OK, so today i want to talk about a

OK, so today i want to talk about a little bit what it's like growing up

little bit what it's like growing up poor in London

poor in London not at all to undermine

not at all to undermine what it's like growing up in any other

what it's like growing up in any other parts of the country or the world for

parts of the country or the world for that matter because

that matter because i'm sure there's a lot of problems

i'm sure there's a lot of problems everywhere you go but i'm

everywhere you go but i'm talking about personal experience of what

talking about personal experience of what it was like growing up in London

The specific thing that is different

The specific thing that is different about growing up poor

about growing up poor in London is that if you're poor in

in London is that if you're poor in London you're poor but you're

London you're poor but you're surrounded by Wealth

surrounded by Wealth not just like the big skyscrapers

not just like the big skyscrapers in the city

in the city but there are a lot of people that

but there are a lot of people that have quite a lot of money right

have quite a lot of money right & theres a lot of people who earn

& theres a lot of people who earn quite a lot of money

quite a lot of money and i think a big thing that made it

and i think a big thing that made it different for me you know

different for me you know as you know i got into a

as you know i got into a grammar school out in Ilford

grammar school out in Ilford and then i went to a school where

and then i went to a school where most of the people were from sort of

most of the people were from sort of comfortable, relatively well-off families

comfortable, relatively well-off families when i went to their houses

when i went to their houses they had like massive houses

they had like massive houses like at my primary school

like at my primary school it was like it was a lot of sort of

it was like it was a lot of sort of Pakistani immigrants you know like fresh

Pakistani immigrants you know like fresh over and a lot of them

over and a lot of them their houses obviously their cultural

their houses obviously their cultural background was different to mine

background was different to mine but their financial situation was quite

but their financial situation was quite similar you know you entered a house it

similar you know you entered a house it was like a crowded house

was like a crowded house a lot of people like squeezed into

a lot of people like squeezed into a small house you know

a small house you know and that was similar to like my situation

and that was similar to like my situation but then when i went to the

but then when i went to the grammar school

grammar school you know

you know people had their own big bedrooms with a

people had their own big bedrooms with a big bed and a big desk and it was like

big bed and a big desk and it was like everything was like nicely

everything was like nicely done and like they had like hallways you

done and like they had like hallways you know in the house a hallway

know in the house a hallway i remember i went to this one guy's

i remember i went to this one guy'S house Rory Sheen's house

house Rory Sheen's house and um the stairway like split

and um the stairway like split he had to stay with that split and i

he had to stay with that split and i remember thinking like this guy's got a

remember thinking like this guy's got a stairway that splits

stairway that splits you know i mean and like i was sharing

you know i mean and like i was sharing this tiny little bedroom

this tiny little bedroom with a little bunk bed with my brother

with a little bunk bed with my brother you know tiny tiny room like right next

you know tiny tiny room like right next to the railway

to the railway and um if you're poor but everyone

and um if you're poor but everyone around you is poor

around you is poor i'm not saying that's easy but it's a

i'm not saying that's easy but it's a it's harder in the sense when you're

it's harder in the sense when you're poor and there's so many people around

poor and there's so many people around you who are rich

you who are rich because it puts a difference between you

because it puts a difference between you and i remember like non-uniform day on

and i remember like non-uniform day on uniform day right i didn't have nothing

uniform day right i didn't have nothing to wear you know what i mean everyone

to wear you know what i mean everyone else are like

else are like people not some people wearing all these

people not some people wearing all these designer clothes i didn't have nothing

designer clothes i didn't have nothing to wear and eventually i just started i

to wear and eventually i just started i started wearing school uniform on

started wearing school uniform on non-uniform day you know

non-uniform day you know because i didn't have nothing to wear

because i didn't have nothing to wear *I had no idea thats why...*

*I had no idea thats why...* yeah because it's just like

yeah because it's just like i'm not going to play this game

i'm not going to play this game like it's setup against me

like it's setup against me but i think

but i think yeah when you see

yeah when you see all that wealth around you what that

all that wealth around you what that and your poor

and your poor what that does to you is first of all

what that does to you is first of all it makes you want it it makes you want

it makes you want it it makes you want it so badly

it so badly i think like it's difficult to be poor

i think like it's difficult to be poor but when you're surrounded by people

but when you're surrounded by people who have things you don't have

who have things you don't have you know what i mean

you know what i mean um you know like i remember

