Autistic Scots rapper breaking down barriers with new project funded by Creative Scotland

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An autistic Scots rapper is breaking down barriers after his new project was funded by Creative Scotland.

Jacob Watters, from Busby, Glasgow, is releasing new music and will launch his neurodiverse-inspired project, backed by the Government body which promotes the country’s artistic talent, with a show at the end of the month.

The multi-genre musician - who performs as Watters - said he is “ecstatic” the arts world has not only acknowledged his struggle but made it possible for him to share his story after years of battling against red tape for support in his career and his personal life.

Jacob, 26, said he hoped the project, called Alexythmia - a Greek word meaning the inability to recognise or describe one’s own emotions - would bring better understanding for people whose brains work differently.

He said: “In this city there is no one who sounds like me or who talks about what I talk about, the way I talk about it. Watters as a concept isn’t here to be inspirational or depressing, it is not here to be anything. To show the world that people like me exist and can create art.

“I don’t ever really think of neurodiversity as being something to cope with, it’s a part of me and always will be. I don’t live with it, I am it.

“I’d say the times where it has created barriers, those barriers have always come from other people’s ignorance or own prejudice. People hear ‘autistic’ and they think ‘dumb’ , ‘incompetent’ when I know as an individual I am as capable or more so than anyone who thinks that way.

“I wanted to create something that showed what someone like me can do when given a chance and also potentially put someone who isn’t autistic in my shoes. By the time you finish listening to it you’re going to have a hard time describing what it is - just like many of us struggle with describing our emotions and how we’re feeling.”

Jacob was inspired to explore music during Covid, with dance and electronica influences around him from an early age before he began to explore rap.

He said he was “ecstatic” to have received backing for his project, when funding is severely lacking.

He said: “Getting funding was extremely vindicating. Being an artist you are your own worst critic. And in that I am my own worst critic’s critic.

“Creative Scotland saying I was worth backing was an insane confidence boost and I think that has led to me letting go of a lot of doubt, and making the music and art I’ve been wanting to make since I was 15.”

“Growing up there was no one doing what I’m doing now in terms of challenging stereotypes. If you’re told something enough you’ll start to believe it. People who are recently diagnosed are told all the negative things about being neurodiverse and get scared. I want to show that if you truly figure out who you are, neurodiversity or no neurodiversity, disability or no disability you can accomplish anything.”

Jacob’s first single, That’s Time You’ll Never Get Back, has just been released and he will unveil his project with a show at the Hug and Pint on December 28, followed by the three-track EP.

He said: “I used to split Watters and Jacob in two. But the reality is I am both and always will be.”

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