ONE half of a gangster rap double act from Bexleyheath has set his sights on winning X Factor and becoming a worldwide star.

Used car dealer James Lewis, of Pickford Lane, has joined forces with 52-year-old Brighton factory worker Kevin Swosh to form Hip N Hop.

The pair have flown through three auditions for the ITV hit show and are awaiting to hear if they’ve done enough to reach the televised auditions, watched by millions worldwide.

The 35-year-old is well known on the south-east London singing circuit where he performs anything from Pavarotti to Coolio.

He said: “We’ve gone in as gangster rappers, one fat bloke and one skinny, all blinged up with spikey heads. We look like B.A Baracus.

“We’re doing a bit of a pee take and pretending we’re from Norwich. The accent’s funny and my mum’s from Norwich.

“We want to win the show and want to be world renowned as gangster rappers with a Norfolk twang.”

Mr Lewis was taken aback by the response to Hip N Hop during the three auditions at the ExCel Arena and even got to meet the show's presenter Dermot O'Leary.

He said: “The amount of people who had pictures taken with us was amazing. “ Last year Mr Lewis’ X Factor dream ended at the boot camp stage.

But this time around he is determined to go all the way.

He added: “I know because of last year I need to be different, more flamboyant and extraordinary because there’s so much competition.”

During the auditions Hip N Hop wowed the judges with their renditions of Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise, Labrinth's Earthquake and Five – If Ya Gettin Down.

The duo are set to perform at the Woodville Halls Theatre in Gravesend as support for a Michael Jackson tribute act on Friday, May 24.