As he prepares for a Kent gig, rapper Example reflects on the moment of clarity which brought about a string of No 1 singles and his chart-topping third album.

After forcing his way into the nation’s musical consciousness with tunes like Kickstarts and Won’t Go Quietly last year, Example set off on a journey of self-discovery.

It led to the rapper and singer producing the two tunes of this summer with Changed The Way You Kissed Me and Stay Awake. He needed a new place to go with the poppy lyrics of the club-edged songs from his 2010 second album, Won’t Go Quietly so the 29-year-old spent a year looking around himself. He took in what he has seen on the road, in clubs, at festivals, in recording studios, in hotel rooms, taxis and aeroplanes. He began wondering what the hell was going on.

Collaborations followed and tracks emerged with artists like Giggs and Skream, the latter on track Shot Yourself In The Foot Again. In April he sampled Stone Roses on rapper Wretch 32’s No2 hit Unorthodox.

When his third album Playing In The Shadows went to No1 in September, it marked the moment where Example came of age.

“I had to be careful when I spoke to my girlfriend about this stuff in case she thought it meant we were in a tough place” he said.

“But tough places give me inspiration. She gets unhappy about me going away for a month. She wants to know when we’re getting married, but I’m worried that being comfortable and having a family will mean I can’t write songs that touch people any more.

“The music industry puts a lot of strain on your relationships and social life. There’s always the pressure to drink all night and to stay up for days and to cheat.

“If it’s not pressure then it’s opportunity, endless opportunity. This whole album is me asking, should I be doing drugs? Should I be drinking? Should I commit? Should I stop partying? Should I settle down?”

If coming from a dark place continues to produce tracks as good as these, Example’s record company Ministry of Sound will surely start considering throwing him in a pitch-black cupboard for the next six months.

The lead single Changed The Way You Kissed Me went straight to No1 in June and follow up Stay Awake repeated the feat in August.

Its chorus “If we don’t kill ourselves we’ll be the leaders of a messed-up generation” captures beautifully Example’s anxiety about where he was in his life.

Before hitting the big time, he worked on movie sets in Australia and produced promos at Paramount Comedy. His first hip hop album, 2007’s What We Made, sold 10,000 copies.

On his second record he worked with 25 producers and scrapped half of it. Yet now there is clarity.

“I’ve been on a crazy journey but now I’m right where I need to be,” said Example, real name Elliot Gleave (the name Example is a play on his initials).

“Now it’s all about music. This is the first time I’ve really worn my heart on my sleeve. This is about real life now.

“It all began with Kickstarts – that was sad and happy, an anthem. Watching 60,000 people singing that back to me at a festival was my Eureka moment. It made me realise what I should do. I draw from intensely personal experiences then tweak those feelings to make them open to everyone.

“The songs are all about the same thing. They’re all about love. I know what my strengths are. I’m not in the top 10 rappers or the top 10 singers in the country, but I'm a good songwriter and a good performer.

“My gigs convert people. My live show is full-on all the way through and the last 20 minutes is a relentless rave.”

Example plays at Margate Winter Gardens on Monday, November 21. Support comes from Fenech-Soler. Doors 7.30pm. Tickets £17.50. Box office 01843 296111.