um you know like i remember when we all turned like

when we all turned like 16/17 & everyone else was getting

16/17 & everyone else was getting driving lessons and they got cars

driving lessons and they got cars and i couldn't get one

and i couldn't get one you know what i mean

you know what i mean what that highlights to you is

what that highlights to you is also how unfair it is

also how unfair it is because like you'll probably remember i

because like you'll probably remember i started doing a paper at 13

started doing a paper at 13 364 days a year i was waking up every

364 days a year i was waking up everY single day, 6:45

single day, 6:45 going out to deliver papers

going out to deliver papers and no one else was doing that in our

and no one else was doing that in our school and i was the

in our school and i was the poorest kid in school

poorest kid in school you know i mean it's like um so i'm the

you know i mean it's like um so i'm the only one who's actually working

only one who's actually working i'm working every single day of the year

i'm working every single day of the year except for christmas day and

except for christmas day and everyone else has got more money than me

everyone else has got more money than me and when time comes around for like

and when time comes around for like who's going to get a car

who's going to get a car everyone gets a car except me you know

everyone gets a car except me you know what i mean and then like

you know what i mean and then like people judge you, like i remember one

people judge you, like i remember one time i was hanging out with some

time i was hanging out with some girls and they was like "oh have you seen

girls and they was like "oh have you seen Raj's new car

Raj's new car he must be doing really well"

he must be doing really well" & i was thinking like we're 17

& i was thinking like we're 17 what do you think he's doing

what do you think he's doing you know what i mean? but like

you know what i mean? but like people judge you

people judge you on your financial position

on your financial position when you're a teenager

when you're a teenager they do and it's stupid but they do

they do and it's stupid but they do and people know that you're poor

and people know that you're poor when you're 15/16

when you're 15/16 it can't possibly be your fault that

it can't possibly be your fault that you're poor you know what i mean

you're poor you know what i mean i was doing everything i could

i was doing everything i could i was working a paper round and i was 15.

i was working a paper round and i was 15. what else could i do? you know what i mean?

what else could i do? you know what i mean? waking up 6:45 every day for £12 a week

waking up 6:45 every day for £12 a week you know and i have to save

you know and i have to save up every every week

up every every week but i think that's the specific thing

but i think that's the specific thing about growing up poor in london

because you're surrounded by so much

because you're surrounded by so much wealth you want it so badly

wealth you want it so badly and i think that's nowadays with the

and i think that's nowadays with the growth of things like

growth of things like instagram and facebook where

instagram and facebook where it's become like quite fashionable for

it's become like quite fashionable for people to really sort of casually

people to really sort of casually display

display the things that they have like holidays

the things that they have like holidays or like cars or like watches or clothes

or like cars or like watches or clothes you know in a sense i thought

you know in a sense i thought we were lucky that we

we were lucky that we grew up a little bit before that era

grew up a little bit before that era where it wasn't so easy to

where it wasn't so easy to display your wealth but now

display your wealth but now i think kids are probably on

i think kids are probably on instagram from like i don't know

instagram from like i don't know 10 or 11 or maybe younger

10 or 11 or maybe younger and then they're gonna see all of these

and then they're gonna see all of these displays of how much wealth and things

displays of how much wealth and things other people have

other people have and it's always displayed beautifully on

and it's always displayed beautifully on instagram that's only gonna make it

instagram that's only gonna make it worse right kids are gonna see that kids

worse right kids are gonna see that kids from poor backgrounds

from poor backgrounds they're going to see it

they're going to see it they're going to see it

they're going to see it and it makes you want it

and it makes you want it you see it every day

you see it every day you see it in your life you see it on

you see it in your life you see it on instagram you see it in advertisement

instagram you see it in advertisement you see it in the movie you see it on the tv

you see in the movie you see on the tv and if you're from a poor background you

and if you're from a poor background you know you can't have it

know you can't have it and the other people

and the other people in London you'll be surrounded by

in London you'll be surrounded by people who can have it

people who can have it and you can't have it and um

and you can't have it and um if you hit kids with that every single

if you hit kids with that every single day every single day every single day

day every single day every single day you can't be surprised when they get

you can't be surprised when they get addicted to online training

addicted to online training or maybe they turn to crime or they

or maybe they turn to crime or they start selling drugs you know what i mean

start selling drugs you know what i mean or they start getting involved in things

