ADVERTISEMENTLondon’s grime music scene isn’t normally associated with politics.
Grime is the UK’s music culture from the country’s city streets; produced for and by a disenfranchised youth.
But the 68-year-old left-winger Jeremy Corbyn has captured the community’s attention on a social media wave led by the hashtag #Grime4Corbyn.
Artists, rappers and YouTubers are rallying to the Labour leader’s cause at events around the capital to encourage young people to get out, talk politics and vote.
Ella is among the target audience.
“They’ve all said ‘I’ve never voted before but I’m voting this year, and I think that’s like a big movement, like a stepping stone’,” she said. “To be like, ‘if you like me have never been interested in formal politics before, this can be the one year that you change’ – like us.”
Pollsters say Labour could make gains if as much as 80% of registered young voters head to the ballot box. But what sway can they have in the long term?
David gave euronews his opinion.
“On social media the wave… it’s a wave right now, it’s a ripple. We’ve started a ripple and slowly it’s turning into a tsunami. And in five year time, if the Tories are in power, that tsunami, you’re not going to be able to stop it. I think right now we’re a wave, and we’re going to become a tsunami. And in five years of that tsunami going forward, it’s unstoppable.”
David Vujanic, a football-focused YouTuber, who swapped the beautiful game for the ugly world of politics last month, had a special interview with Corbyn.
Femi Oyeniran, the man behind #Grime4Corbyn, explained that the movement has plans far beyond the June 8 vote.
“The long-term aim is for it to go beyond the election, it’s not just about what happens with Jeremy Corbyn in (this) election. It’s about youth engagement, it’s about young people caring about politics, it’s about young people taking action for thing they’re not happy about around them. So it’s much more than Corbyn.”
But the question remains, will Corbyn’s online fans turn out at polling stations?