 Hello, what's poppin? We are on twitch. We are alive by time you see this We probably won't be so just leave a like comment subscribe turn on your post notification bells Let's continue to grow the family from Chicago to the UK Keep in mind if you missed the live and you wanted to replay it and fast forward it and just see what you missed Go to twitch.com THEE underscore light underscore O and E Don't forget. We do got merch as well. Yeah, get me We got a patreon we post Monday through Friday Monday through Friday the regular schedule stuff that is you got to pay for it But we do post stuff on there that we watch on page. I mean on twitch That we just post for free on there as well Street gangs season one episode one crime documentary UK What in the community? I'm gonna need schools people have been feeding back things. I slept Back to the old ways things are becoming more violent. I'm hearing that for we cousins and brothers Rejoining gangs old ones being resurrected and new ones being formed. We wanted to go on a journey to find out why that is But I don't believe in a tempus. First of all, we need to speak to gang members So I'm impressed in plans just outside Edinburgh I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do that I'm just in plans just outside Edinburgh A place the police have dubbed an anti-social behavior hotspot My boy accent is probably one of the thickest I've heard in like the last two years I'm really concentrating right now. This tunnel was a location in many gang battles Violence isn't like you see on TV Anytime I was walking into a fight You'd have the adrenaline flowing through your body It's a sick making feeling And you didn't always come out on top Sometimes you were the one that ended up with a sore one I don't know why gangs fight, you know in our community, you know, what is the enmity? You know, it's just postcode warriors, you know, you're fed there. We are for here. That's enough That's reason enough, you know, doesn't even make any sense It's not like there was a process the other end you say, you know, they give them over there It wasn't like any way in a war, you know Well, actually the fact that they were for there and you were for there is reason enough In here in Preston Pans, the young team know this only too well It's Alan, bro. What's the name of it? Nice for me, it's for Alan, bro. Nice to meet you, bro. Good to meet you boys They've had to obscure their identities because they're on going trouble with the police That's your skin, man A lot of people don't understand, right? What is that going? Y'all rather watch Top Gear than banged up Okay, and, uh, Modaki I want to see them five subs Top Gear it is They stick up for me anytime They say if I had beef, they'd bat my beef Like, you know what I mean, that's what it was It's a daily life, it's the way you get brought up It's the people you get brought up with are in the way And it's the place you get brought up in and the shit you see It's a graft, isn't it? Yeah, it's exactly a graft, man My memories of looking back, right, to running about doing drugs, right It's just, it felt like hard work, man It's hard work, man It's hard work, and it's the stress you need to put up with So, when you're losing one of your best pals, you'll end up dead Or you'll end up in the gym, right? That's it, there's no way, no, it's a no-in situation Man, I know what I'm all about with that post I go back there, I go back to the weekend once And the sales? I've got a forward building there, too I've got salt, I've got salt I've got bread in there Is he back in my day, right? Everybody carried LBs, foot backs I've got back, yeah Is that still the case? Nah, it's fucking rambles now, man Can't you look at it in fucking... Can't you look at it in fucking... There's guarantee on if, that's why he's involved in that fight What really struck my chord with me was my palm up or something You know what I mean I was like, fucking hell, man It just gets real in a different way, you know what I mean? They're my best pals, they're the only two It's nine years or something like that Life sentences They're taking my back, they're taking my back It's the thing is, if you do get a part of that, you know what I mean It's all a bit of a relation You just want to go out and fucking pay the tax even there I mean, that's what keeps going That's how the cycle continues basically I'm a former gang member And I'm Fadre, which is a tough place But when I walk up to a bunch of guys Wearing balaclavas, I feel fear Everybody, you're meant to, that's the point So it's trying to get behind the mask You know No life, fear keeps you alive Fear is a natural thing that the body does Or the mind does But fear will keep you alive You know what I'm saying? If you're coming into a lot of situations If I'm going in the jungle, I'm going with fear Because fear is going to keep me away from these animals that I don't want to be around Who's that person behind us, uniform? We're trying to humanise people You know, these are human beings They've got needs and wants They come from a family However turbulent that may be If you ask them, honestly They would still tell you they want the same outcomes as any other person They want a job, they want a home, they want a car, they