Drew was born and raised in Forest Gate , London . His mother worked for a local authority and his father , Paul Ballance , played in a punk rock band called the Warm Jets during the 1970s . He was five months old when his father walked out on the family , and six years old when his father " disappeared completely " . Growing up , Drew felt outcast from much of society , stating , " We were n't working class but we were n't middle class , we were in the void in-between . I 've always felt like a social outcast . " From 11 , Drew attended the Anglo European School in Ingatestone , Essex . He later transferred to Tom Hood School before being expelled and sent to Tunmarsh Pupil Referral Unit in Newham , London , for children unable to attend mainstream school . He finally left school with three GCSEs . He taught himself how to play guitar at 14 , first playing Blur and Oasis songs with friends , then going on to write his own R&B love songs . At 18 , feeling uncomfortable with R&B , he turned towards rap and hip hop and wrote " Kidz " , inspired by the murder of Damilola Taylor
murder of Damilola Taylor
Death of Damilola Taylor
Plan B (musician)