There are a few good reasons to be here to hear Goldie holding forth for a few select hacks in a smart cafe in South London. For one thing, there's his second album, Saturnz Return, which has just been released. But at this press conference there are other powerful motivations to hear the glittering one's words. The most obvious is the sumptuous cooked breakfast that's served before proceedings kick off at the leisurely hour of 11:30.
The other good reason to attend is the presence of esteemed graffiti artist, Mode 2, who's here to paint a large mural outside in honour of Goldie's album. Some might be surprised at this apparent appropriation of hip hop culture, but one look at Goldie's appalling spelling skills will set your mind at rest about his street credentials.
Much of the talk, not surprisingly, is about the new album, which features contributions from KRS-One, David Bowie and Noel Gallagher, as well as 'Mother', an epic 60-minute track featuring such experimental elements as orchestras and Goldie actually singing. Innovative it certainly is, but one writer puts it to the Goldster that some of it is rather difficult to understand.
"I've had a very difficult life," he smiles, perhaps referring to his long stint in a children's home as a boy. "It's been difficult to work out.
There's a lot of emotion there. It's ugly in places, and it's painful in places. So that's why maybe this album's hard to understand. I'm not even sure if I want people to understand it. People didn't get Timeless when it came out, either."
"Temper Temper", the track he does with Noel Gallagher, was more than a cynical piece of marketing. It seems that the two men formed a real friendship. "He's about the same age as me. We both come from the same kind of background. We had a lot of fun, and we were both interested in each other's music."
For hip-hop heads, one of the most interesting aspects of the album will be his collaboration with rap icon KRS-One on the track "Digital". Although it's arguably not the KRS's best ever performance, there's no doubt it's a brave and important creative step for jungle and hip-hop. "I've got loads of respect for him as an artist. He's been an influence on me for years and years."
Goldie found working with Kris an illuminating experience. "We talked for four hours, and he taught me a lot about the whole aspect of world music. He was really cool to work with. We did the track in 20 minutes. He put up a lot of barriers to contacting him. I understood what he was doing because I do that as well," he explains. "You have to do that to test people out when you're in this kind of position. I spent a long time trying to contact him in New York, and he didn't make it easy. But he respected me for the fact that I kept trying."
A lot of artists are jumping on the bandwagon these days, but as a long-time b-boy and graffiti writer who used to be one of the UK's elite, Goldie's connection with Mode 2 is far from superficial. "I've got so much respect for Mode. I first met him when I came down to London. My jaw hit the floor when I first saw his pieces down in Covent Garden. It was incredible. There was a lot of very bitter rivalry between our crews then.
We were used to being the best until we encountered them. Basically, they were better than us and we couldn't take it.
"He's led the field, being from London and doing his thing in Paris, he's always been pushing things forward. What he does with painting is the same as what I do with music," Goldie enthuses.
We file outside and watch Mode 2 put the finishing touches on his outsize piece while MTV interviews the G Man. Mode is completely engrossed in his work as he uses the most delicate of touches to blend the colours. He's so wrapped up in his work, in fact, that he's not prepared to speak to anyone until Goldie zooms up in his silver Porsche, and admires the work of the outsize-spectacle-wearing artist, while posing for a few photos.
As photographers clamour round, we see a solitary glimpse of Goldie's mean side. "Hey, let him do it the way he wants to do it, alright?" he growls at a paparazzo who was being a bit too demanding in his instructions to the spray can painter.
One listen to the multi-layered beatfest that is Saturnz Return will tell you that Goldie has a global view of music. But despite having lived in New York for a couple of years, and been influenced by a whole range of genres, he remains surprisingly patriotic. "We've spent so long trying to walk the Americans' walk. Now, they're trying to walk our walk, which is cool. I'm very proud of the fact this scene that I'm in originates from the UK. Remember, what I do is strictly UK, mate."