The 4 of us are interconnected in so many different ways that it is mad to think that this is the first time we have all been in the same space. Jumpin Jack Frost, Sheldon Thomas, and Junior Smart and myself have all come together to get our voices out there. We met on the Boat Pod, which has been created by the epic Sophie Callis, who has converted the family Barge that is situated by Paddington Train station to create a space where people can be creative, and get their voices out for the world to hear.
And so the Frost Report Episode 4 was creating.
I have watched what Sheldon is doing for some time. I have challenged some of his thoughts but once you sit down and chat with him…. he is a truth teller…and I like that. I see a man with a good heart and a voice. Sheldon is old skool in every sense of the way and talks about the 80s Brixton riots in a way that will make you feel like you are there. I was born in 1980…. I say this to show the gap and overlap of our worlds. Sheldon has gone on to form Gangs line and use his lived experience to make change.
I know Junior and have been working alongside him for some time. We met for the first-time delivering training and it just worked. He was my mentor at the start, although he will hate me saying that, and he still is in some ways. We share a love of music, and you may find us driving though central London with Jungle music pumping out the windows on a hot summer day if you look hard enough. Junior has experienced the world we talk about in his own way through his own lens. And…. Junior set up St Giles SO project and used lived experience to make change.
Growing up…I was a raver. Man…I loved a rave. I loved everything about it and still feel that rush when I hear certain tunes. I would listen to pirate radio a lot and this is where I first found Jumpin Jack Frost. Passion FM (Or Lightning FM…. depending on your age lol) is where I found my fist true love…. Jungle music. I attended One Nation and Jumpin Jack Frost was the reason I was there. Burial played that night and if I play that tune and close my eyes…I am there….
Raving was my safe place. I could go to a rave and just be me. I would leave my people and just bounce off into the crowd and dance. I didn’t have to think…. plan…fight.
Jungle music…the old skool stuff…is still my happy place. And JJ is part of that. And he set up The Frost Report to use his lived experience to make change.
I hope you can see a theme here.
The Frost report recording you are about to listen to is deeper than I can put into words. Each one of us involved has been directly affected by youth violence and violence on taking place in our communities in general. And us recording when we did and how we did was very fitting to in terms of the message the 4 of us are trying to get across.
So please…. get comfy…close your eyes…and come on a journey with 3 of the greatest men that I know.