With an apparent increase in the popularity of podcasts, a number of platforms dealing with different angles of UK street culture have risen up. Here are 10 authentic UK street podcasts for you to check out!
WINNERS TALKING
YT Channel: Winners Talking Podcast
Like a few other podcast hosts on this list, Pound Sterling and Doug are both certified street guys who have also made their own contributions towards developing the foundation of UK street rap. Now a bit older, firmly away from the street activity, and largely focused on building sustainably and responsibly, their tone on the show really projects a welcome air of maturity. The guests they bring on are often successful individuals from the culture with familiar faces, and the genuine respect and appreciation shown towards each guest creates a positive atmosphere, conducive to good banter and great conversation. Everything about the Winners Talking Podcast, from Pounds' unapologetic approach to Doug's infamous mid-show toilet breaks, cries "authentic", and gives off "chilling with da mandem" vibes.
Notable Episodes:
- 'Episode 15' featuring Richard Blackwood
- 'Episode 58' featuring Giggs & Buck
- 'Episode 16' Christmas Special: Emergency Alpha Meeting
BIG EGO PODCAST
YT Channel: Big Ego Media
Bobby Kasanga grew up in Peckham and is a former member of the notorious Peckham Boys gang. He started Big Ego Media in 2015, right after being released from prison that same year, having served 8 years for multiple armed robberies. The Big Ego Podcast is a compilation of captivating interviews with all kinds of individuals. Naturally, many of the guests on the podcast are South London street figures with movie-like life stories, but there is also vast selection of interviews with musicians, entrepreneurs, athletes, personalities and more. To hear more about Bobby's fascinating story I'd recommend checking out his interviews on Winner's Talking and RTM.
Notable Episodes:
- Loons interview: "I was stabbed 13 times and shot"
- Mowgz interview: "I was on road since 13 years old. Been stabbed and shot"
- RV interview: "Most of my opps used to be my friends..."
THE PERSPECTIVE PODCAST
YT Channel: Amarudon TV
Amaru Wilcox is a Senior A&R Consultant at Polydor Records and a freelance Cultural Brand Consultant with deep ties to the UK street music scene. His impressive resumé includes a long list of interviews with global superstars from the States, such as Janet Jackson, ASAP Rocky and J Cole, just to name a few. However, his platform Amarudon TV has largely proven to be a gift to the UK, with 'The Perspective Podcast' containing some of the most insightful and well-conducted interviews with UK artists that our scene has to offer.
Notable Episodes:
CONVERSATIONS WITH A RISK TAKER
YT Channel: Members Only Network
Armani has made his presence felt within UK street culture since 2016, when the Take Risks brand first began to be spotted on the UK street music scene in form of Take Risks & Prosper clothing. Now along with his successful clothing company, he has broadened the reach of his brand with his podcast, 'Conversations With a Risk Taker'. The first episode dropped on Christmas of 2020, and since then the show has been on a roll - literally. The podcast is recorded in a blacked out Sprinter van, or as Potter Payper so eloquently put it, "a f***ing state of the art mobile rassclart 'Risk-Mobile'." Most of the guests will have known Armani from before the podcasts via his clothing line, so the conversations generally come across as natural and comfortable.
Notable Episodes:
REALER THAN MOST PODCAST SHOW
YT Channel: RTM Records
Both Young Spray and Queen IceCream are directly linked to the UK street music scene. Most notably, Young Spray was a defining member of the pioneering music collective 'North Star' before he went on to pursue a solo career, officially coining the phrase "Realer Than Most" on his legendary 2007 mixtape, which goes by that title. While Spray has been on a legitimate path for a while now, he is open about his criminal past, and his credibility and links to significant street figures is verified and well-documented. He is visibly undergoing a journey of personal growth ... and often uses his platform to encourage his viewers, particularly the younger ones, to embark on their own journey towards progress. Spray holds real conversations, often times with individuals hailing from similar circumstances as the ones he had to face. His co-host Queen IceCream brings a welcome feminine perspective, as a woman and a mother from North West London, who is well connected to UK street culture and familiar with the realities of street life.
Notable Episodes:
NO BEHAVIOUR PODCAST
YT Channel: No Behaviour Podcast
Margs originally made a name for himself as one of London's top street artists in the mid-noughties and early 2010's, as a part of the East London based rap collective, Mashtown. His co-host, Loonz, never rapped but can be spotted in music videos and heard hosting Mashtown mixtapes. After Margs made a few appearances on popular podcasts such as 3 Shots of Tequila and HalfCast Podcast, he began to formulate a plan for developing his own. He ultimately decided to approach his good friend Loonz to be his co-host and together they made the No Behaviour Podcast. The show often has guests but is definitely one of the few street podcasts that can comfortably hold its own with just the hosts bantering and naturally conversing. With both hosts having spent so much time on the roads (and some time imprisoned) their stories and perspectives really draw in the average listener, who in most cases will not have been exposed to their realities. And for those who are familiar with that lifestyle, the show may be even more entertaining as you compare life experiences and relate.
Notable Appearances/Episodes:
PRISON PODCAST
YT Channel: Delinquent Nation
SP originally started his broadcasting journey with prison interviews, literally recorded from the inside, while serving a 10 year prison sentence for robbing betting shops. He was released from prison in 2020 and continued to interview ex-convicts in an effort to share their stories and humanise those who are often demonised and misunderstood. He was motivated to present an authentic and balanced narrative after watching "Ross Kemp Behind Bars", which he found to be unrealistic and agenda driven.
Notable Episodes:
DA BRIDGE PODCAST
YT Channel: Da Bridge Official
Da Bridge Podcast is a platform where artists and street figures of the Islamic faith tell their life stories and discuss aspects of their spiritual journey. The platform is unique in that it not only brings context to how each guest got tied up in street activity but also highlights the realness of the internal struggles that take place once one knows the righteous way to live. Both Abdul Lateef and Imam Shakeel conduct each conversation with genuine interest, empathy and respect for where each individual is currently at in their lives, while still encouraging further progression. Abdul, originally from Deptford in South East London, has faced his own trials and has alluded to spending some time inside, but is now the owner of a successful construction company as well as this up and coming podcast. Imam Shakeel is a leader, particularly in South London's islamic community, who is familiar with some of the most notorious and respected street figures and has played a monumental role in drawing as many as possible closer to the deen and away from street crime, gang activity and violence.
Notable Episodes:
DMC PODCAST
YT Channel: DMC PODCAST
"DMC" stands for Deep Meaning Conversations, which pretty much sums up the podcast. Rebels grew up in North West London, and while he makes no claims to have ever been about the street life, he is certainly familiar with it as he grew up surrounded by it. His approach to each interview has a refreshing level of curiosity compared to other platforms where the interviewer may already know the guest or can fill in certain blanks if they came from a comparable walk of life. Rebels has interviewed (reformed) shooters, drug lords, pimps, and even has an interview with a police officer AND the man who shot him.
Notable Episodes:
- Frenzo Harami: Being a pimp, Lifestyle vs religion...
- Kieran Proverbs: First gun at 13, enemy visited hospital bed to finish him off...
3SMOKE PODCAST
YT Channel: 3Smoke Podcast
The 3Smoke Podcast features a range of guests from all over UK street culture, and although it's not always the baitest names on the show, their content is historically rich and does a great job in bringing context to how the culture evolved to where we currently stand. Millywayne, one of the two hosts, is a pioneer of UK street rap, originally making a name for himself as IllMill, a well known member of the South Man Syndicate (SMS).
Notable Episodes:
