A FORMER Honda worker has released his second single with rap mega-star Mike Skinner.

Abbey Meads rapper Paul Dowman, better known under his stage name Grim Sickers, raps on the new song Open the Till.

Released last month, the track features grime music stars Ghetts and The Streets frontman Mike Skinner.

Paul was picked up by Dry Your Eyes hitmaker Mike last year, signing to record label Mike Skinner LTD and releasing his first single Kane in February.

His new single, about battling other artists on the way to the top, premiered on urban music station Radio 1 Xtra. The track has already had almost 70,000 plays on music streaming service Spotify.

Paul, 28, who was a pupil at Greendown School before studying plumbing at Swindon College, said of the new song: “It’s got a garage vibe to it. It’s quite jumpy, quite bouncy.”

The former Honda factory-line worker, who started making music at the age of 19, said: “We’ve had quite a lot of Radio 1 and Radio 1 Xtra spins.” 

Already, the track has been praised by specialist music websites. Frequency 21 Magazine called Paul, “without doubt one of the best MCs in the Grime game right now”.

The experience of rapping with his hero has been “surreal”, Paul said.

“I was brought up on his first two albums," he said.

"I was quite surprised when he picked me up.”

Overnight, things changed for Paul: “My life changed dramatically. It turned upside down.”

Since being signed by The Streets mega star, Paul has been taken to the Brit Awards and party island Ibiza. He will also feature in BBC quirky cult comedy classic People Just Do Nothing later in the year.

But the moment Paul realised his life had changed forever was when he strode out onto the stage of Wembley Arena.

“There were 40,000 to 50,000 people in the crowd when they brought me out on stage,” he said.

The dad-of-one now separates his life between Swindon, where he has a house in Abbey Meads, and West London.

Paul began making music at 19, “raving at the Brunel Rooms”.

Were it not for his dad, Wayne, he would have given up on any hope of a music career years ago.

“I’d like to say I owe it all to him,” Paul said.

“My dad’s one of the main reasons I’m still doing the music. I was going to quit a few years ago – I said, ‘I’m getting nowhere, I don’t want to do it anymore.’

“But I think he saw something in me. He said, ‘Keep at it'.”

Paul has spent the summer performing at festivals, with more dates in Bristol and Norwich later in the year.

Paul can be found on Twitter: @GrimSickers1