want hoodies It's not unreasonable You know, these things are just normal wants and needs That's what these kids want What keeps pulling you back? It's the adrenaline It's the adrenaline If you went away to jail for a year and came back This place would be the exact same thing Everyone would be doing the same thing So it's hard to get out because you're in this environment every day You're sitting by the same people, you're doing the same thing It's hard to get away from it You're so easy, you can drag back out What do you think young ones are thinking? Are they getting involved? They're watching what we were like It's bad I'm looking at folk that are sitting running about committing crimes I found out I'm just sitting in my boots, playing Minecraft at that age Running about with hammers, knives Trying to smash them They come in the fucking way That's not what you want to go to They want to be in the jail when you're like 18, 19 See these young ones now that you're sitting there at a control They'll take that for their places Don't use that You don't want to be in the jail at any point in time You know what I'm saying? But sometimes I get it Your circumstances Lead you to do certain things To be able to eat at night I think that's got a big impact I'm not going to sit here and be like There's always no big impact It's a big impact on everybody, to be honest It's a bad influence at the end of the day Folk just listening to the lyrics I wouldn't be like that But it doesn't work like that It does lead Behind the balaclavas These are just ordinary kids Looking for a way A better life How sure they were The drill music plays a part in gang violence But it was drill music How does that affect young people? How recent is this episode? I thought this was older Drill music is a type of hip-hop Known for its violence and dark lyrics And is often linked to gangs We have a strong drill music scene Already established in London The movement has travelled north to Scotland Bringing with it Roadman fashion We masks Hoodies And balaclavas And now, many Scottish artists Are adopting this style After my chat with the young team And pressing pans I'm keen to ask an actual drill artist How much blame The genre should take How do we feel about the current The current state of drill Was it on mute? Drill artist And start questioning them This is a music video shoot With a rapper called YD It's been directed by a videographer Who specialises in making drill music videos Called Iona Right Iona Hiya, how's it going? Nice to meet you Good to meet you Yes, is it all? Nice one Come and meet YD And see what the music video is all about I'm looking forward to it See y'all here collecting their bag Go ahead then The drill is definitely falling off It's all good Anybody who's really rapping And living what they're rapping They are locked up Um And like I don't know whoever I don't know if there's labels out there Or what's going on But they probably see It's a bad investment You make a drill song You get popping You stay in the streets You get locked up And that goes the money You put into that artist That's gone I'm gonna stay a few miles from this I'm gonna stay a few miles for the city centre Unfortunately I've seen drill music videos online Iona We've got Guys in balaclavas Drugs and alcohol Pitbull dug sometimes Even done up motors And a smurf When you're a 13, 14 year old Do you think you've got Enough mentality To be able to separate facts and fiction No, definitely not Especially when like We kind of glamourise it as well Like we're showing you a glamourous lifestyle With the cars The models The apartment It's a lifestyle that they want to get into They don't see the struggles of Having to go out to sell drugs Day 9, 24, 7 Don't see everything else That may come with it Do you have a feontaminative? No A lot of the guys have balaclavas And in the day They're buying a service for me I'm providing them A music video Yeah, she's getting money She's getting to She's getting to the money That's a very strong word I see it as a group of friends Like to find a gang Do you know what I mean? How can you call a group of friends a gang? What about women going to the bingo? Is that a gang? Do you know what I mean? Hey, listen She make a valiant point right there Are you back man? We're back We're sat down Good to meet you mate I want to find out If YD As a drill artist I think some music Can take any blame for violence There's a lot of focus on the negative aspects To drill music Violence, drugs Does the danger they see never worry you? Of course it does I think violence is becoming more of a trend Because it seems more Cool to be violent for some reason Why do you think that is? I hate to say it because I'm a drill artist But drill art is drill From London Influenced it a little bit Just You listen to these people The big artists in London They glorify that lifestyle And for kids like us In a seaside city I want to Let's get some clarification I don't think it's glorification In a lot of these cases Like I think this people just really telling you How they life was There's like therapy Now some of them people who really Ain't living like that Or really had never been a part of that situation Yeah you can consider it glorification But for