Croydon’s music success is often linked to places like the BRIT School, especially with the recent achievements of artists such as Olivia Dean and RAYE. However, a youth club just minutes down the road in Thornton Heath is quietly working to build the next generation of Croydon-born talent.
Last Saturday (21 February), Legacy Youth Zone welcomed social media sensation DJ AG and its newly appointed Music Ambassador, DJ Semtex, to see first-hand the wealth of talent emerging from the young rappers and producers who attend the youth club each week.
“The talent is amazing, but more importantly I love how respectful they are,” AG (real name Ashley Gordon) told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS). “A lot of that is missing in society today.”
He added: “They seem really eager to learn, and they want to be here. If I lived in Croydon or the surrounding areas, I would be sending my kids here.”
Alongside its wide range of sports and educational facilities, Legacy also boasts a purpose-built music studio where young people aged eight to 19 — or up to 25 for those with additional needs — write lyrics, produce beats and record original tracks.
Legacy hopes the involvement of AG and DJ Semtex will amplify young people’s voices and equip them with the skills and industry insight needed to succeed in a highly competitive field. Semtex, who has spent decades championing UK hip hop, currently presents a show on Capital Xtra.
He was recently appointed Legacy’s official Music Ambassador, a role supported by Sony Music UK’s Social Justice Fund. Asked whether the next generation of stars were already in the room, he said “100 per cent, it is just about how we help them.
“The starting point is giving them the education and getting them on the platforms.”
Reflecting on the borough’s home-grown talent, AG said: “I don’t know what’s in the water in Croydon, but it’s obviously good.” AG has previously visited Croydon for his popular outdoor sessions showcasing local artists.
“Croydon is a really different place,” he told the LDRS. “For me, it’s not just about the performance — it’s about the community. We even got on the tram — we don’t have any trams in north London,” he laughed.
Semtex said youth clubs like Legacy played a formative role in his own journey into music. “I actually got into DJing through going to a youth club, so to me it’s fascinating seeing what these guys are doing because it’s like echoes of what I did way back in the day,” he said.
He was particularly impressed by the lyricism emerging from Thornton Heath. Semtex praised the recent release of Legacy graduate MK, ‘Adam and Ryan’.
“It’s incredible storytelling that’s on a par with the greatest storytellers in hip hop,” he said. “The greatest, Slick Rick, was born just down the road in Mitcham, south London, so we are kind of good at this.”
He invited MK onto his Capital Xtra show to promote the track, giving him exposure to a national audience.
For the young people who use the Youth Zone week in, week out, the impact goes beyond music. Kyran, 17, said: “When I’m bored, instead of going outside, doing foolishness or going to a party, I come here. It gives me a breath of fresh air.
“I can go on the drums, I can go in the studio and spend time with my friends who make music as well,” he added.
Lee, 14, told the LDRS that spaces like Legacy help build connection as well as creativity. “It gets them together to make new friends,” he said.
Credit: Harrison Galliven
According to Legacy’s Chief Executive, Myke Catterall, the success of its young rappers highlights the need for youth services like theirs in the borough. He told the LDRS: “We know that Croydon Council lost its youth provision last year, so that means we need to come together even more to support the young people who need us most.”
Asked why it was still important to have Legacy in the heart of Croydon, he said: “We know there’s a need. We see stats around poverty, food poverty and serious youth violence, and that is not all Croydon represents.
“What we know is that we are a safe space for young people. They can come here, access universal services and safe people to talk to, and we know young people need that.”
