U.K. Grime artist Kano, who also stars as Sully in the Netflix series, Top Boy, as addressed Hollywood actor Samuel L. Jackson’s comparisons on racism in the U.S. versus the U.K.
“Maybe that isn’t as much of a thing as what we hear about how America is. But it happens as well. There was a big thing, Mark Duggan, he got shot by the police a few years ago, and people rioted, and he’s from a place called Tottenham, North London. There were riots over there, and that has happened a few times over the years.”
The Tottenham riots sparked outrage across the U.K., spilling across the country. Communities were left devastated as frustrated youths looted local businesses, burning many to the ground.
The police do not carry guns in the U.K., but as Kano states, gun crime has always been an enormous issue within the inner city communities – and racism is alive and well in Britain.
“Racism exists. Samuel Jackson was up here… people weren’t happy with what he was saying back home. He was like, trying to talk as if racism is not a thing in England… He spoke wrong. We weren’t happy about it. Because, what is he talking about? My mom that came over from Jamaica to England and moved to Canning Town, which is the White area, mad racist… you could not tell her there wasn’t racism. In those days… it wasn’t law… But you would go to a shop, and on a sign, it would have “No Blacks, no dogs, and no Irish people.” That was the sign. So it was like, yeah, you couldn’t go in that place. I’m not saying it was a law. But that’s how everyone felt. So racism is there.”
Despite his unhappiness over Jackson’s words, Kano says he is a fan of the Pulp Fiction star.