Yeah, I know, any time you hear an actor say, 'I do music', you cringe. But I want to be gradual with my music. I want to earn my stripes.

Africans, we hold on to our youths and whip them into shape.

In some countries, no one knows who Idris Elba is.

I wanted to be on American TV so much. I didn't park DJ'ing; I just sort of ended up becoming more of a studio guy. I had a bit more money and I could buy every little piece of equipment and drum machine that had just come out - I've got quite a collection now - and I continued to collect music.

I knew that if I wanted to be all I could be, I would have to go to the US. It took three years to get the accent right.

I was always a real athletic kid. Then when I got older, I just figured it was part of life to keep training.

I was on a well-beaten path of actors - what we all call 'the Law and Order route'. I spent two years of auditioning for everything... and then 'The Wire' came up.