or they start getting involved in things like fraud you know what i mean

like fraud you know what i mean because a big

because a big factor which i think is really important

factor which i think is really important is um

back one generation ago like we're here

back one generation ago like we're here in Ilford it's got a massive indian

in Ilford it's got a massive indian community massive Pakistani community

community massive Pakistani community a lot of our friends they came over from

a lot of our friends they came over from India, Pakistan, East Africa

India, Pakistan, East Africa one generation, two generations ago

one generation, two generations ago with nothing, with not a penny to their name

with nothing, with not a penny to their name and they worked and they worked and

and they worked and they worked and they worked and they saved and they saved

they worked and they saved and they saved and they saved and a lot of those families

and they saved and a lot of those families are pretty wealthy now you know

are pretty wealthy now you know they've got multiple properties

they've got multiple properties they're really comfortable, they've got a nice

they're really comfortable, they've got a nice quality/standard of living

quality/standard of living so they lived in an era where

so they lived in an era where even if you grew up in London and saw

even if you grew up in London and saw this wealth around you

this wealth around you It was true that if you're willing

It was true that if you're willing to pull your socks up

to pull your socks up and work really hard you could get it

and work really hard you could get it you could get it so as long as you

you could get it so as long as you you know maybe you needed to make a lot

you know maybe you needed to make a lot of sacrifices and you know you know

of sacrifices and you know you know very well a lot of our parents

very well a lot of our parents and our friends parents

and our friends parents did make massive sacrifices

did make massive sacrifices if you are willing to make your

if you are willing to make your sacrifice you can get those things but

sacrifice you can get those things but the problem is now

the problem is now increasingly for young people that's not

increasingly for young people that's not true so then you're putting young people

true so then you're putting young people you know especially young men who are

you know especially young men who are very often judged

very often judged really strictly on their financial

really strictly on their financial success you're putting them in a

success you're putting them in a situation where they've got nothing

situation where they've got nothing they're surrounded by people

they're surrounded by people who've got things they can't have

who've got things they can't have they're seeing it displayed to them on

they're seeing it displayed to them on instagram every single day

instagram every single day they're seeing it on the tv, in the movies

they're seeing it on the tv, in the movies on advertisements every single day

movies on advertisements every single day but no matter how hard they work

but no matter how hard they work no matter what they do

no matter what they do they can never get that stuff

they can never get that stuff like what is that, right?

like what is that, right? that is the recipe for a mental health

that is the recipe for a mental health disaster for young men - that's what it is

disaster for young men - that's what it is if you create a situation where

if you create a situation where you create a desperate urgent need

you create a desperate urgent need and you surround someone with other

and you surround someone with other people who have a thing

people who have a thing and you tell them they can't have it and

and you tell them they can't have it and you don't give them any legitimate route

you don't give them any legitimate route to getting that thing

to getting that thing you cannot be surprised when these

you cannot be surprised when these people turn to crime and these people

people turn to crime and these people turn to dangerous means of getting it

turn to dangerous means of getting it like online trading and stuff like this um

like online trading and stuff like this um and that's what I've seen in my opinion

