Kidulthood: UK Grime, Jafaikan Rhyme

Kidulthood is described as a new kind of British film. Set to a blistering UK hip hop and grime soundtrack, the movie portrays 24 hours in the life of inner-city adolescents. Kidulthood, a harrowing, shocking story that finds humour in its narrative, claims to be based on real kids, real stories, and real life.

For 15-year-old Trife, a mixed race boy from west London, life is a day-to-day struggle. Trapped between the worlds of his school friends, the girl he loves, and the draw of his powerful and dangerous uncle, Trife must choose between the path he knows is right and a life of guns, drugs and violence that he has come to know only too well.

When a classmate’s suicide leaves Trife and his crew, Mooney and Jay, with the day off school it seems as though circles of violence may have finally come to a tragic conclusion. But in a world where sex is currency and violence is a way of life, trouble can never be too far around the corner.

Kidulthood claims to take you deep into London’s underbelly and delivers a gritty, hard-hitting reflection of what life is really like for 21st century teenagers.

Kidulthood is not about bad kids. Even the villain is clearly suffering from neglect and the absence of love. The heroes of the film are simply children in circumstances none of us would want to grow up in. Their reaction to those circumstances is not good. But it is what the culture around them encourages. The film gives a disturbing insight into the pressures that teenagers are under.

— British politician David Cameron

Kidulthood is written by former Doctor Who star Noel Clarke, who also plays baseball bat wielding villain Sam in the movie. According to Noel "The film touches a nerve. It’s on the pulse of what’s happening in society right now with young people. How they behave and what they do. Kids these days are growing up too fast. It’s accelerated because of technology and the media.The film shouldn’t shock people because it’s in the newspapers every day! It’s constant. It doesn’t show anything that isn’t happening. I was collecting articles for a year or so about teenagers getting up to bad stuff. There’s at least three or four a week. It’s rife. I bet if I looked in the paper today there’d be something about it. We can wear all the wristbands we want for bullying — or whatever — but that’s not going to stop it. What will stop it are people becoming aware of the situation. Society has encouraged the film because bullying in schools, kids in ‘hoodies’ and ‘happy-slapping’ — whatever you want to name it — is happening already. The film is highlighting that. It’s not promoting. It’s not justifying. It’s not offering answers. It’s simply saying: 'this is going on. Deal with it.' A lot of people might see Kidulthood as controversial but it is not meant to be, my main aim for the film was for it to be as true to life as possible."

Noel Clarke

Noel Clarke was presented with the Achievement in Screenwriting for Film/TV Award for his screenplay for Kidulthood at last year's Screen Nation Awards. Aml Ameen, who plays Trife, was nominated in the emerging talent category.

The Language of the Streets	Translation
Shank	Knife
Strap	Gun
Whip	Car
Butters	Ugly
Jacked	Robbed
Blood	Brother / friend
Endz	Area
Kotch	Hang out
4-1-9	Fraud
Neeky	Geeky
Chattin' fraff	Talking rubbish
Bare	A lot / many
Merk	Kill / beat
G'd up	Grassed up (betrayed)
Yard	House
Shook	Scared
Greezy	Good
5-O	Police
Feds	Police
Sick	Cool

Safe, man. You lookin buff in dem low batties. Dey's sick, man. Me? I'm just jammin wid me bruds. Dis my yard, innit? Is nang, you get me? No? What ends you from then? If this language sounds familiar, the chances are you're from inner-city London, where a new multicultural dialect is emerging... One schoolteacher has used the term "Jafaikan" to describe the new language.

— The Guardian

Have you seen Kidulthood? Is the film an accurate portrayal of British street culture, or is it a glorification of violence?

The movie really did reveal the kinda stuff that happens daily. People jus think about their crews when there's more to life u know? On a monthly basis u hear of boyz gettin stabbed and dying cause of crew rivalry. I'm 15, sum ppl sey what do u know. Still, good movie, I hope it touched a lot of ppl cuz it certainly did me.

— Simone

Safe film m8. Iz exacly wat hapnz. Im 16 n i c this lot hapnin all ova London. Iz a great film, every1 shud c it!!! Had 2 stop me m8 from getin into a fight with a crew coz he wud hav gt merked.

— Nik GDH Crew

This film is exactly d fing I see and go thru every day, Im 15 an the film is exactly how it is here in London. My frend nrly got killed recently and this film rly gave me a wakeup call to get out of it before I hurt anyone or anyone hurts me or some1 close. I think every1 shld watch this film, its well buff an its tru.

— Lisa

I'm a 16 year old boy who used to go to school in a rough neighbourhood. I am in a wheelchair so I can relate to Katie, although I would never commit suicide. The violence in the movie is truthful, and I can say this because I am the same age as the characters. The bit where they have the fight and Trife dies is so close it actually made me go wow!

— Danny

I see Kidulthood as a wake up call to everyone. Everyone is now starting to see what is going on in this world.

