Backstage With… Big Narstie on new TV show Jungle where ‘drill music is presented to you as art’
With traditional channels and streaming services all constantly creating new content in a bid to win viewers, it’s not often that something genuinely unique hits our screens.
But new series Jungle is doing something different – it’s a musical which uses drill and rap – think Tinie Tempah rather than Julie Andrews, and as well as sounding great, it has a highly stylised look, set in a near futuristic neon London.
The cast is made up of musicians, many of them already well known, like Big Narstie, who told Sky News’ Backstage Podcast that the show is giving rappers a platform that they’ve not had before.
“It’ll be the first time you’ve seen drill music presented to you as art,” he said.
“Remember, most of the drill artists are just raw talent compared to other genres where they have specialists behind who can turn their raw talent into art, into an actual piece of material.”
Referencing his own behind-the-scenes team who have helped Narstie on his path to success, he says he’s aware that he’s one of the lucky ones.
“A lot of drill artists, they haven’t had half the chance to have any of [these] type of structural things,” he said.
“These are young deprived kids who just spoke their emotion and people listened.”
Pic: Amazon Studios
Pic: Amazon Studios
With Jungle available to watch on streaming service Prime Video, it’s bound to see drill reaching a new audience as it’ll be available to viewers whether they are fans of the genre or not.
Narstie says he’s proud to be involved with the series, telling Sky News: “I’m just humbled to be a part of the legacy tree.
“Legacy is important to understand, where it comes from… and to be a part of the process on the way up when this music is starting to actually make its roots [to] get into the soil of life – I’m down for that.”
The show follows two young men who want to change their lives, but are forced to confront the consequences of their actions.
Big Narstie says his part in it, as a gang member, is only small, but that he loved filming it.
Slim played by RA and Gogo played by Ezra Elliott. Pic: Amazon Studios
“We only had a short period of time to get it done, but I couldn’t stop laughing, I just couldn’t stop laughing,” he said.
“So the producers was getting the right hump, but I couldn’t stop laughing because of what the characters of the police officers had to say.
“So as much as I was irritating everyone because I couldn’t stop laughing, you got to big up the scriptwriter man, because it was bloody funny.”
It’s not the rapper’s first acting role – he’s previously appeared in Anuvahood and the last movie in the Foot Soldier franchise.
Describing himself as a “fat Wesley Snipes” the musician admits he’s keen to do more, but joked: “I need to do a real powerful romcom where I can scream through a letterbox.”
Jungle is out on Prime Video now – hear our review on the latest episode of Backstage – the film and TV podcast from Sky News.
Entertainment
Snoop Dogg becomes co-owner and investor of Swansea football club saying it’s ‘an underdog just like me’
Police are taking no further action over Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury.
Officers said they had investigated “comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecap’s performance” at the festival on 28 June.
However, after Crown Prosecution Service advice, they decided there is not enough evidence “to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”.
The Avon & Somerset force started investigating the Irish group’s show last month, as well as comments by punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.
It said they were looking at a possible public order incident.
Police said on Friday that the investigation into Bob Vylan’s performance was ongoing.
The London duo were widely criticised – and caused a BBC crisis – after leading on-stage chants of “death to the IDF” (Israel Defence Forces).
Kneecap’s Liam Og O Hannaidh appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June. Pic: PA
Kneecap posted a photograph on Instagram, which the group said was an email from police announcing the case was being dropped.
They said their packed Glastonbury gig was a “celebration of love and solidarity” and reporting used “wildly misleading headlines”.
Fears over what Kneecap might do or say during the performance had prompted the BBC not to show it live.
The group said: “Every single person who saw our set knew no law was broken, not even close… yet the police saw fit to publicly announce they were opening an investigation.”
“There is no public apology, they don’t send this to media or post it on police accounts,” they added.
The police statement on Friday said they had informed Kneecap of their decision to drop the case.
Read more from Sky News:
Snoop Dogg becomes a co-owner of Swansea FC
American Idol TV executive and husband shot dead
One of the group’s members appeared in court in June charged with a terror offence.
Liam Og O hAnnaidh is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, at a gig last year.
He was released on unconditional bail ahead of a second court appearance in August.
Entertainment
Tomorrowland: ‘Devastating’ blaze destroys main stage at major festival – two days before it was due to begin
A huge fire has destroyed the main stage of a major festival in Belgium – two days before it was due to begin.
Tomorrowland is a dance music event as big as Glastonbury – and David Guetta was due to perform.
Footage showed flames and thick plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland on Wednesday.
The fire gutted the main stage
Fire crews attempt to bring the blaze under control
The annual festival in the town of Boom, north of Brussels, is one of the biggest in Europe and attracts about 400,000 people over two consecutive weekends.
It is famous for its immersive and elaborate designs and attracts big names within dance music – including Guetta, best known for tracks When Love Takes Over and Titanium.
Dutch DJs Martin Garrix and Charlotte de Witte were also due to perform, along with the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz and Alok.
Black smoke could be seen rising into the sky
The festival’s website described the creative elements which went into the elaborate main stage.
The theme, described as Orbyz, was “set in a magical universe made entirely out of ice” and “full of mythical creatures”.
Read more from Sky News:
Ticketless Oasis fans blocked from gig
American Idol executive shot dead
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
Organisers said no one was injured in the blaze but confirmed “our beloved main stage has been severely damaged”, adding they were “devastated”.
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen added: “We received some truly terrible news today. A fire broke out on the Tomorrowland site … and our main stage was essentially destroyed there, which is truly awful.
“That’s a stage that took years to build, with so much love and passion. So I think a lot of people are devastated.”
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told reporters ‘a lot of people are devastated’
Despite the fire, Tomorrowland organisers said they were still expecting 38,000 festivalgoers at DreamVille, the event’s campsite.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike