[2] After college, Cardy was hired and subsequently fired from Wetherspoons, which provided inspiration for his first release on SoundCloud, The Mixtape.

[3] Rat Boy produced The Mixtape, a 5-track mix on which he performed vocals, keyboard and bass, recorded in his own home.

[citation needed] He sent The Mixtape to various record companies and in response Drew McConnell (bassist for Babyshambles) arranged for Rat Boy to have a meeting with him; Cardy and his band were subsequently signed to Parlophone in early 2015.

[4] Rat Boy was added to the BBC Sound of 2016 Longlist, an annual poll in which over 100 music specialists select artists they believe will be successful within the next 12 months.

He has cited English bands the Clash and the Streets as his main musical influences and has been compared to artists such as Jamie T and the Beastie Boys.

Many of Cardy's songs consist of narratives and stories within the lyrics, as well as samples recorded of sounds and conversations from his daily life.