Rapman on his new YouTube genre, gun crime and being signed by Jay-Z

It’s a long way from Deptford in South East London to the glamour of Hollywood. But thanks to a low budget action drama – and more than ten million hits on YouTube – the artist behind a series of short rap films is well on his way.

Rapman, the writer and director of Shiro’s story, has now signed a major deal with the rapper Jay Z’s Roc Nation.