and that's what I've seen in my opinion a massive increase in

a massive increase in online trading and gambling

online trading and gambling gambling addictions because

gambling addictions because we've created a generation of young men

we've created a generation of young men who have had

who have had wealth and financial success

wealth and financial success shoved down their throats for their whole

shoved down their throats for their whole childhood and have no legitimate means

childhood and have no legitimate means of getting those things

and yeah that i think that's what happened

that's what happened and yeah what i was saying before was

and yeah what i was saying before was like i think another thing which really

like i think another thing which really drives financial anxiety is when

drives financial anxiety is when things change in the economy very

things change in the economy very quickly so like if you have a society which is

so like if you have a society which is very unequal

very unequal but things are not moving quickly then i

but things are not moving quickly then i think poor people will

think poor people will just accept we're poor like yeah

just accept we're poor like yeah it's not good it's s*** we're poor but

it's not good it's s*** we're poor but we have a community of poor people and

we have a community of poor people and we're all the same i'm all equal but

we're all the same i'm all equal but what we've done in our society is we've

what we've done in our society is we've shuffled the deck really really quickly

shuffled the deck really really quickly so for our parents generation like I've

so for our parents generation like I've said it was true

said it was true that a lot of them were poor but as long

that a lot of them were poor but as long as they worked hard they could become

as they worked hard they could become relatively rich

but for our generation that's not true

but for our generation that's not true so what that means is

so what that means is we've moved very quickly from a world

we've moved very quickly from a world where

where everybody had that basic ability

everybody had that basic ability to get themselves financially secure to

to get themselves financially secure to one where whether you can be financially

one where whether you can be financially secure or not

secure or not is actually out of your control and it

is actually out of your control and it depends on what your parents and your

depends on what your parents and your grandparents did

grandparents did so what that means is then we bear that

so what that means is then we bear that responsibility of

responsibility of well that means if i don't make it my

well that means if i don't make it my kids are screwed

kids are screwed you know what i mean because we lived in

you know what i mean because we lived in a world where

a world where even if you were poor you could become

even if you were poor you could become rich so that means like all i need to do

rich so that means like all i need to do is make sure that my kids are healthy

is make sure that my kids are healthy and happy and then they can make it for

and happy and then they can make it for themselves but now we've moved into a

themselves but now we've moved into a world where

world where if you can't give your kids a big

if you can't give your kids a big inheritance

inheritance then they'll probably never get a house

then they'll probably never get a house so what that means is it's not enough

so what that means is it's not enough for me to be a good father it's not enough for

for me to be a good father it's not enough for me to give my *kids* a stable happy childhood

me to give my *kids* a stable happy childhood i need to make money otherwise they will

i need to make money otherwise they will not be financially secure

not be financially secure so then suddenly

so then suddenly people are in a situation where it's not

people are in a situation where it's not just their necks on the line you know

just their necks on the line you know it's not just a case of can i get a nice

it's not just a case of can i get a nice holiday or not

holiday or not you know it's not a case of can i get a

you know it's not a case of can i get a nice car it's literally a case of if you

nice car it's literally a case of if you don't make it

don't make it your kids will not be financially secure

your kids will not be financially secure and that's what happens when you create

and that's what happens when you create an economy

an economy where only kids from rich families can

where only kids from rich families can buy houses

buy houses that means i need to be rich or my kids

that means i need to be rich or my kids will be poor

will be poor so suddenly there's so much more

so suddenly there's so much more pressure on individuals

pressure on individuals because you

because you need to build that money in order for

need to build that money in order for your kids to have a chance

your kids to have a chance and that's what happens when you create

and that's what happens when you create a society where rich families always stay rich

a society where rich families always stay rich and poor families always stay poor

and poor families always stay poor but we're going to decide now which

but we're going to decide now which families are going to be in the rich and

families are going to be in the rich and which families are gonna be in the poor

which families are gonna be in the poor so then it's like oh my god i need to

so then it's like oh my god i need to work really hard really quickly i need

work really hard really quickly i need to make that cut

to make that cut because i'm seeing people

because i'm seeing people you know like your parents & my parents

you know like your parents & my parents come from similar financial backgrounds

come from similar financial backgrounds but now they're in very different

but now they're in very different financial places right and that's affecting

financial places right and that's affecting our positions and it's going to be the

our positions and it's going to be the same for our kids so suddenly there's

same for our kids so suddenly there's all this additional pressure like if i

all this additional pressure like if i don't hustle if i don't work hard then

don't hustle if i don't work hard then that's going to ruin my future chances

that's going to ruin my future chances of my kids and um

of my kids and um yeah honestly i think it's the situation

yeah honestly i think it's the situation it's creating it's it's

it's creating it's it's it's a mental health disaster and it's

it's a mental health disaster and it's going to lead to increases in

going to lead to increases in kids looking into crime

kids looking into crime kids getting into gambling

kids getting into gambling incidences of fraud because if you

incidences of fraud because if you create a situation where

create a situation where you create a desperation for people to

you create a desperation for people to make money

make money but you don't create a legitimate means

but you don't create a legitimate means for them to make money

for them to make money it's inevitable that they will look to

it's inevitable that they will look to do it in other ways

do it in other ways is it inevitable i think...

at the moment these guys are profiting

at the moment these guys are profiting from a crisis

from a crisis that is going to keep our economy in the

that is going to keep our economy in the stump for 50 years

stump for 50 years there is one other thing they can do

there is one other thing they can do with that mass amount of income

with that mass amount of income they can buy your mom's house