Adjei grew up on the "infamous" Broadwater Farm housing estate in Tottenham. He is of Ghanaian origin. His moniker derives from a childhood nickname due to his head's resemblance to a 50p coin. He first began rapping in his early teens, though only began focusing on it after his first release from prison.
He began releasing music in the early 2010s under the name Headz, including as part of a group named Star Gang. In 2014 he released his only mixtape under that alias, titled "Headz or Tails." Also part of Star Gang was fellow Tottenham rapper RV - he and Headie One became frequent collaborators, including co-releasing the mixtapes Sticks & Stones (2016) and Drillers x Trappers (2017). Together they formed part of OFB, a drill crew based in the Broadwater Farm estate.
In February 2018, he released his next solo mixtape as Headie One, titled The One. This included "Know Better" with RV, which became an "underground hit". In May he was featured on "Missing", a Belly Squad track that peaked at number 84 on the UK Singles Chart. This was followed by another solo mixtape, The One Two, in June 2018, which entered the UK Albums Chart at number 32.
In January 2019, his single "18HUNNA", featuring Dave, entered the UK chart at number 6 - the highest a UK drill artist has ever charted. In March he released his sixth mixtape, and third with RV, Drillers x Trappers II. It entered the UK Albums Chart at number 21. "Match Day", the first single from the mixtape, entered the Singles Chart at number 86. On 25th July 2019, Headie One released the official YouTube video for his 'Rubbery Bandz' single.
Parlez-Vous Anglais
Headie One Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Turn, turn
Turn, turn, ayy
Yo
The plaques come platinum, my bezel's stainless
Whip goes fast and the crib's outrageous (skrrt)
Just spent twenty-eight K on production
Day-Date plane for the day
GG on my waist, CC on my trainers (ah)
Pagans, they wanna play
If I pipe her down, after that, we're strangers
Old school like Ratatouille
Now I just act a fool in Louis (turn, turn)
Brown skin girl, caramel coulee
Pockets fat, Andy Ruiz (told me turn, ayy)
Pop that Ace of Spades
I drank from the bottle, now my outfit ruined (s-s-suh, suh)
Ah, I bought a new one, could be Newham
Fuck it, I'll beat if the bitch is ratchet
Long as her hands and feet are matching
Young Aitch don't dive in the pussy
I take off my DsQs and backflip
Air 1's come white like my ashes
But I won't smoke if it ain't rolled backwards
Long time, I ain't seen the mandem
It's just me, myself and the cameras (One)
First class when I stamp this yay
I got it with ones, not ApplePay
Route to the clearport, personalised Air Force (suh, suh)
And they're looking all crack cocaine
If I get bored, the destination's St. Tropez (turn, turn)
St. Tropez, me and shorty twidlin' in Saint Laurent (yo)
Baguettes, dem fill up my wrist
My watch ain't French, it's Swiss (One)
Put in that work, we took the risk
And now we can't risk this lick (s-s-suh, suh, suh, suh)
Got ten bands cash in the bag
Tings wrapped in fives and the red's in quids
Chanel store so big
Just show me where the entrance is (One)
Baguettes, dem fill up my wrist
My watch ain't French, it's Swiss
Put in that work, we took the risk
And now we can't risk this lick (ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy)
Got ten bands cash in the bag
Tings wrapped in fives and the red's in quids
Chanel store so big
Just show me where the entrance is
Yo, shorty said "H"
Me and Aitch both lookin' like H or Aitch? (Who?)
I'm rollin' in my jeans in exclusive J's
I'm sportin' my Audemars Piguet (One)
Front row at the Louis show, you know how much I love Paris (Paris)
Toutes ces belles filles (yeah)
Parlez-vous anglais (chale)
AP when I wanna be a rapper
Normal day, it's the Presi or Dweller
I don't like her man, so fuck Keisha
These days, mans with Becky or Bella
Me and bro pulled up in a Double R Ghost
Clear skies, still flex the umbrellas (skrrt)
Bag in the back of the whip
'Bout twenty-six quid in nothin' but tenners
D down fanny
Gyal from London, gyal from Manny (told me turn, ayy)
Smoke Biscotti or Zkittlez (turn, turn)
Or any type of Cali
Twenty-five bags in cashish
She was a pub girl, now she turned bad B
My plaque just went gold
I tell my label, "I want it in rose (yeah)
Tell the label, "I ain't putting pen to paper for no less than two M's" (no way)
Grew up in Moston, then I got rich, now I'm in some new ends
All I know is money and success
Wanna talk P's? That's fine, I'm fluent (mm-mm)
Stacks so big, the elastic snapped
Now I'm pissed cah the picture's ruined
Baguettes, dem fill up my wrist
My watch ain't French, it's Swiss (One)
Put in that work, we took the risk
And now we can't risk this lick
Got ten bands cash in the bag
Tings wrapped in fives and the red's in quids
Chanel store so big
Just show me where the entrance is (One)
Baguettes, dem fill up my wrist
My watch ain't French, it's Swiss
Put in that work, we took the risk
And now we can't risk this lick (s-s-suh, suh, suh, suh)
Got ten bands cash in the bag
Tings wrapped in fives and the red's in quids
Chanel store so big
Just show me where the entrance is
The song "Parlez-Vous Anglais" by Headie One and Aitch is an upbeat song with a mix of trap, drill, and hip-hop elements. The title of the song translates to "Do you speak English" in French, and the lyrics narrate the rappers' luxurious lifestyles, boasting their riches, cars, and designer brands. The beats are loud, and there is an addictive rhythm throughout the song.
