Real story A day in the life of Stokes Croft
One of Bristol’s most successful grime artists has spoken out against the gentrification of Stokes Croft. Here. he speaks to Neil Maggs and explains why he wants to tell what he describes as its “real story”
❝ Some say this is progress and on some level it is, I guess, but what about these other people? Where do they go? They just get moved on, but the problem doesn’t go away
Jay0117
JAY0117 is a grime artist who grew up in Stokes Croft. He has featured on BBC1-xtra, and has released a video for his new single, A Day in the Life, in which he drives through the main street.
The artist, whose real name is Jack Waters, says that some people view the area as “a rosy picture of a hipster student paradise”, but he says that is a false impression.
He says he wants to raise aware
ness of what he calls the “underbelly” of Stokes Croft – a reality of drug taking and homelessness that often gets overlooked.
Jay0117 is one of a handful of artists who have made a successful transition beyond the city in recent years. He is the first Bristolian to make it onto Lord of the Mics, a project by legendary grime artist Jammer, that sees grime stars ‘clash’ against each other.
It has launched some of the biggest artists in the UK scene, some of whom have broken into the mainstream, such as Wiley, Kano and Skepta.
The 25-year-old is a proud Bristolian and his lyrics and videos depict life in Bristol. He has sported a Bristol Rovers football top in one of his videos and one of his biggest tunes, Bristol City, describes life in Bristol today.
He wants to tell authentic stories about local people which he feels are currently missing in the city, where he believes a specific narrative and perception of what Bristol is dominates.
Spending lots of time in London, he is concerned the other side of life is not being reflected.
Jay0117 said: “A lot of people don’t see what Stokes Croft is. It’s seen as this hipster posh vegan place by day, and a Bristol University student party place by night.
“But that’s ignoring the reality of hundreds of drug addicts and homeless people around here. The underbelly of Stokes Croft.
“People are doing heroin, taking spice and drinking all day. People just walk by and ignore this.
“We have one of the biggest homeless shelters in Jamaica Street
rubbing shoulders with some of the poshest new buildings and cafes in the city. I want to remind people of that.”
In Jay0117’s new video, made by local videographer Patch De Salis, we see these people up close and personal. It’s an important reminder of life in an area which has seen lots of changes. “These are places in my life that are important, places where I grew up. But the voices of Bristol people are being drowned out a bit, so I’m trying to change that.
“I am showing a Bristol which gets pushed under the carpet. Stokes Croft is gentrified now, it’s happening, buildings are being knocked down and going up all around us. People are being pushed out,” he said.
Despite this, the local businesses which feature heavily in the video were very supportive of the aims.
Jay0117 said: “We approached local places like Blue Mountain Club, a mobile phone shop by the Arches, and some old cafes and filmed inside there. Patch put in some amazing creative input and ideas of how I could match the lyrics and tune to the images I was trying to talk about.”
The issues of homelessness around the area are well known, and the changing face of Stokes Croft is symbolic of wider changes in the city. This was something Jay0117 wanted to reflect.
He said: “There are new flats just down the road that will probably get bought up by rich families to put their kids in who go to Bristol University. It looks almost like a gated community.
“My music studio is in Stokes Croft and I see these rapid changes each day. In fact, I would say that it’s all the areas within a three-mile radius of the city centre. Places like Easton, Old Market, Stokes Croft, and of course St Pauls.
“Some say this is progress and on some level it is, I guess, but what about these other people? Where do they go? They just get moved on, but the problem doesn’t go away.”
Jay0117 is very mindful of the perception of grime music and how those outside the culture feel.
He said: “Yeah, I’m pretty sure, say, ‘Mary from Clifton’ will think grime is just a bloke talking about drug dealing, violence, and criminals. That we are unemployed types scrounging off the state.
“But actually it’s a real creative outlet. For me it’s about telling stories of unheard voices. A direct truth from a younger working class part of society that doesn’t get a platform. I write about what I see around me. Reality.
“So if they get all offended, it says more about them than me. How can you be offended by reality?”
Grime music does reach beyond its demographic, and increasingly connects to young people from more affluent areas. You only had to look at the crowd at Stormzy’s Glastonbury set to see the audience was mostly young and white.
So Jay0117 is mindful of this, and wants to bring people with him not shut them out. He is keen for ‘Mary from Clifton’ and certainly her children to engage with his message.
He said: “There is no benefit for all of us to ignore these issues. So I hope maybe people can lift them out of their rich bubble.
“I don’t have all the answers and am not a politician with concrete solutions, but I am raising awareness of something”
The video for Jay 0117’s new single A Day in the Life is available on YouTube. The Lord of the Mics clash featuring Jay0117 is available on DVD and to download from iTunes.
❝ People are doing heroin, taking spice and drinking all day. People just walk by and ignore this
Jay0117