BEYOND THE MUSIC

THE MAN BEHIND BISHOP CROOKS

Introduction

Behind the name Bishop Crooks is Nathan Jamaiah Francis. A writer, a reader, a professional working with vulnerable young people, and somebody whose understanding of life has been shaped as much by the people he has encountered as by the circumstances he has experienced.

But understanding Nathan requires looking beyond the usual descriptions of someone’s personality, because one thing becomes apparent when listening to him speak: he doesn’t believe people are as simple as the labels they’re given.

He can be outgoing, humorous and outspoken, but equally quiet, observant and reflective. He can express himself confidently in conversation, yet sometimes find it easier to communicate his deepest emotions through writing.

And while he considers himself a naturally loving person, he doesn’t pretend that love, patience or happiness are the only emotions he experiences.

As he explained during our conversation, he gives people the same person consistently, but that doesn’t mean they’re always going to encounter the same emotion.

His identity remains consistent, even when his emotions change.

It’s a distinction that says something about how he understands himself.

A Childhood That Encouraged Questions

Nathan grew up in West London, raised by a hardworking single mother who went to considerable lengths to provide for her children.

He remembers a childhood that contained love, laughter, family outings and memorable Christmases, alongside financial limitations and the realities of growing up on a council estate.

His mother worked long hours, sometimes taking additional shifts to ensure her children had what they needed. Looking back, he speaks about her efforts with considerable appreciation.

But Nathan wasn’t necessarily an easy child to raise.

Outgoing, rebellious and frequently the class clown, he had a tendency to question authority, challenge what he was being taught and find himself in trouble at school.

Nathan remembers himself as something of a character during his school years.

He enjoyed making people laugh, challenging teachers and questioning things that didn’t make sense to him. Sometimes that curiosity led to meaningful discussions. Other times, his rebellious streak and sense of humour landed him in trouble.

Looking back, he doesn’t attempt to excuse every decision he made. He recognises that he could be disruptive and difficult to manage.

But behind the classroom antics was a young person who was developing his own understanding of the world and wasn’t particularly comfortable accepting something simply because an adult had said it.

His willingness to question authority wasn’t always expressed in the most constructive way, but the curiosity behind it became an important part of who he would grow into.

He remembers challenging simplified accounts of historical events, particularly when he believed important perspectives had been overlooked.

During periods away from school, he developed an appetite for reading. The autobiographies of Malcolm X and Assata Shakur, alongside books about the Black Panther movement, became part of an education he pursued independently.

What began as curiosity developed into a lasting interest in history, psychology and human behaviour.

That interest continues today.

Nathan enjoys the works of Robert Greene, Shakespeare, Sun Tzu and Niccolò Machiavelli, alongside biographies and literature exploring Black history and ancient Egypt.

His interest in ancient Egyptian history is also reflected in the ankh pendant that has become a familiar part of his appearance.

For Nathan, reading isn’t simply entertainment. It’s another way of examining human behaviour, questioning assumptions and understanding perspectives beyond his own.

Kindness Is a Choice, Not a Weakness

One of the strongest themes to emerge from speaking with Nathan is the importance he places on how people treat one another.

He describes himself as someone who would willingly share the last thing he had with somebody who needed it.

Nathan illustrated his approach to generosity with an example that was as ordinary as it was revealing.

“I’ll share my last digestive with you if that’s all I have and you ain’t got anything.”

It was a small remark, delivered naturally during the conversation, but it captured something important about his understanding of kindness.

For Nathan, generosity isn’t necessarily about having an abundance of something to give. Sometimes it means being willing to share the little you have because somebody else has even less.

And while the example might raise a smile, the principle behind it is one he takes seriously.

But he is equally clear that being generous doesn’t mean being incapable of standing up for himself.

He separates kindness from weakness, and compassion from trust.

Nathan believes people should be treated with dignity and consideration, even when they haven’t yet earned his trust.

Trust, in his view, is something built through time, experience and consistent behaviour.

His approach is simple: treat people with the care and respect you would want to receive, but establish boundaries that protect everyone involved.

This perspective has developed through experiences that taught him how easily generosity can be exploited.

He has also come to recognise that loyalty, however deeply felt, needs to be accompanied by wisdom.

There was a time when he would prioritise the wellbeing of others at considerable personal cost. Today, he is learning that protecting his own peace doesn’t mean abandoning his compassion.

He can want the best for somebody without accepting responsibility for every decision they make.

And sometimes, he believes, caring for another person means stepping back, wishing them well and allowing them to find their own way.

Understanding Love Beyond Words

When asked what love means to him, Nathan doesn’t begin with grand gestures or romantic declarations.

He talks about somebody checking whether you’ve eaten.

Somebody calling to make sure you’re safe.

Someone remembering to ask how you’re feeling, or simply wanting to know that you’re okay.

