Ill Manors-Plan B

Ill manors. What an amazing music video. It was created by the British rapper Plan B. It shows the protest and frustration from the youths of today. The track was realised on the 25^th march 2012 as a lead soundtrack to ill manors, a film written and directed by Plan B.

The song was written in reaction to the 2011 riots across England, and specifically Plan B’s perception of society’s failure to nurture its disadvantaged youth.

Plan B’s preferred reading is changing the perception of the general public’s view on the youths of today which the media has created.

Stereotypically, we relate youths from urban areas of cities to gangs. Our association of gangs is drugs and violence. These images that have been constructed via different media platforms. Plan B wants his audience to look deeper into the reason as to why these youths behave in this way.

As said previously, we link youths with gang culture. Violence; they believe that they are unheard. They unsure how to communicate their aggression and frustration appropriately. They don’t have respect for authority because authority doesn’t have respect for them. Imagine, feeling like no-one is listening. You’d feel so small. Gang culture also acts as a sense of family. In Plan B’s ted talk he said most of ‘us’ come from a ‘dysfunctional families’. Therefore, they turn to the life of gangs to make them feel wanted and needed. Finally, drugs. This is a major part of gang culture. Its where the money comes from. I guess, in a way, it’s a coping mechanism or even an escapism. An escape from the reality of just scraping by or being kicked to the side of society by the government and other authorities.

Ill manors is set in the sub-urban areas in London where they tend to be living in absolute poverty, labelling is as a ‘concrete jungle’. This suggests that they are animals. Implying, that they are out of control. This is the media message which is put out to the general public causing a negative view on the youths. Due to the lack of money, it makes them disheartened and ashamed encouraging them to loot. This was shown clearly in the London riots in 2011. Youths broke into retailers such as JD, Footlocker and SONY. Stealing expensive clothing, shoes and technology. all the things that they may desire to have, and this was their chance to have it.

Going back to 2011 London riots. It started because an alleged drug dealer Mark Duggen was shot dead by a police officer. It began in Tottenham but spread out across different areas in the city. Such as, Hackney, Brixton, Peckham, Enfield, Battersea, Croydon and Ealing. The reason why it spread is because youths saw the opportunity to express their frustration towards the police and the government. Terror was set out on the streets, petrol bombs, breaking into shops, violating the police officers. It brought attention to the youths but it was the positive attention that they needed. The stereotype of a CHAV was brought to light. Plan B say the word CHAV stands for ‘Council Housed and Violent’. The concept of the word CHAV has changed over time.