‘Iwill be giving a special performance on the coach journey back if we win,” says Ramsgate’s Medy Elito, who has a penchant for producing sleeper Afroswing hits. A framed Colchester shirt with his credentials adorns a wall in Eighty’s Kitchen, a bustling Caribbean food spot in east London’s Canning Town, where our conversation veers from his affection for the area where he grew up to being on Beyoncé’s radar and all that’s happened in between. Ramsgate, of the Isthmian League South East Division, travel to the League Two side AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup on Monday as the lowest-ranked team in the second round. They have won six games on their Cup journey, including an impressive 2-1 victory over Woking of the National League. Elito had deep Cup runs with Newport County and Barnet – reaching the fourth round with the latter before being knocked out by Brentford in a replay – and believes Ramsgate can do the same. “The magic’s been happening for us,” he says. “We’re in the eighth division but it’s all about the camaraderie and friendship that we’ve got in the club that I think got us to this stage. Every single one of our players has got a song; you can see the love and the passion from the fans. That’s another thing that keeps us going.” Elito’s chant to the sound of The Champs’ Tequila emphasises how he has become part of the furniture at Ramsgate, a role the 33-year-old takes seriously. “I say to them: ‘Enjoy this moment,’ and I try to guide the younger pros to show them that this is the way of going about being a footballer,” he says. Elito played for England with Danny Welbeck, Victor Moses and Henri Lansbury at the 2007 Under-17 World Cup (the side lost to a Germany team led by Toni Kroos in the last eight) and observes how his own game has changed from that of a tricky winger in the “[Arjen] Robben or Aaron Lennon mould” to more of a playmaker role. Moses went on to play for Nigeria and Elito wishes he had declared for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where he was born. He would like Aaron Wan-Bissaka, a former DRC youth international, to play for the country after the defender was linked with a call-up for the Africa Cup of Nations, which begins in January. Missed opportunities are not in Elito’s nature, though. In 2017, as Don EE, he released the party anthem You Alright Yeah?, making waves around the UK music scene that led to a performance at the Wireless Festival that year. The indication of its popularity was a video montage on Beyoncé’s Instagram. “I don’t know how it got to her but it shows the power of music,” says Elito, whose first dabble in music came when performing Nelly’s Country Grammar in a talent show at the age of 10 at Newham College in Plaistow. This eventually blossomed into trips to the studio with his friends and the musicians Kojo Funds and Yxng Bane. “Footballers have a lot of time on their hands when we’re not training or playing,” he says. “As long as you are doing something that doesn’t get you hurt and it’s a hobby … I don’t see music as harmful. In fact, it helped to take the pressure off my game.” Improved form in League Two for Cambridge United at the time of his music success in 2017 demonstrates that Elito maintained a good balance between his exploits. In April, a masked footballer reportedly playing in the Premier League released Thrill amid mounting attempts to identify “Dide”. Elito, having performed masked up, says he “was the originator” and believes he has shown there is more to footballers: “We are human.” The modern game gives players a chance to express themselves away from the spotlight. Elito excitedly announces an upcoming track featuring a duo with Newham backgrounds, Ajax’s Chuba Akpom and Fulham’s Alex Iwobi. Elito’s affinity for east London is matched by his love for his birth country. He arrived from Kinshasa as a one-year-old into a budding Gambian and Congolese community in London’s Docklands neighbourhood. He often returns to DRC with his mother and plans to build a school there. “You can’t make kids work,” he says, referring to the illegal mining of cobalt in DRC that has led to environmental degradation and the use of children to provide materials used for smartphones and laptops. “They are digging for minerals and losing their lives and people don’t care as long as they make their money. Something needs to change. Africa needs to be let off the leash. The western world can see what is happening and they are not speaking about it. We, as Congolese people, need a change of government. If I can help in any way I would love to.” Elito’s UK interests range from running a fashion house that makes clothes for River Island and New Look to helping tech start-ups. Is music still on his mind? “I have over 50 tracks in the chamber, so you never know.” If Elito’s Ramsgate progress to the third round, they could face a big hitter such as Arsenal – his boyhood club – or Manchester United, with whom he was linked while at Colchester. Ramsgate can take hope against Wimbledon from the form of their forward Joe Taylor, who has 25 goals this season. It will be a huge ask, but a win would hasten the return of Don EE.