the most part Like People who really have to live like that They know it's not nothing to glorify They know they're not proud of that You know what I'm saying They're trying to make a way out By telling you how it was Or how it is And if you're overly interested in it And you want to partake in it So be it With drugs and Nitties everywhere Junkies everywhere That's a different lifestyle It looks cool to us It looks interesting Music makes it seem like it's a good lifestyle It's definitely not It's definitely not sitting in In the freezing cold Or they try to find customers And people are bigger They're going in big chains And they think it's the way of life It's a real life It comes with a price He has had criminal convictions in the past Yes I do live a lifestyle That's not the best lifestyle But It's a lifestyle that I've been brought up in And if you've not been brought up in that lifestyle It's not a lifestyle you want to be living See what I'm saying Have you ever had any trouble at the police? In a police interview They well mention lyrics that Can be used in a song Or if something has anything to do with the case It can be brought up You've been in an interview As I personally interest Been spoken to by the police Nothing to be weird about music And they've quoted your lyrics back to you Yeah, but most interviews I'm in as no comment Sure, sure, sure Cool What is a gang? You too When they say Loch N's a gang It's a family It's more like We're all brothers You'd lose your life for your brother You'd leave yourself banked For your brother and that's what my gang is I think a lot of these young guys They mistake a gang for a family But the reality is That street family Is a dysfunctional family They've not always got your best interests at heart It's a seductive thing 100% a dysfunctional toxic family 100% that arrive you If they have that first opportunity Summarize portrait of what gangs are What that life is Isn't it a reality? Chatting them, bro Aye, aye Just meet me at walking garage About five, six o'clock So we'll be doing it Right, bro Love, love See if my pals actually woke up early We'd look all right It's always night time, man Fuck it I'm ready You see You've got your life here, gang Cause I mean And here I go Really listening to the lyrics What he trying to talk about And I will say If I was raping that song I'd give it like a three Be violent for your pals I'm no violent passion for niggas And if you cause violence, harm Or a threat to cause violence And harm to any me or my pals Then I would Bring out the fire Bring out the heat Bring out the heat And rise it and beat it No, it's okay, no, it's okay Violence isn't always a choice You know It seems like a choice You know, and it's easy for me To sit and say you know You choose to behave in a certain way That's like conduct I mean in a moment of energy As if you're standing with your pals And somebody comes up and starts to fight with you It's very difficult And that moment you're drain on With alcohol, with an audience To no be violent I was violent, you know That hang came a bad person No, I don't. But I was involved in a culture of violence, you know? Anybody can be violent in any situation. Thanks. And if you look at the situation these kids are in, light-whitey, you know? Violence is almost inevitable, something. Thanks. There's no doubt in my mind that alcohol played a big part in my own violent behaviour. That was me in high school, I'm 16, and then I bought a book first. Looking back, I live just as chaotic a life as white. You said that was him at 16, necking that bottle like that? That wasn't hard liquor, though. That was like wine or something. What was that? He beat us. A cider. I wanted to get an outside perspective on my past. So I've come back to my old school, Colbridge High, to meet the inspiration behind a major character in my book. My old head teacher, Mr. Ronson. I always described you as big, bright, and with a little bottle. I'm gonna be 100 with you. I can't go to my high school and point out one single teacher that gave me any type of life-changing advice, not one. For me, any of my teachers were not nobody I was looking up to. I felt like they was all there just to collect a check, and they wasn't there to make a difference in the kid's life, especially a kid like myself when I was a kid. So I'm glad he has this experience, though, for sure. And that could have gone either way, because you didn't step backwards too often, was my recollection, that you were quite keen to be in the front line if there was anything kicking off. And that, in some ways, is easier to handle, because you know what your actions are. He looked like, Oi, mate! Do we have a problem? We're going to be, but at the same time, you had an imposing presence as well that must have caused a bit of alarm to other children, I think. I was nervous a bit, and I had spoken to one of my older gang members pals, and he'd said, I can't, man. Anybody gives you any cheeks, man. And I wasn't nervous until I said that, because I kind of had me realised that I was going to get a bit of hostility as well, which did come, you know. My education was peppered with exclusions. I was out in first year on suspensions for silly stuff, and then, you know, it was a sliding