Professor Green says his father’s suicide helped him "achieve his dreams".
The ‘Read All About It’ hitmaker – who was brought up by his grandmother – believes channelling his thoughts and feelings into his songs helps him deal with complex emotions such as the death of his dad Peter in 2008.
He said: "It’s therapeutic to write about those things. It helps to understand what’s going on inside you.
"When ‘Read All About It’ went to number one, it was quite bittersweet. Because, despite all the s**t I went through with my dad, in a sense he helped me achieve my dreams. I couldn’t have written that song if I hadn’t gone through that."
The 28-year-old rapper admits his difficult relationship with his father was what initially spurred him on to chart success, but he soon learned it wasn’t a substitute.
He explained: "It was about wanting people to accept me, as if I was working for the love that I didn’t get from my dad. I’m kind of past that now.
"I used to think, ‘If I ever make it in music that’ll be it, that’ll solve all my problems’ but it didn’t solve anything.
"A man’s problems are his own, a good day is a good day and a bad day a bad day. That doesn’t change, no matter how much you’ve got."
And the ‘Just Be Good to Green’ star – whose real first name is Stephen – has vowed never to be like his father in future.
Asked what he wants from life, he said: "Not to follow in my father’s footsteps and, if I have children do better than he did.
"His mistakes were due to him not being aware of why he felt certain things, which is why he ended up doing that to himself. And that’s not a place I ever want to be."