of the UK’s most uncompromising musical worlds.
Driven by crushing riffs and razor-sharp lyricism, ‘Never Been Scared’ leans into the hybrid sound Native James has become known for, fusing metal, grime, punk, and hip-hop into an adrenaline-fuelled anthem about resilience. The song arrives alongside a stark black-and-white music video directed by longtime collaborator Reece Selvadorai.
“‘Never Been Scared’ is what it says on the tin,” James said in a statement. “This song is for people who have felt a time where they need to overcome something, whether that be your personal best, an exam, getting up to face challenges at work, life itself… it’s a power play to your internal, to remind yourself you can overcome whatever you want.”
The single has already made an impact on the festival circuit. During his Download Festival set last month, Native James surprised fans by bringing Frisco onstage for the song’s live debut, drawing one of the weekend’s most talked-about crowds at the Avalanche Stage. The performance also stood out as one of the festival’s rare moments where a rock artist shared the stage with a grime MC, underscoring Native James’ commitment to breaking down genre barriers.
NATIVE JAMES – Never Been Scared (feat. Frisco) (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
The release coincides with the announcement of the ‘FALLEN’ rappers signing to SharpTone Records, whose roster includes boundary-pushing heavy acts such as Loathe, Unpeople, and Dying Wish.
“I can honestly say it’s insane that I’m signed to SharpTone,” Native James said. “It feels like this will be a mad chapter for me. I’m gassed, I won’t lie to you, and can’t wait to start working to give you more music.”
SharpTone echoed that enthusiasm, recalling first seeing the artist perform in a small East London basement venue before deciding they wanted to be part of his journey.
“Native embodies everything that we strive for here at the label – originality, personality, and pure talent,” the label said in a statement. “We cannot wait to amplify that talent in what will inevitably be a very bright future.”
The announcement caps off a busy year for Native James. Alongside his Download appearance – where he also reunited with Professor Green to perform their collaboration ‘BLOCK – RR’ – he has continued building momentum on the live circuit, sharing stages with Enter Shikari, Don Broco, Nova Twins, and Hyphen.
His festival schedule shows no signs of slowing down, with appearances lined up at 2000trees, Latitude, Paaspop in the Netherlands, Rock La Mure? in Romania, and Slovakia’s Pohoda Festival, further cementing his reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting crossover artists.
Download / stream ‘Never Been Scared’ here
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