scale that had become more and more serious. And it takes a real superpower to see beneath that. Like, a kid like me, like, I was like one of, in my particular high school, because I transferred to schools out of where I originally lived, so the high school I went to, it felt like I was the first African-American kid there that was not from a dual-parent household who didn't respect a male authority figure in his life. And they wasn't going for that. They thought the answer was in school, suspension, suspension, suspension, trouble, trouble, trouble. No, y'all just perpetuating the situation. Now y'all became the enemy. You know what I'm saying? Y'all went about it wrong. They probably have corrected it since, but I personally hate my high school. I can't stand it. Like, if I make it evenly, like the slightest bit of bigger on YouTube, and they're like, oh yeah, come back and talk to the school. I'm coming in with the worst reviews of this school, but I've also had that message, even with this being a very bad experience for me, from a, not from a social point, but from the teachers and that type of self-life, still turned out all right. I was leaving with four hires. They weren't any great hires, but I had any for English, and it was enough to get me to University of Stirling. Miss Patrick shouted me over, and she said, well done, young man. And she said, let me tell you a story. You don't realize that staff actually get the results a wee bit early. So we have a big meeting about it, and into the meeting came Mr. Lonson, and you put my results down, and you said, there's a boy you threw away, get an A for higher English. He's got a Stirling University. Now, you never knew I would know that. But let me tell you, my heart burst that day. I mean it. I was only 18-year-old, and I just, you built such value in me. I don't believe in myself, the fact that others see it. See what I'm saying? See what I'm saying? He's carrying this. He's a grown man now, and it still resonates with him. They didn't have that at my school, because he wanted to go, but he believed in kids. He believed, he understood them. Like he said, he's instilled value in that man. Nah, not at the school out there. What you think was life changing? You see, that's where I think you're too generous, because that was just the start of it. Because what you got was opportunity to go on for the next bit, and that's what I always say to folks. You can only deal with what you've got at the time and ensure that your part of it allows people to move into the next part of their life, and that's what we've got to transition them in. This is a W teacher. Where was he in my high school career? What was going on? So the next bit was incredibly hard, and don't undermine what you had to do to get to where you are. You know what? One thing I notice about people who really want to make a difference in their community, they take very little credit. You know, they're not doing it in a performative way. They say, you know, I saved that kid, and they're doing it because they truly believe it's the right thing to do. I gave them nothing to work with, you know? I gave them very little thanks at the time. It was a mistake in saving my life, but it did the enemy, you know? And that is true greatness. And that's what I'm saying. I didn't see no teachers like that that I came across. Not one. Now, I will say Mr. Chan, my history teacher, he was cool. He was even killed. He was Asian, man. He was even. So when I was coming in his class, when I was coming in his class, he wasn't making an uproar doing all this extra stuff, so it was like, all right, cool. Let me give him the, let me, you know, chill out. I didn't do the work. Like, he was cool. But that's the only teacher that I will ever, like, ever mention by name. Ever, the rest of them was just trying to keep a job, collected check, in my opinion. I think for me when I look back, no. Mr. Chan, though, good job, man. Good job at not being biased and not letting your, your opinions of kids play a factor in your job. You just came in that mug, did it. Never got an attitude. Never, you could never see any type of dismay on that mad face or nothing. Salute to that. I see a young guy who is looking for a father figure. I know my own father passed away when I was young. You know, masculine, it isn't self-taught. You know, it's taught by a father or a father figure. It's taught by older boys. You know, it was one of my friends that taught me to shave. And it was one of, you know, it was one of my pals. It was a tart man in the young team that took me for a pint in my 18th birthday. So they fell into the role of father, you know. Subconsciously, I'm sure they didn't think of that, but that was the reality. See what I'm saying? Once again, a father figure is very important in your life. It's highly important. Crazy, the things that we do for the kids. Y'all out there, if anybody's out there being a deadbeat dad, cut it out, man. No matter how much struggle your baby want to get, you go ahead and get in that child's life because it's your fault the way he's going to be or she's going to be when she grows up. It's you. You did it. The fiends he fathers. Same with a woman. If you keeping that man away from his child and giving him