- I think people expect me to be quite strict.
- Yeah, you're not.
- And stuff like that, but I'm not really like that.
- Mum's more like the strict one, even now.
- There you go, it's on camera.
(laughs)
Documented.
(gentle music)
Growing up in London is definitely
a unique experience in the UK.
But then saying that, growing up in Peckham
is unique to the London experience.
It is important that I come here.
It's important that...
See what I mean I still communicate
with the people around here and whatever.
Just to keep myself grounded.
This is Peckham man, like this is home home.
The love that people have got for each other,
it's a community vibe here 100%.
So I like the fact that you know,
it's still kept some of those values.
What you saying
- I know your boy Ricky as well.
- Yeah yeah, cool.
- My brethren still.
- Yeah, see you later bro.
Peckham shaped the early stages of my life.
That's where I went to school first,
It's where I made my first friends,
and also where my family had started.
Well, this is my son by the way.
Paniro.
- Hi.
- Paniro Walters.
- He is my son, he's not my big brother.
- You know front line though yeah?
- Yeah I remember this area.
I remember this.
You shot the video round there innit?
- Alright, yes, so - Yeah, the video.
- When you was about two.
- Yeah something like that. - Two or something.
We shot a video right outside the library.
South side all stars.
Nicky S and Nike.
What did I have?
I had on a money T-shirt with the red sleeves
and my red do-rag.
- Yeah I remember that as well.
- And you were a baby.
You were in my arms.
This is where you used to go down.
If it was going down, this is where it would go down.
That off license there with the big E on it
is called Cracker Jack.
That was where stuff used to happen.
That's all I'm saying.
(laughs)
(piano music)
Peckham has always had that reputation of being,
you know, when it came to territories and whatever,
one of the hardest places.
So when I was growing up, there was none of this there.
But back in the day this was rough man.
- What, even this part here?
- Yeah.
I never saw it the way the rest of London
probably look at it.
It was home to me.
(ambient music)
There's a lot of really brilliant, talented people
that come from Peckham.
You got John Boyega.
You got Giggs.
All doing tremendously well.
So it wasn't just me that benefited
from the intense experience of living here.
And if you can see over there,
a yellow brick estate.
That's where I used to hang out.
And just a few people that I grew up with
used to live there so.
But it's one of the most infamous estates in Peckham.
(calm synth music)
But when I was growing up,
it was like you had to know the right people
to come in here.
You couldn't just come in.
Obviously being my age now, it's probably still
risky to be walking around here or whatever
but I spent many, many a days messing about round here.
It's just life man.
(calm synth music)
When I got into my early teens,
or maybe just a bit before
and I actually started hanging out on the ends,
I was kind of spending my weekends doing stage school.
I was in Sylvia Young,
doing tap, ballet, and stuff like that.
(laughs)
I led a double life.
You can see by the area straight away,
I mean, It's nothing like Peckham.
Do you know what I mean?
So just coming out and seeing the size of the buildings,
the suited and booted people walking up and down,
it's just different.
I don't know if you can see it from here,
that's what used to be Sylvia Young's.
It's where I developed my hunger.
You know what I mean?
My passion for what I do now.
You know, going to theater school at a really young age,
compared to my peers and people I was growing up with,
they never got those sort of experiences.
I had that added kind of push.
My mum, she was a huge inspiration for me.
- I knew Ashley was gonna be a success from very early on.
Whilst I wasn't really 100%,
even 50%, or even 30%
happy about you doing the Soul Solid stuff,
I knew you were talented in that as well.
(dead phone line buzzing)
(drum and bass music)
- Getting into Soul Solid
initially wasn't even about music for me.
It was about being a part of something,
and being able to identify with another group of people
that were the same.
To be fair, I was quite shy you know.
'cause what you gotta understand is,
everyone had grown up together.
So I wasn't a part of that
'cause I came from Peckham, and when I joined,
these guys had obviously all had years
of growing up together so.
I think it took me a while to kind of,
to warm into it.
You know what I mean?
- Do you remember that time?
(mumbling together)
- We were on a coach innit? On a coach.
And I was sitting next to him,
and the guy started freestyling,
just from the top of his head.
And I was like, "what?",
'cause I never heard him rap before.
And from that point,
I was like, "I'm rolling with you."
(laughs)
and we were writing together,
he was producing for me,
writing with me and stuff like that.
You know from that point, me and Swiss hit it off.
(synth music)
I grew up as a lonely child.
I think a part of me was always looking for
a family, or a gang, or siblings, or whatever.
But what I realized was, being around Soul Solid,
they were all very family orientated as well.
We all just wanted to make sure that
we were all alright together.
Battersea at that time, you know,
it was a home away from home.
- We come from a family kind of basis
when it comes to the people that we're around,
and the circle that we're in.
So we make everyone feel like they're home.
You come to our house, you eat Sunday dinner,
you meet our families.
Do you get what I'm saying?
And we treat you like family so,
hence the name Soul Solid.
- Every day, being in a part of Soul Solid,
and having so many people around you,
who were acting as role models,
mentors, friends, or whatever,
It's just all round a big important part of our lives.
- People still living here.
(laughs) Fucking hell.
- What floor was it?
- I think it was fourth floor or something.
- Ah I remember this block.
- Yeah.
So this is the block where the lighter from
radio station was.
I think it was on the fourth floor.
- Remember we were...
Obviously there was a garage scene before us,
but the music that we were doing
and how we were kind of changing it, it was new.
(synth music)
So what radio became for us was
a practice ground.
You were owning your craft all the time.
We could still be underground guys from Battersea now,
if we never started our own pirate radio station.
(synth music)
I think it's easy to trap yourself.
It's easy to feel like coming from
that socially kind of deprived place,
It's easy to feel negative all the time.
It's easy to feel like everyone's against you,
and the world's against you and whatever but,
actually I just wanted more.
(bass guitar music)
I've always understood the power of me.
(bass guitar music)
Being in the position I am.
(bass guitar music)
The legacy is about how many people you inspire really.
(bass guitar music)
That's a great thing to be a part of, that journey.
(upbeat music)
Having a dream, having a goal,
what you wanna make of your life or whatever is great,
but your foundation is your foundation.
(laughs)
That's what it's gonna prepare you for.
For all of the opportunities that you're given
in the future.
You always have to remember where you come from.
(disk scratch)