London | Huck
Huck

London

Person in hooded jacket holding microphone in dimly lit room with purple and blue lighting, industrial ceiling visible above.

How teaching in prisons and a new mixtape is inspiring UK rap innovator Jords

Inside tracks — Two years since releasing his sophomore album Dirt In the Diamond on the legendary Motown Records, the South London MC returns with Mixtape J – a bold, independent, 10-track statement. We caught up with him to talk about the new project, his creative process and running writing workshops in UK prisons.

  • Huck 82: The Music Issue
  • Niall Smith
Woman in black hoodie and olive green trousers crouching against white backdrop, hand raised to head, looking upward.

Manami: “Stereotypes were so strong growing up in the UK”

East and Most — Ahead of her headline slot at Huck’s Issue 82 launch party, we checked in with the bass music shapeshifter to hear about her confident style and the rising ESEA creative movement in the UK.

  • Music
  • Isaac Muk
Man in denim jacket standing at conference table surrounded by seated colleagues in business attire in restaurant setting.

Munya Chawawa launches new initiative Black Boys Theatre Club

BBTC — The comedian will lead trips for young Black men to watch stage shows, and provide behind the curtain glimpses to the creative industries.

  • Culture
  • Isaac Muk
Green Victorian police box on urban pavement with people nearby, surrounded by trees and buildings with road signs visible.

London’s green cabmen’s shelters are filled with history. What does their future hold?

Green oases — For the city’s taxi drivers, the shelters offer a spot to rest, recharge and fill themselves at a reasonable price. But with London’s ever-shifting transportation landscape, the huts could become collateral damage, reports Fred Garratt-Stanley

  • Culture
  • Fred Garratt-Stanley
Event poster with black and yellow text on beige background, man with dreadlocks smiling on right side wearing camouflage jacket.

We’re hosting a party in Shoreditch, and you’re invited

The Music Issue Celebration — Taking place at the Photobook Café on October 22, there will be DJs, drinks and a special Q&A with cover star Kojey Radical and High Vis frontman Graham Sayle.

  • Huck 82: The Music Issue
  • Ella Glossop
Asian man with moustache sitting in wooden chair against black background, wearing white waistcoat and shorts, tattoos on legs.

“An Asian rapper? It feels like an impossible reality”: Jianbo on doing it for the family

East x South East — As the pandemic drove a wave of ESEA xenophobia, Jianbo realised that he couldn’t pretend to be anything other than himself. Zing Tsjeng sits down with the South London MC – vanguard of a burgeoning creative movement.

  • Huck 82: The Music Issue
  • Zing Tsjeng
Black and white image of two people in dark clothing posing closely together indoors, with a decorative bust visible on the left.
© David Koppel

The abandoned church at the heart of London’s ’80s nightlife

Limelight — Set on Shaftesbury Avenue, the club was a weekend destination for the city’s celebrities and stars, but also folks looking for a good night out. In-house photographer David Koppel’s new book and exhibition revisits its heyday.

  • Culture
  • Miss Rosen
Woman with surprised expression next to person in red cap, surrounded by crowd at nighttime event.
© Tony Davis / Museum of Youth Culture

World’s first youth culture museum is opening in London

Music, subculture and style — The Museum of Youth Culture will be opening in Camden in December, with 6,500 sq ft of space.

  • Culture
  • Isaac Muk
Large screen displays stylised illustration of two figures with orange skin, blue eyes, red lips, and dark hair. Performer on stage below.
© Luke Dyson

Together for Palestine was a celebration of solidarity, art and life

Unity and protest — Part gig, gallery, stage show, poetry reading and demonstration, Together for Palestine felt like a unique beacon of hope and solidarity, even if the bigger picture remains horrific.

  • Activism
  • Isaac Muk
Overhead view of person in white apron and dark clothing holding mop on wet grey floor with scattered pink stains and white drain grate.

Kojey Radical will never look down

More than a rapper — From his days skating around East London and charming local grassroots venues, the multitalented emcee, poet, singer and visual artist has emerged as a one-of-one creative force and storyteller. On his latest album Don’t Look Down, he continues to lay his own path.

  • Huck 82: The Music Issue
  • Joseph ‘JP’ Patterson
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