To him, these everyday acts of consideration are meaningful expressions of love.

He believes love should be demonstrated through behaviour, not merely declared through words.

That belief extends beyond romantic relationships to family, friendships and the wider community.

His experiences have also taught him that people don’t always express or receive love in the same way.

Some people may appreciate genuine care without knowing how to reciprocate it. Others may struggle with trust, vulnerability or the consequences of their own experiences.

Nathan doesn’t claim to have all the answers about why people behave as they do.

In fact, when asked whether people can genuinely change, his response was unusually straightforward.

He doesn’t know.

He has witnessed experiences that support different conclusions, and while he remains cautious, he doesn’t want to abandon his faith in humanity.

For somebody with such strong convictions, his willingness to acknowledge uncertainty is an important part of his character.

Faith Without Boundaries

Nathan was raised Christian, but his understanding of faith has developed considerably throughout his life.

Today, he describes himself as spiritual rather than belonging exclusively to an organised religious tradition.

His belief in God remains central to his worldview, but he doesn’t believe that respecting God requires rejecting people whose religious understanding differs from his own.

He is willing to pray with people of different faiths, learn about their beliefs and understand their individual perspectives.

For Nathan, the question isn’t simply what somebody believes.

It’s how those beliefs influence the way they treat other people.

He believes that compassion, consideration and the consequences of our

actions matter more than religious labels.

His experiences have sometimes made him question the difference between professing faith and living according to its principles.

Nevertheless, those experiences haven’t removed his belief in God.

Instead, they have encouraged him to approach spirituality through a more personal understanding of humanity, equality and responsibility.

The Responsibility We Have Towards One Another

Nathan’s concerns about society are closely connected to his experiences growing up.

Having witnessed vulnerability, exploitation, prejudice and the consequences of difficult circumstances, he is particularly sensitive to the way people treat those who have less power or fewer opportunities.

He speaks strongly about homelessness, the judgement directed towards people experiencing hardship, and the tendency to overlook the circumstances that make improving someone’s situation difficult.

He also questions the influence of social media, the commercialisation of everyday life and the way conflict and negativity can sometimes receive more attention than meaningful contributions.

But beneath those concerns is a relatively straightforward principle.

The way we treat people matters, because our behaviour can influence the direction of somebody else’s life.

Nathan believes harmful behaviour can have consequences that extend far beyond a single encounter.

Equally, compassion and consideration can prevent harm, encourage somebody who is struggling or help them recognise possibilities they might otherwise have overlooked.

That understanding has influenced his professional life.

Working in residential childcare, Nathan supports young people who may have experienced instability, trauma or other significant challenges.

His interest in understanding human behaviour is therefore not confined to reading or songwriting. It also informs how he approaches the responsibility of supporting others.

He continues to pursue his professional development through his Level 5 qualification in residential childcare.

The Importance of Being Human

Nathan doesn’t describe himself as somebody who has mastered life.

He openly acknowledges that he can become frustrated, impatient, hurt or overwhelmed.

When experiencing significant emotional pain, he often becomes quiet and internalises what he’s feeling before deciding how to communicate it.

Sometimes that leads to a conversation.

Other times, it leads to writing.

And sometimes, moving forward requires accepting that another person may never provide the explanation or closure he would have preferred.

One of the most important lessons he has learned is that closure cannot always depend on somebody else’s willingness to provide it.

There are circumstances where finding peace means accepting what cannot be controlled and concentrating on what can.

For Nathan, that has become an important part of protecting his wellbeing.

He also recognises that emotional pain isn’t always visible.

Somebody can appear cheerful while privately struggling. Someone else might respond to difficult experiences through withdrawal, defensiveness or behaviours they don’t fully understand.

His interest in trauma and psychology has reinforced his belief that people are often more complicated than their outward behaviour suggests.

It hasn’t made him believe that harmful behaviour should go without accountability.

Rather, it has encouraged him to consider what may exist beneath the surface.

Life Outside the Serious Conversations

For all his interest in philosophy, psychology and the complexities of human nature, Nathan’s everyday interests are considerably more relaxed.

He enjoys cooking, playing video games, working out and spending time with his family.

Nathan is also comfortable acknowledging some of his more ordinary habits.

He enjoys taking time for himself, particularly when it involves a long bath, some bath salts and an opportunity to switch off from the demands of everyday life.

He admits that his appreciation for these quieter moments can occasionally interfere with his schedule, much like his tendency to become completely absorbed in something that interests him.

It’s one of the areas of his life he continues to work on, recognising that enthusiasm and dedication are valuable qualities, but that maintaining balance is equally important.

He also appreciates quieter routines, including taking time for himself, reading and watching films or television.

Although naturally outgoing, he has grown increasingly comfortable with keeping a smaller circle of close relationships.