— Jessie

I haven’t seen the movie but it seems to have a good concept. The world has to see what teenagers these days are tempted to do.

— Christiana

Kidulthood was a wicked film. It really bought out the truth. I think everyone should see it as it really is a film that could make a change. I just wanna say that Aml Ameen is really fine and to die for.

— Rajia and Jessica

Kidulthood is da worst movie 4 youth, it glorifies sex and violence. I watched it up 2 da middle, n da holy spirit sed stop. It was digustin leadin young people in 2 lust and perversion. It doesn't have 2 b a Christian movie 2 promote values and morals, but dis was jus sick. Watch it on a regular, and see da change in ur mindset and eventually ur
lifestyle. U may say Kidulthood is jus bein real, ok, I'm from south London, n yeah straight up dis kinda fing happens everday, but people have sex everyday as well but does dat mean a porno film is ok, no. It's fine 2 b real, but b careful how it's done.

— Star

Kidulthood was a good portrayal of how London iz 2day. I grew up in Tottenham n now liv in Hackney n u c exactly d same stuff as wat u c in Kidulthood so it aint tryna glorify violence. Ppl jus duno how uva ppl r livin n dis film is hopefuli d 1st of many 2 sho ppl wats goin on n dat it aint al la di da. Noel Clarke did a good job n hes sexyyy too ;-P Kidulthood’s a good film wi good actors.

— Gem

We think Kidulthood is a brilliant example of what happens every day in some countries. We’d rate it 4/5, it’s a great film, we loved it.

— Brodie 'n' Jodie

Nah mate, Kidulthood is a phat film, it's one of my favourites. It is quite realistic but real life ain’t quite that bad! It's a phat film n if you're thinkin of watchin it, I say go for it!

— Danny

This film is sound, u can’t beat it. Best film I’ve seen this year! I watch it all the time and recommended it to all my mates. Even though it happens every day u wouldn’t think ppl our age do such hardcore drugs.

— Tez

Kidulthood is raw man, this is a hot movie, this is something new. It shows how teenagers live these dayz in England. 5***** film seriously.

— Kyle

4 real, dis filmz amazin. I aint neva sin nufink lyk dis b4 coz its so realistic 2 hw lyf iz 4 16yr olds lyk me in east LDN!

— Alex xXx

This is da best film ever. I grew up in bad areas and this is just like it. Love it!

— Endz South

This film is greezy... words can't describe it!

— Ama

Love this film! Watched it bare times. Everything that happens in the film actually happens on the street and I think people can relate to that! I’m the same age as the people in the film and I think its a real eye opener! Gotta Love It!

— Kelly

Kidulthood is a sick film and I thought about life and wot I’m doin to myself the day I watched Kidulthood. I have merked a few people l8ly but I’ve stopped doin a little bit now because I bin frew the consequences. Kidulthood is a 5***** film if you ask me.

— Dom C

I only 11 but bare bad like smokin weed and stuff but Kidulthood is real like it is wid me m8s and me and I da youngst in the crew.

— Ben

Yes yes I love Kidulthood, never stop watching it, but the onli thing is where Sam kills Trife it made me well sad. Well hope der is another good film like this.

— Young T

Kidulthood is a sick film, best film goin man. Deffo showed me how teenagers these days live in England. I give it a 5***** str8 up! If any ones thinkin of watching it go for it. Hope there’s a 2nd one!

— Bexie

People say Kidulthud glorifies violence but I don’t agree. The last scene I don’t think glorifies violence at all. In all places u get the same characters, I’m from Gloucester and the characters you can pick out in ur own area. Yes this film has sex/drugs/violence and bullying but doesn’t evry area? Maybe this film can show what happens when things can get outa hand yano?

— Glosta Gurlie

Wat a film, dat is one of da best movies of 2 double 0 6! Brap!

— Shamoo

Yes blood dis film is f-ing mint innit. Evry1 shud see it. Evry1 gets merked in dis film. If u r sayin dis film is crap den ur chattin' fraff.

— Campbell

I loved Kidulthood. It’s bare gd and can teach kids wots happenin on the streets. I like it as well as it has fit boi Aml Ameen hu plays Trife n he’s bare gd in The Bill as well as Lewis. The film iz gd as well as it shows u all the stuff wot can happen in a day. Nebody hu seen the film needs 2 read the book as well coz thts gd.

— Vicki

Diz film iz bad an itz tru as well. Da film iz heptik. I watched it bare tmz.

— Stacii

Kidulthood

It’s just another day at school for teenagers Trife, Jay and Moony: beatings in the classroom, sex on the playing field and drugs in the schoolyard. But things are about to flip sharply for this tight trio and their crowd. With school cancelled following the tragic suicide of bullied pupil Katie, the teenagers are all forced to face their own responsibilities and blame for the situations they have got themselves into. Shot on the streets of west London, Kidulthood is a realistic expose of contemporary teenage life. The movie combines a love story, rites of passage and a revenge story with a tragic ending.

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