I was about 12/13 the first time I watched New Jack City. I was, for sure, way to young. I loved it. It was like watching how things were in my area amplified by 100. I remember watching it once and saying to the people with me “Imagine life was like that”. Little did I know. New Jack City and Boys N The Hood were replayed (VCR) in my house over and over again. They were the two films that remind me of my childhood. I still watch them now and I could be back in the 90s, laying on my bed on my belly, legs swinging around behind me eating an Ice pole. I would watch Ice T play Scotty in awe.
The other love of my life and my escapism from the madness around me was (and is) Jungle music. I love music in general, but Jungle music touches me differently. Raving was my escape for sure and Jungle music was a love that I shared with all my friends. We all had our favourite DJs and mine were the same two from day one. Nicky Black Market and Jumping Jack Frost. I have a tape in my loft where I put tape recorder next to my speaker and recorded a Jumping Jack Frost set on Kiss FM. It was a running joke with my friends that I would go home when I knew Jumping Jack Frost was playing and my friend Darren used to say It was because I wanted to rave alone. I used to laugh….
There would have been many times that I would have had New Jack City playing whilst listening to Jumping Jack Frost at the same time, most likely sitting on my bedroom floor, smoking, a bottle of MD 20/20 on the go, getting ready to leave the house. This would have been between the ages of 12- 15.
When I think of the good times growing up, a few things come to mind, but that scene I just set above is always at the forefront of my mind. Because that was my time. In my room. Being just me.
So, you tell me, after all that, how I can write a blog to tell you how it felt to be sitting in a room with Jumping Jack Frost Interviewing Ice T for The Frost Report last week!!!!
I’m sitting here right now still wondering if it really happened.
Jumping Jack Frost…JJ…Nigel…. We were introduced a while back by Junior Smart and it we hit it off on a different level. We started chatting as He wanted me to speak on an episode of the Frost Report (You can listen to that here) and through arranging that we have become friends. Which is mad…because he is very much a part of my teenage years. We click in a mad way and it’s like we have known each other years and its just now we are catching up. We laugh…a lot. We cuss each other a lot. We send voice notes about madness.
The interview you will watch between me, JJ, and Ice T…that is the first time me and JJ have ever met. Ever. And yet, by watching that interview, it’s like we have just rocked up and sat down like we usually do.
As for Ice T…when he appeared on the screen, I was a kid again. I think it shows in the video…. big old smile on my face and just swinging in my chair. It took me a hot second to pull myself together because suddenly it was very overwhelming.
The interview is something I am very proud of. We talked about subjects that need to be spoken about. All three of us were Raw…honest …. with no motherfucking bull shit.
Life is a funny thing, and you never really know what will happen. At no point in my life did I think I would be interviewing Ice T on a boat in the middle of central London with Jumping Jack Frost.
But I did.
And it was every bit as epic as you think it was. And more.
After the interview me and JJ had the best laugh ever. He banged his head, we got lost on the tube and we sat in a cab going through SW London talking about what we want from life at 10:30 at night, windows down, hot London air rushing in.
The interview and that evening is something I will never forget, and I will remember the rest of my life.
So, sit back…. grab a cuppa or a MD 20/20 and watch the best interview you will see this year…….
Big love to The Boat Pod for having me and Sophie Callis for offering to make Ice T a cup of tea….. and some biscuits and Tom for making it all happen. Its been emotional….
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