He prefers meaningful connections built on mutual respect, honesty and understanding rather than maintaining friendships simply for the sake of having people around him.

His interests are varied, and he doesn’t see any contradiction in that.

The same person who enjoys reading Shakespeare or exploring ancient Egyptian history can spend an evening gaming, experimenting in the kitchen or having a laugh with the people closest to him.

Those ordinary parts of life are just as much a part of Nathan as the experiences that influence his writing.

Success, Resilience and Finding Meaning

When asked what makes life meaningful, Nathan doesn’t offer a universal answer.

He believes people have to discover meaning for themselves.

For some, that may be raising a family. For others, it could be creativity, learning, faith, personal growth or supporting somebody who needs help.

What matters is finding something genuine that gives life purpose without causing unnecessary harm to others.

His understanding of success follows a similar philosophy.

He doesn’t measure it primarily through money, recognition or popularity.

For Nathan, success means being able to live comfortably, enjoy peace, maintain meaningful relationships and know that the people he loves are doing well.

It also means contributing to a community where people support and encourage one another.

When discussing resilience, he describes it as an essential survival skill.

He understands that life doesn’t stop moving simply because somebody is struggling.

But he also recognises that progress sometimes requires rest, reflection and recovery.

Moving forward doesn’t always mean moving quickly. Sometimes it means giving yourself the time needed to continue.

His motivation extends beyond personal achievement.

He feels a responsibility towards his family, the people who depend on him and those who may look to him for encouragement.

As he explained:

“I don’t just lift myself back up for myself. I lift myself back up for all of us.”

The Person Behind the Name

Although Bishop Crooks is the name associated with Nathan’s creative identity, he doesn’t consider it an entirely separate person.

The name Bishop Crooks has its origins in Nathan’s childhood, when those around him began calling him Bishop after the character portrayed in the film Juice.

The nickname came from similarities people recognised between Nathan’s personality and the character, particularly his rebellious nature, his readiness to confront situations and his tendency to react strongly when challenged.

Growing up, Nathan was known for being outspoken, energetic and sometimes difficult to predict. He could be humorous and entertaining, but equally confrontational when he felt strongly about something. Those characteristics contributed to the comparison, and eventually the nickname became part of his identity.

He later added Crooks, a surname within his family, recognising an interesting contrast between the two words.

A bishop traditionally represents religious authority, while a crook is associated with wrongdoing. Together, the words suggested two opposing sides of human nature.

For Nathan, that contrast eventually became a representation of duality, reflecting the relationship between the compassionate person he strives to be and the defensive side of himself that emerges when he feels threatened or mistreated.

What began as a childhood nickname gradually developed into something with considerably greater personal meaning.

To him, Bishop Crooks represents duality.

The contrast between a religious figure and a crook reflects opposing aspects of human identity, something he has explored through his writing.

In his song The Shadow, Nathan takes that symbolism further by using the two names to represent different aspects of himself.

Nathan reflects the compassionate, peaceful person he strives to be.

Bishop Crooks, within that particular story, represents the protective side that emerges when boundaries are challenged or when he feels the need to defend himself.

But outside that artistic interpretation, both names belong to the same individual.

Nathan’s relationship with songwriting began long before he had developed the themes and perspectives associated with Bishop Crooks.

Introduced to hip-hop through his older brother, who also created music, Nathan began experimenting with writing alongside his younger sister at approximately eight years old.

His first self-chosen rap name was Kid 105, inspired by the 504 Boyz.

And one of the earliest songs he remembers writing with his sister was called Juice and Mousse, inspired by tropical juice and strawberry mousse.

It’s a considerably lighter starting point than the subjects he would eventually explore through his writing.

But even then, the principle was much the same: if something interested him, amused him or gave him something to say, he could turn it into a song.

Songwriting was never something he felt needed to be restricted to a particular subject.

He isn’t attempting to become somebody else through Bishop Crooks. He’s expressing parts of himself that don’t always emerge in ordinary conversation.

What Remains

When asked how he would like to be remembered, Nathan’s answer was simple.

He would like people to remember him for being real.

He understands that he cannot control every opinion people form about him, nor every story that might be told.

What he can control is how he chooses to live, how he treats others and whether his decisions reflect the values he believes in.

He’s proud that he has been able to move beyond some of the more difficult circumstances of his upbringing and create a life in which he can contribute positively to others.

And while he recognises that not every interaction or experience will be positive, he hopes that the overall impact of his life will be.

Not because he considers himself perfect.

Not because he expects everybody to understand him.

But because he wants the good he contributes to outweigh anything else.

When asked what he would want somebody visiting his website to understand about Nathan Jamaiah Francis, he didn’t attempt to dictate their interpretation.

He recognised that different people can read the same story and take away entirely different meanings.

And he was comfortable with that.

There was only one thing he wanted to make clear.

Everything came from the heart.

THE END

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