a hard time, relax. Because it's going to be your fault too. Sons and gangs as a surrogate family is very strong in one of my favourite films, Neds, by Peter Mullin, which was based on his own gang life. Don't do it, Ned! I want to find out how similar Peter's experience in gangs was to mine. So I've come to his home patch at Cardinal to get the lowdown. How you doing? I need to call you, Mr Mullin. Oh, well, if that's all right. If you don't mind. How did you get involved with the gang? My brother was already in them and then I wasn't. I was a good boy. And it's very much what happened in the film. So I'd met a guy, and he lived in the Porsche houses down there. One day, he went along, then his mum said he was there. Is Julian home? No, he's not here just now. Er... Do you know when he'll be back? He's at his aunt's, so he'll be late. And I looked up and he was at the window and I was really devastated. It was like, I don't get this. So on the walk back, I walked up here, which I'd never done before. And as I walked up, there was a big team of guys, and they were all playing in the swings and acting on Ned Lake. What happened, man? One of them recognised me and went to you, Lenny Mullin's brother. I took a chance to say his name and they shat themselves. And then one of them said, you should join us, and here, in this very swing park, was welcome, whereas that other world was rejecting me. So, John, you've beaten up yours? Who are you? What do you mean, who are we? Car Deaver, man. People sometimes say to me, what was your initiation into the gang? The initiation was you bought 10 flags, you bought a bottle of wine, you turned off your tracks, you were in? Totally. In my own case, I was in the gang, but I was a tourist. I was a wine carer. You know what I mean? I did my bit and I could talk a good game. And if the currency is violence, then you're all in trouble. But what attracts anybody to a gang is that sense of belongings, everything. We all know within our peer group, nobody's fucking perfect. It doesn't matter. It's our group. It's our gang. It's like a family. You can laugh at your family if nobody fucking else does. Yes. They spend facts right here. This is a good little documentary. Man's 30 or 40 years my senior, and he's telling the exact same story. And I hear kids in their teenage years seeing the same gang. Oh yeah, no, it never changes. It's a repeating cycle. Nothing's new when it comes to gangbanging or being in a part of a gang or anything. It's all the same. It doesn't matter where you are in the world. The origin story of a gangbanger is literally the same. Across the board. It changes. What fashion they're wearing really just comes and goes with the times. There's a universal truth about gangs. And it's in finding that that you find out and erupt them. You know how to stalk them. Gangs come from tough communities. Like Cardona, like here, like Coatbridge. And out of the heart of it is that until there's a plausible alternative for these kids in these communities, gangs will continue. They offer something that society doesn't offer. These are people who feel exquited. They feel neglected. In gangs, the togetherness, the belonging, the camaraderie of gangs becomes a street family. Not as a family. You know that it's dysfunctional and it harbors risk. But it seems worth it. Are these universal truths of gang life still relevant today? I'm back with Iona and YB and Lock End and Edinburgh as they film the final scene of their music video. And it looks like the rest of the troops have shown up. Can you get a bigger watch, by the way? Can you get a bigger watch, man? What a name it is. It's Aaron. That's him, bro. Bro, thanks for being nice, man. It's all good, man. It's all good. Right, but you said, and others have said, I know a gang. Some of your boys have said that, right? What is a gang? A gang, I don't know. I can't even put a finger to it. You just see your pals like fighting our gangs to her. That's what a gang is. It's a gang of other areas, but I wouldn't have called her as a gang. I could sit and tell you how long I've nervous one here for 10-plus years, most of them. So I wouldn't have called her as a gang. It's family. You said that it was her own family, and it's a bit of brotherhood, right? But see, an old wife is driving by, right? She sees all your boys with Balacorps, isn't it? It's not like that. I get it. I get that people would be intimidated by it. That's why I would never just walk around the streets where I'm at Balacorps. Nah. Nah. Nah, nah, nah. We'll be sure of that. For some reason, this dude is giving me a vibe. Like, he's portraying something that he's not. I could be wrong, but I don't know. We're, like, married in the middle age between that. Like, all of that is coming from the 16, 17-year-olds that were, like I said earlier, listening to the guy. Well, he might have been, but he's not 100%. He's not, like, listening to the drill and that. So that's where that comes from. It's starting to get a lot worse. Like, I've been wanting a name for myself. I've been wanting that life where I'm wanting to be the biggest gangster in Edinburgh and running out with the streets causing havoc and, like, that's just not what I want today anymore. But I'm at a stage where