If grime is the soundtrack of London street culture, Air Max is the uniform
- Text by Shelley Jones
Filmmaker Grace LaDoja explores the relationship between grime and Nike Air Max in a new mini documentary featuring pioneering artists and upcoming new MCs.
Air Max – The Uniform features interviews with Boy Better Know’s Skepta and Shorty – icons of grime’s first wave – as well as new kids on the scene like Novelist, Elf Kid and Deejillz from South London crew The Square.
The doc explores how the sound and style of London street culture evolved in a unique way, far from America’s gratuitous influence. “It’s not like rap where you have to make everything flashy,” says Novelist. “You just do your own thing.”
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
“Like skating an amphitheatre”: 50 years of the South Bank skatepark, in photos
Skate 50 — A new exhibition celebrates half a century of British skateboarding’s spiritual centre. Noah Petersons traces the Undercroft’s history and enduring presence as one of the world’s most iconic spots.
Written by: Noah Petersons
The utopic vision of Black liberation in ’60s & ’70s jazz
Freedom, Rhythm & Sound — As Pan-African optimism spread across the world in the postcolonial era, Black-led record labels gave artists space to express themselves away from the mainstream. A new book collates 500 groundbreaking albums and their covers.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Analogue Appreciation: Wesley Joseph
Forever Ends Someday — In an ever more digital, online world, we ask our favourite artists about their most cherished pieces of physical culture. Today, visual and sonic shapeshifter Wesley Joseph.
Written by: Wesley Joseph
The suave style and subtle codes of gay San Francisco in the ’70s
Seminal Works — Hal Fischer’s new photobook explores the photographer’s archive, in which he documented the street fashion and culture of the city post-Gay Liberation, and pre-AIDS pandemic.
Written by: Miss Rosen
In photos: Columbia Hike Society turned a laundrette into a gear hub
Dirtbags — It kicked off the initiative’s latest season, which will feature 30 guided treks across the UK in 2026, with cleaning and repair stations, and upgrades to well-worn tech.
Written by: Noah Petersons
The Strokes condemn US imperialism in Coachella set
Oblivius — The band finished their performance at the festival’s second weekend with a montage of bombings in Gaza and Iran, along with images of world leaders that the CIA has been accused of overthrowing over the past century.
Written by: Noah Petersons