Dubplate Drama 2

It was never an easy decision, but after wrestling my demons I decided to sack off Monday morning in a sterile office block to wander the sunny South Bank as an Extra in Channel 4's acclaimed 'Dubplate Drama'.

Normally I avoid TV like Bernard Matthews turkeys but Dubplate Drama is both unique and compelling. Following the tribulations of a female MC (the talented Shystie) as she tries to progress in the murky, male-dominated sphere of Grime, it is the first mainstream TV show to document London's street culture of the youts dem. The music. The raves. The pirates. The clashes. The violence. The gangs. The drugs. Furthermore Series 1 was billed as the world's first interactive drama, with viewers deciding the outcome at the end of each of the 6 episodes (presented by the ever-suave Rodney P).

The job description of an Extra reads something like: wait around, wait around, shout, clap, wait around. The crew filmed scenes in Royal Festival Hall, recreating the by-gone days of the Urban Music Seminar where the industry would descend on the stately building for a weekend of talks, events, workshops, battles etc. Shystie, Hattie Collins (RWD mag editor), Drama (Genius Cru) and Adam Deacon (Kidulthood) were among those at the 'Q&A'.

It wasn't until the end of the day that things started to kick off, with the filming of freestyles on the South Bank (again UMS style). Top boys passing through included Faith SFX, Bashy, Big Narstie, Duppy (N-Dubz), Micall Parkinsun, Kyza Smirnoff, Pesci and, of course, Shystie. Bars got sprayed left, right and centre. Duppy was pure energy, while Narstie pure presence. The eavesdropping tourists dun know what hit them. Watch out for Killz all up in the shots...