04 May Y’OH X Kids Of Grime: Exhibition review by Jay London

On the 28^th of April The Pure Evil Gallery played host to an exhibition for Kara Messina’s brand new clothing range Y’OH collaborating with the recognised Kids of Grime. The Threads team took a trip down to have a peak at what was going down….

“Kara Messina’s Y’OH streetwear brand has revisioned the concept of streetwear and breathed new life into a tired state of affairs”

The first thing that was evident entering the room peering through the trendy Shoreditch crowd was the array of photographs situated in their black frames pressed against the clean white walls. A collection of Verena Stefanie’s stylistic shots capturing some of the most recognisable grime artists such as D Double E, Jammer and Ruff Squad filled the room.

The photographs looked as they had been aimed to capture each artist in their element doing what they loved most, and perhaps to educate people the vibe at a grime event. This mixed with the sound of old school grime beats softly playing in the background created a good tone and I for one was ready to extend my knowledge of the genre I has grown up around.

Walking downstairs to the edgy concrete floor and brick walls we were greeted by drinks and struck by a huge projection video showcasing more recognisable grime artists. MC’s such as Maxstar, P Money, Wretch 32, Frisco and JME gave us their views on what grime meant to them and how they started in the scene we know today, continuing the birth of grime feel we took from upstairs.

I found the event and over all experience enlightening. I came into this exhibition with an excellent understanding of grime from the days of listening to pirate radio stations, and growing up in the heart of east London where a 16 bar track was as common as a red bus in London city. And I left with a much greater understanding and feel for those within the scene that love it so dearly. Grime isn’t just a music genre for the people that follow it, it’s a lifestyle.