JP Cooper thinks his musical ability was a ''parting gift'' from his late mother.

The 33-year-old singer - whose full name is John Paul Cooper - lost his mother when he was only 11 months old, but he has revealed his loss has helped him to connect with music and ''speak'' to his late parent.

Speaking to the Metro newspaper about his upbringing and is career, the 'She's On My Mind' hitmaker said: ''I was raised to believes she [his mother] was still there- not in the house in human form but that she was working in my life.

''I was raised to speak to her. She was an angel to me, so I was raised by a broken-hearted man and an angel.

''I learnt to believe in things I couldn't see and couldn't touch, and music is something you can't see or touch but you can feel. I felt like it was a parting gift from her.''

But JP Cooper has revealed no one in his family have a flare for playing an instrument or singing.

He continued ''Nobody in my family has ever done music - why have I got this?''

JP Cooper has recently teamed up with Stormzy on a new track 'Momma's Prayers', which he has hailed as a ''very sweet song'' that shows a softer side to the grime artist.

He said: ''It's a very sweet a song about mother's love, he's [Stormzy] saying thank you to his mum for keeping an eye on him''.