All this summer, Skepta has been collaborating with Levi's as part of their Levi's Music Project and the #SupportMusic campaign to encourage young talent in the ends that raised him, Tottenham. The main point of the project was to develop a community centre in Tottenham with a specially designed studio where aspiring musicians could go to hone their skills. Levi's have also made sure to put a focus on mentoring, linking up 12 young students, aged 16-24, with names like bass heavyweight Preditah and songwriter Jin Jin (who's worked with Jess Glynne, Dizzee Rascal and Wiley), amongst others.
Skepta contributed a lot of time mentoring the young students too, a process which culminated in a showcase held in the V&A Museum's epic Raphael Room, on a purpose-built set against bespoke visuals by uber-cool designer Kate Moross. The 12 students from the project performed tracks they'd written and created in collaboration with Skepta, to an audience including the likes of Wretch 32 and Copa90 frontman Poet.
Speaking on the Levi's® Music Project, Skepta said: "I want to show the young generation that success is not something you search for externally, it is from within. Help people to understand that all your thoughts and ideas can become reality with a bit of hard work and dedication."
Filmmaker Luke Monaghan, who shot the video, said, "Skepta is an artist I've been a fan of for a long time and to get to make a film around him and the energy he was able to pass on to the 12 musicians was great. I was surprised by how talented all the musicians were and how Skepta engaged with them. I tried to make the film about the individuals, telling their stories and putting you into their mindset, which I think is reflective of a lot of young people striving to make something of themselves. I'm sure this project will leave a legacy for a long time and I'm happy my film will be the thing that helps shine light on it."
The whole journey was captured in the film above.
For more information on the Levi’s® Music Project, head here or through the #SupportMusic hashtag.