The song's first verse describes how Headie One has become a wealthy man, with platinum plaques, stainless-steel watches, and a mansion. The artists also talk about spending twenty-eight thousand pounds on production and their expensive clothing brands. The second verse features Aitch, talking about his lifestyle, visiting designer stores, flexing his expensive rides, and flaunting his money. The song's chorus repeats several times with the artists singing about their wealth, designer brands, and expensive wrist accessories.
The overall message of the song is that both the artists have achieved great success and have all the luxuries one could dream of. However, throughout the song, there are mentions of taking risks and losing everything, pointing towards the fleeting nature of material possessions.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn
The start of the song and a call to action to turn up the music.
Turn, turn
An extension of the call to turn up the music.
Turn, turn, ayy
An extension of the call to turn up the music with an added adlib.
Yo
A common intro used in rap songs to grab attention and build hype.
The plaques come platinum, my bezel's stainless
My music is successful and I have expensive jewelry.
Whip goes fast and the crib's outrageous (skrrt)
I have a fast car and a luxurious house.
Just spent twenty-eight K on production
I recently invested a lot of money into creating new music.
Light up a stage and leave in a spaceship (ha)
I put on an amazing performance and leave in a dramatic way.
Day-Date plane for the day
I have a fancy watch that I wear on special occasions.
GG on my waist, CC on my trainers (ah)
I wear expensive designer brands.
Pagans, they wanna play
People who dislike me want to start trouble.
If I pipe her down, after that, we're strangers
If I have a one night stand, I don't want to continue seeing that person.
Old school like Ratatouille
I am old school in a unique and memorable way.
Now I just act a fool in Louis (turn, turn)
I show off and act a fool while wearing expensive designer clothes.
Brown skin girl, caramel coulee
I like girls with brown skin and a pretty face.
Pockets fat, Andy Ruiz (told me turn, ayy)
My pockets are full, like a famous boxer.
Pop that Ace of Spades
I am celebrating and drinking expensive champagne.
I drank from the bottle, now my outfit ruined (s-s-suh, suh)
I was so excited that I spilled champagne on my clothes.
Ah, I bought a new one, could be Newham
I have the money to replace my ruined clothes with new ones.
Fuck it, I'll beat if the bitch is ratchet
I am willing to have sex with a woman who is not classy or high maintenance.
Long as her hands and feet are matching
I have certain standards for a woman's appearance.
Young Aitch don't dive in the pussy
I am cautious and take my time with sexual encounters.
I take off my DsQs and backflip
I show off and do a backflip while taking off my designer clothes.
Air 1's come white like my ashes
My sneakers are white, which matches my idea of what my ashes would look like.
But I won't smoke if it ain't rolled backwards
I only smoke high quality weed that is rolled backwards.
Long time, I ain't seen the mandem
I haven't seen my friends in a long time.
It's just me, myself and the cameras (One)
I am alone with only cameras to keep me company.
First class when I stamp this yay
I am traveling in first class because of my drug dealing.
I got it with ones, not ApplePay
I paid for drugs with cash, not through a digital payment system like ApplePay.
Route to the clearport, personalised Air Force (suh, suh)
I am traveling by airplane and have a customized pair of Air Force Ones.
And they're looking all crack cocaine
People are suspicious of me because I look like a drug dealer.
If I get bored, the destination's St. Tropez (turn, turn)
If I am bored, I consider going to a luxury vacation spot like St. Tropez.
St. Tropez, me and shorty twidlin' in Saint Laurent (yo)
I am spending time with a woman and we are both wearing Saint Laurent clothing.
Baguettes, dem fill up my wrist
I have diamond jewelry on my wrist.
