Skepta has opened up about his working with Pharrell on his long-awaited new album Konnichiwa.

The collaboration was confirmed yesterday through Zane Lowe’s Instagram, ahead of his Beats 1 interview due to air on Monday, April 18. Apple Music has now unveiled a clip from the interview.

“Pharrell loves music,” says Skepta in the clip. “I don’t know how much money he has, or how much money he started with or how much money he’s trying to make. But I know whatever financial situation he’s in his music is always going to be sick. When I’m in the studio with him, cos I love music as well, it’s like I’m working with someone I’ve known all my life, and we’re both there to make the sickest track that we can.”

The MC also talks about the weight of anticipation for Konnichiwa, and said it would “represent the country” both sonically and with different MCs.

“I know what is on my back with this album,” he says. “I don’t want to announce the MCs, but it’s very well-rounded. And Pharrell’s blessed me. And it’s sick to have him on there because his sound is so different as well. People take it seriously.

“I feel that grime wasn’t respected, it doesn’t get looked at as a nice sound, it gets looked at as a sound that’s not finished or as a sound that’s unpolished, but having Pharrell to bless my album with the sound that we made, it’s like, maybe now when you hear my beats or you listen to a song like ‘Eskimo’ or ‘Ice Rink’, maybe you can see that the freeness of his music that’s what we’re doing as well, and it’s good to have them back to back, blessing each other.”

Listen to the clip below.

Skepta just dropped the latest single from the album, the QOTSA-sampling ‘Man’, after revealing the album’s tracklist and cover art. It’s due on May 6.

Read next: The 50 best Pharrell tracks