Time to deal, innit bruv

Welcome to Summerhouse, fam. Here, food (the kind you smoke) is sold on the streets by 10-year olds, snakes (traitors) get stabbed and adults run farms (not the kind that grow fruit and veg). In the shadow of the mighty Canary Wharf, this Hackney estate is the centre of Dushane and Sully’s drug dealing business. And they are expanding. Ra’Nell is a local 13-year old who has to live alone and fend for himself whilst his mother is in a mental hospital. With his friend Gem, they get sucked into the gangs and violence of the streets.

... a large part of the storyline consists of rude boys dealing or killing people

Written by Ronan Bennet, Top Boy can basically be described as The Wire meets Weeds meets Skins. This Channel 4 drama attempts to give an accurate portrayal of life on the East London estates. It touches on themes such as single parenthood, gangs, drugs and violence, temptation and the desire to make something of yourself. This depiction is a little too dramatized and oversold when crime has been reduced massively in Hackney. The police (the mighty feds) are mentioned but are mostly absent and no one gets arrested, slightly unbelievable when a large part of the storyline consists of rude boys dealing or killing people. You would also expect the characters to show some common sense which clearly isn’t always the case. Some of them seem to forget the existence of their mobile phones, especially in desperate situations. But I guess that’s mainly for dramatic effect. The show, however, does give some insight to outsiders, with the kids working on the streets and broken families.

Top Boy, luckily, isn’t all seriousness. By the end of the four episodes, you will be fluent in gang slang and understand the ins and outs of running a drug dealing business. Don’t get too inspired. Amidst the tragedy, comedy is always around the corner, for example watching 13-year olds trying out their flirting skills. The characters are either endearing or on the brink of psychopathic madness. The camera work is brilliant, showing stunning views of London and maintaining an intimate vibe throughout. In addition, the music is simply incredible. There is no other way of describing it. The show is worth watching if only to listen to the soundtrack. So go for a trip into the dark dealings of East London and watch Top Boy, it comes highly recommended.