My watch ain't French, it's Swiss (One)
I have a high quality, expensive watch.
Put in that work, we took the risk
I worked hard and took risks to become successful.
And now we can't risk this lick (s-s-suh, suh, suh, suh)
We can't risk losing our success.
Got ten bands cash in the bag
I have $10,000 in cash in my bag.
Tings wrapped in fives and the red's in quids
I have drugs packaged in five increments and the money is in British pounds.
Chanel store so big
The Chanel store is very large and expensive.
Just show me where the entrance is (One)
I am confident and unashamed about my wealth and desire to shop.
Yo, shorty said "H"
A woman is trying to get my attention and she calls me "H".
Me and Aitch both lookin' like H or Aitch? (Who?)
There is confusion about who is who because both me and Aitch go by "H".
I'm rollin' in my jeans in exclusive J's
I am wearing designer jeans and exclusive Jordans.
I'm sportin' my Audemars Piguet (One)
I am wearing an expensive Swiss watch brand.
Front row at the Louis show, you know how much I love Paris (Paris)
I am sitting in the front row at a Louis Vuitton fashion show in Paris and I have an admiration for the city.
Toutes ces belles filles (yeah)
There are so many beautiful women in Paris.
Parlez-vous anglais (chale)
Do you speak English? (slang term "chale" means "right?" in French).
AP when I wanna be a rapper
I wear an Audemars Piguet watch when I want to look like a successful rapper.
Normal day, it's the Presi or Dweller
I wear a Rolex Presidential or Oyster Perpetual watch on a normal day.
I don't like her man, so fuck Keisha
I don't like a woman's boyfriend, and I don't care if she has a boyfriend.
These days, mans with Becky or Bella
These days, I am hanging out with women named Becky or Bella.
Me and bro pulled up in a Double R Ghost
My friend and I arrived in a Rolls Royce Ghost.
Clear skies, still flex the umbrellas (skrrt)
The weather is good but we're still showing that we are wealthy and successful.
Bag in the back of the whip
I have a bag of drugs in the back of my car.
'Bout twenty-six quid in nothin' but tenners
I have about 26 pounds in my pocket, all in ten pound notes.
D down fanny
I am wearing a designer "Dior" branded fanny pack.
Gyal from London, gyal from Manny (told me turn, ayy)
I have women interested in me from both London and Manchester (a city in England).
Smoke Biscotti or Zkittlez (turn, turn)
I smoke high quality strains of weed that have specific names.
Or any type of Cali
I am open to smoking any high quality weed from California.
Twenty-five bags in cashish
I have 25 bags of drugs that I plan to sell for cash.
She was a pub girl, now she turned bad B
A woman who used to work at a bar is now more attractive and desirable.
My plaque just went gold
My music has sold enough copies to earn a gold certification.
I tell my label, "I want it in rose (yeah)
I am successful enough to make demands of my record label.
Tell the label, "I ain't putting pen to paper for no less than two M's" (no way)
I am not willing to sign a deal for less than two million dollars.
Grew up in Moston, then I got rich, now I'm in some new ends
I grew up in a certain area of Manchester, but now that I am wealthy, I live in a different, nicer area.
All I know is money and success
I prioritize money and success above all else.
Wanna talk P's? That's fine, I'm fluent (mm-mm)
I am proficient in talking about money and business.
Stacks so big, the elastic snapped
I have so much money that the bands on my cash have broken.
Now I'm pissed cah the picture's ruined
I am upset because a photo of me with my money was ruined by the broken elastic.
And now we can't risk this lick
We cannot risk losing the wealth and success that we have achieved.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Alessandro Hug, Harrison Armstrong, Irving Adjei, Mathias Daniel Liyew
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anna Hazel
When people go back to back on tracks it’s always fire
HEADIE ONE obliterated this track!!! Can't get enough!!! No matter the initial boost from authentic v i e w s he is transformed into a legendary icon, not just an artist!!!
Sam Dibb
Big record. Headie is proper riding his own wave on this record. I'd like to see other Drillers evolve musically like this, top class production on all the tracks too
Kemmy Oluwo
This is how drill is suppose to
mature...loving it...
Hunchhh
Imagine Headie is a gang member and he's come this far
FLYING SAUCER
This isn't hate but he's not rlly riding his own wave this is just pop drill
Hunchhh
FLYING SAUCER Rarely made tho. Headie could literally take over with pop drill
Nathan Jena
I love how UK artists show so much love and support for one another
Daniil
Ikr ofb and tion wayne supporting eachother. Inspirational😪
arno Ottevaere
Meanwhile Chip and Stormzy are beefing
IK 🇧🇩
This aged well