The Diary of a CEO

Krept: From Rapper To Building A £17.5 Million Baby Business! | E164

Krept is a rapper and one half of the the iconic rap duo Krept and Konan. The host of the Rap Game, Krept is a star of our tv screens as well as the recording studio. And with his multiple business successes, Krept has built empires from scratch in multiple areas of his life. Topics: Topics: 0:00 Inro 03:11 Early years 10:32 Could you see how things could have gone a different way? 17:16 Mental mental health 19:51 Nash - Krept and Konan 28:42 Finding out about Nash 37:51 How are you feeling? 42:18 When was it when everything changed for you? 50:12 Your relationship with money 57:08 The Hiphop culture making people want to spend money 01:06:00 Nala's baby 01:18:06 What have you learnt from Nala’s baby 01:25:20 Being attacked backstage 01:27:17 Cadet’s death 01:45:53 The last guests question Krept: https://www.instagram.com/kreptplaydirty/?hl=en Nala’s baby: https://nalasbaby.com/ Our new apparel line: https://thedoac.com/ Listen on: Apple podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast... Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7iQXmUT... FOLLOW ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steven/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SteveBartlettSC Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenbartlett-123 Sponsors: BlueJeans - https://www.bluejeans.com/ Huel - https://my.huel.com/Steven

KRKreptguestSBSteven Bartletthost

Jul 28, 2022·1h 47m·Watch on YouTube ↗

📖 CHAPTERS

1. 1
   3:00 – 9:00

   South London Upbringing: Violence, Loss, and Seeing the Bigger Picture

   Krept describes growing up in Croydon surrounded by gangs, gunshots and friends dying or going to prison, while his dad spent much of his childhood incarcerated. A pivotal moment came when police arrived at his home and his mum said, ‘I failed as a mum’, catalyzing his determination to finish college, go to university, and not become another statistic.

2. 2
   9:00 – 26:00

   Konan’s Family Attack and Choosing Music Over Retaliation

   Krept recounts the night Konan narrowly escaped assassination at his front door, resulting in his mum being shot and his stepdad killed while wrestling the gunmen. In the aftermath, the crew sat in a car weighing revenge versus fully committing to music; choosing the latter led directly to their ‘Otis’ freestyle going viral and an invitation to tour with Skepta.

3. 3
   26:00 – 40:00

   Success, Distraction, and the Unprocessed Weight of Grief

   The conversation shifts to how success can distract from trauma rather than heal it. Krept talks about the lack of mental‑health dialogue among Black men, his best friend Nash’s suicide with no obvious warning signs, and his own habit of numbing grief by staying busy instead of processing feelings.

4. 4
   40:00 – 1:06:00

   Crepes & Cones: Romantic Idea, Brutal Reality

   Krept details the origins and chaotic execution of Crepes & Cones, a restaurant originally envisioned with Nash at the helm. After builders ripped them off and the build cost tripled, Nash died by suicide the week of launch, forcing Krept to simultaneously grieve and run a hospitality business that depended on staff and customer emotions.

5. 5
   1:06:00 – 1:20:00

   Young Kings, Radio, and the Power of Over‑Delivering

   Returning to music, Krept explains how guidance from Skepta pushed them to ignore label pressure, release music they truly loved, and win independently with ‘Young Kings’ and ‘Don’t Waste My Time’. Their habit of over‑delivering on a small Apple radio opportunity led to extended runs, high‑profile guests and ultimately their TV presence on ‘The Rap Game’.

6. 6
   1:20:00 – 1:49:00

   Money, Credit Traps, and Hip‑Hop’s Lifestyle Pressure

   The pair dissect how poor financial education and hip‑hop culture’s emphasis on visible wealth push young people into destructive money habits. They share their own mistakes with student overdrafts and present a more sustainable approach—prioritising long‑term security and investments over instant status spending.

7. 7
   1:49:00 – 2:04:00

   Defying Labels: Building Nala’s Baby into a £17.5m Brand

   Prompted by his daughter’s impending birth and his ex‑partner Sasha’s concerns about harmful ingredients in baby products, Krept co‑created Nala’s Baby, a natural baby skin and haircare range. After two years of formulation, partnering with a strong manufacturer, and insisting on high standards at an affordable price, the brand launched into 400 Boots stores, sold out rapidly and achieved a valuation of £17.5m.

8. 8
   2:04:00 – 2:18:00

   Backstage Stabbing, Cadet’s Death, and Confronting Mortality

   Krept briefly recounts a near‑fatal backstage stabbing in Birmingham involving unknown assailants. He then delves into the far deeper pain of losing his cousin Cadet in a drunk‑driving crash just as Cadet’s career was taking off, compounded by his uncle’s terminal brain tumour and subsequent death.

9. 9
   2:18:00 – 2:38:00

   Teams, Experts, and Learning to Be the ‘Dumbest’ in the Room

   Using lessons from Crepes & Cones and Nala’s Baby, Krept and Stephen discuss how pivotal early hiring decisions are. They argue that great founders recruit people who are more capable than they are, even if it feels intimidating, whereas insecure founders default to underqualified friends like ‘Dave from school’.

10. 10
    2:38:00

    Regret, Reconciliation, and Re‑Focusing on What Matters

    In one of the most emotional segments, Krept reflects on the gift of having reconciled with Cadet before his death, and how that experience now shapes how quickly he resolves conflicts with loved ones. Stephen pushes him gently on whether he needs therapy and whether he is still hiding behind busyness to avoid pain.