I finished this book in 3 days which is a rare occasion for me. It was a breeze to read through. My main commendation towards DJ Target, the author of the book, is what a memory. Most of the people I meet these days say they have trouble with their memories, for one reason or another. I was surprised because often these stories get lost or convoluted by the whirlwind of fame and success. As Wretch 32 said during his recent feature on the Diary of A CEO Podcast, “You just get taken by this Train and you keep moving”. I might be paraphrasing a little but that was the main sentiment. However, in this case Target does not forget the intricacies of the moments that carried him to where he is today. From his childhood spent hanging out in Bow with Wiley, to him and the Roll Deep Crew getting number 1 in the UK charts with “Good Time”, we’re taken on a wonderful journey spanning over a decade.
Having watched numerous documentaries and knowing that Grime was birthed out of the Garage and Jungle movement, I still had a lot of unanswered questions. This book finally painted the full picture for me, with Target himself traversing through the different genres first hand. He was there interning at the studio where Goldie was taking the jungle scene by storm, taking cash out for him with his card. He was there when Wiley was packing up thousands of dubplates in his car trying to sell them to Record shops in London. He was out there in Greece doing shows when Pay As You Go were in their prime. He was about during all these important, genre establishing moments.
“This book finally painted the full picture for me, with Target himself traversing through the different genres first hand.”
One of main selling points, as the book cover gives away, is the feature of Wiley within most of these stories. With him being the Godfather of Grime, I was eager to know more about his early days. I had watched his “Day in the Life” video on YouTube, as well as his various beefs and infamous Lord of the Mics battle versus Kano, yet once again there were a lot of unanswered questions for me. This book helped me establish how pivotal his role was in not only Grime, but British music in general. It also taught me was how close Wiley and Dizzee were back in the earlier stages before things between them went sour. There are little nuggets throughout, such as the story about Dizzee going to Target’s house to buy his old Jungle Records. This is what makes Grime Kids such a worthwhile read.
Another section of the book I truly enjoyed was the entrepreneurial side of Target’s acquiring and selling of dubplates. The consistent hustler mindset that he displayed when selling his records is one that is not only commendable but very motivating. The tales of gaining insider knowledge to purchase pre-release dubs from the different record shops in London had me feeling very nostalgic as it reminded me of when I’d visit record shops with my dad. Granted, I was young so I definitely wasn’t there trying to buy dubplates or sell my mixtapes, yet I distinctly remember each shop having its own tangible feel. I will never forget staring at this Poster on the wall at my local Record Shop. It was Eminem during his full bleach blonde look, holding up his middle finger at whoever was looking at the poster. It felt so personal, yet he had no idea I even existed. What a bad guy. It’s like the stories told by ‘OG Sneaker Heads’, where they would phone up shops and Nike outlets back in the day to purchase shoes over the phone. This bygone era of being in-the-know and physical relationships with store owners is one that I regrettably missed yet could feel through Target’s storytelling.
Whilst there were parts of the book where I would have liked him to delve deeper, such as the Dizzee Rascal’s altercation out in Cyprus, he chooses the more respectful route and doesn’t wish to speak on behalf of his friend’s. In a way, not knowing this information is what grounds us as the reader, creating a sobering boundary between us and the complicated lives lived by these artists. However, this being said, he rarely does avoid the topic matter.
I’m glad Target chose to write the book himself because you can truly feel the authenticity of the stories shine through. Whilst he has worked in radio for numerous years, the ability to tell a story through pen and paper is a completely different skill. What is clear through this autobiography is how DJ Target remains grounded, his love for music keeping him focused. It helps that he never had the attention of the full spotlight on him, playing that Iniesta figure, understanding the beauty of playing a team role.
wear shoes, write poems 