Top Boy

Top Boy has got me hooked and I have been watching since Monday while this four part drama unfolds.  It has been on every night of the week so far and tonight is the Top Boy finale.  The acting and the story line is on point, they are showing real life in the poorest of neighbourhoods in London.  A part of London which most of us like to forget exists is now on TV for everyone to see.  This is what happens everyday people hustle to make money and 'yes' people take drugs, lie and kill for money.

This show has shown what people do to get to the top and how 'growing too big for your boots' can have negative effects.  It shows the black on black crime which is committed by gangs and little youths being groomed to sell drugs for the sense of belonging and being part of a family. 

This is London and this is how people live but what it doesn’t show is how can we prevent this from happening and how can we get our youth to aspire to be more (I know I’m jumping the gun as I haven’t seen the final episode).  I have been reading tweets and facebook comments and people are taking sides rather than saying 'wow' what a pointless way to live.  I don’t think the show is purposely glamorising the lifestyle but a part of me thinks that some kids are viewing it in that way.

It is enforcing stereotypes of a community which is working so hard to leave the negative stigma around it behind.  Why should everyone view young kids from ethnic minorities as trouble.  I live in a white area and am a hard working young Asian adult, but a part of me feels, I wonder if they label me like the others, I wonder if they view me as a young brown adult who makes trouble.  People who know me are fully aware that this is not the case, but strangers I feel may stereotype me into a bracket.  The Asian community has been tarnished and viewed as terrorists; drug dealers etc and I don’t like that.  This show I feel does the same and gives narrow-minded people an excuse to label us and enforce their own stereotypes of us.  Like Tu Pac said 'young black male misunderstood'.  Why can’t we have young actors from ethnic minorities showing a positive side of our community, something that shows how successful we are as communities and as people.   

At no point am I trying to take away from this drama as I have enjoyed watching and feel the talent on this show is amazing.  Been following Ashley Walters acting career for a while now and enjoyed his other films such a Bullet Boy, Life and Lyrics, get rich or die trying etc...  Also a fan of his music, So Solid Crew were the biggest group around when I was in 6th form and Kano has also done a brilliant job in this drama and shown he can act as well as rap. I have all my Kano albums and am a fan, I do like what they have done here but I wish it could show a positive side to young adults in ethnic communities. 

I fully understand why they have made this show because these issues need to be addressed and not brushed under the carpet.  One of the lines from the show was 'if we don’t make any noise they don’t care' and this is the case.  As a society we need to address how these people are living and where they are living.  Many say that the benefits system does too much but like this drama shows it obviously doesn’t do enough where it would really matter.  We have allowed this ghetto’s to take shape and we wonder why people steal or want to make some quick cash.  As much as I would like to see some dramas that show us in a positive light, I am not against these dramas that show real life if it opens up people’s eyes to what is actually occurring in our capital and on our streets.