now I want to come away through that and just leave all the problems behind to start getting... And that's what it sounds more like. When he speaks regularly, it's coming off as I don't want to do this type of stuff no more. This is not who I am. So, okay, I feel it. I'm fucking money and I can't get... You over it. You've grown up. A life of nice house. Like I said earlier, a car. Being able to just live life, kick my feet back. About it? Just trying to make a life yourself? Mm-hmm. Trying to make a better life than that? That's fair. That we're parents, that's... Can you see how I do it? The street life. Mm-hmm. Nah, and I... If my music goes somewhere, I... If my music doesn't go anywhere now. Nah, is that a plan B? Got a job. Got a job? What kind of job? No, bro. It shouldn't be a plan B. When there's a plan B, your foot is not all the way on the gas on your first love on the plan A. Because you're like, man, I got a plan B anyway. I got a plan B. It's gonna be all right, man. I don't need this to... That's the mindset you're gonna have. I don't need this to be good, man. I got my plan B. It's for certain. Ain't no plan Bs. It's only plan A's for me. This is the plan. No choice. No other options. What kind of construction are you talking about? I wouldn't fucking like it, you know? If these kids in Barclavis are standing out in front of my house, would I enjoy that? Absolutely not, you know? Because, you know, I'm a law-abiding citizen, and it's intimidating for anybody, you know? And I've seen it with my own eyes. When people walk past these people, you know, they seem frightened and alarmed and probably right away, you know? All they see is a gang of thugs. I'm gonna keep it a buck with you. Right now, if I go outside in Florida, I'm talking right now. Even 10, like, seven years ago, right? If I go outside and I see a group of people, and it's just me keeping in mind. If I see a group of people, and they got on masks and things of that nature, I'm crossing the street. This is not about pride, you know what I'm saying? Let's be smart. I'm crossing the street. They could be Boy Scouts. But if they dress like that, I'm, hey, listen. Nah, not today. Today, I choose survival instinct. What you doing with it? You know, I'm crossing the street with it. You know, but actually, when you see a gang member and you see the community, you know, if there is an old person walking by, they'll move it to be, you know? There's a polite thing, you know, old-worldly in the subject gangs, you know? There's a kind of code of conduct, you know? The civilians, if you want to go that, you know? Gangs don't tend to attack just members of the community walking around, you know? That's true. They fight each other, they fight themselves. And I'm coming as a man who looks like this and, you know what I'm saying? It's like... If all there is is what I get in this next one... What? What? What? What? Sorry. You know, the concierge has been watching you and it's phoned the police. No problem. Thank you for informing us. You're not supposed to be up in that room. Sorry. We didn't want to cause anybody else harm, so... Letting players near the bin house. Sorry. Sorry. Whether they'll come or not. They didn't want to cause you a disturbance. We're not connected. Of course. It was a free TV licence. Old guy wants a TV licence. Come on, man, you know what I mean? Get in the community. What are you doing here tonight? I'm watching YD Filming's music video. Is he a part of yours? Yeah, he's a very close part. We grew up together. Do you feel part of their gang? Definitely, but when it comes to their violence, violence and stuff, no. But when it comes to them supporting me, 100%. So you feel safe around the boys, aye? 100%. They'll protect anyone around them as long as you're close with them and you're good to them, they'll protect you. Eating in office hours? Well, I go out in office hours. How's it going, girls? Iona. Yeah, they know it's a video shoot. They're gonna hop out of here. What's happened? The police have turned up, as always. The troops have scarfed up? Yeah. Just kind of killed the vibe in the mood for no reason. I mean, they'll say for no reason, but yeah. Cultural phenomena coming go. Right now, we've got thrill. We've got grime. We've got English rap. The reality is... Are a lot of stress, appreciation for the sir. The community's the same. It's the third time. Three months straight, PC. A lot of cool opportunity. What we've discovered is that these things will come and go. We're not blaming them. We're not pointing the fingers in. That's why gangs are here. We're saying, that's how it is right now. The reality is, the core truth behind all that is that these kids are neglected. They're left out of society. They're excluded on many, many levels. And it's that exclusion which creates a fair tile soil for gangs. That's what program one's all about. Fair tile soil. Next time, I'm in. No, no, no, no. I'm in next time, man. TLL, leave a like, comment, subscribe, turn on your post notifications. These are like my favorite ones, man. Honestly, anything with like, you know, G-A-N-G, I'ma spell it because I don't know what they beyond. It's easy to have a lot to say about it, man. TLL, leave a like, comment, subscribe. I'm gone now.