Jan. 15, 2026

Chiedu Oraka: The Black Yorkshireman. Culture, Identity, Drugs and Prison to Supporting Coldplay

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In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Chiedu Oraka, one of the UK’s most distinctive emerging voices in rap, also known as The Black Yorkshireman, joins Matt to discuss dual identity, stigma, and the turning points that reshaped his life.

Born and raised on a Hull council estate in a Nigerian household, Chiedu grew up balancing two worlds: cultural expectations at home and the pressure to fit in outside - while carrying the weight of how others perceived him.

We explore how racism, reputation, and “estate survival” shaped his early choices, including the realities of alcohol culture, drugs, crime, and being labelled from a young age. Chiedu speaks candidly about the contradiction that defined a pivotal year: going to prison and going to university in the same year - and how that collision forced a change in direction.

Now, after performing at Glastonbury, opening for Coldplay, and supporting Skepta on tour, Chiedu reflects on success without abandoning his roots - using his platform to challenge stigma, widen perceptions of Black British identity and to pass the ladder down for young people who feel written off.

This episode offers practical insight for people in recovery, family members, frontline practitioners, and anyone interested in real stories of change.

Search terms: addiction recovery podcast UK, stigma and recovery, lived experience stories, drugs and alcohol culture, racism and identity, peer support, trauma and recovery.

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

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Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com

This podcast is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone.

If you want to change your direction, grow as a person, and live life to its full potential, Change Grow Live is here to help you. We’re here for you if you need help with challenges including drugs or alcohol, trouble with housing, domestic abuse, or your mental and physical wellbeing. Change Grow Live services are free and confidential. Click the link below to refer yourself to your local service.

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📩 Podcast Contact: robbie@believeinpeoplepodcast.com
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

🔗 Listen & Subscribe
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...

Chapters

00:00 - Dual Identity And Early Stigma

07:40 - Owning The Name Black Yorkshireman

12:05 - Finding Music And A Northern Voice

17:15 - Craft, Practice, And Saying No To AI

21:28 - Arrests, Reputation, And Belonging

30:10 - Violence, Jail, And A Wake‑Up Call

36:50 - The Second Fall And The Narrow Escape

43:10 - University, Probation, And A Turning Point

50:00 - Alcohol Culture, Fitness, And Boundaries

58:20 - Council Estate Confidence Explained

01:05:30 - Role Model Duty And Local Pride

01:12:00 - After The High: Purpose Over Hype

01:19:20 - Quick Fire And Closing Notes

Transcript

WEBVTT

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This is a Renew Original Recording.

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Hello and welcome to Believe in People, a two-time Radio Academy Award nominated and British podcast award-winning series about all things addiction, recovery, and stigma.

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My name is Matthew Butler, and I'm your host, or as Alexia, your facilitator.

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Today on Believe in People, I'm joined by Cheddar Racket, one of the UK's most distinctive emerging voices in rap, also known as the Black Kot.

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Born and raised on a council stainable, Chader grew up in a couple of two worlds: Nigerian home and British identity outside.

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That tension shaped how he saw himself, how others treated him, and the stigma he carried from a young age.

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In the same year, Chader went to prison and to university, a contradiction that captures the reality of his life at the time.

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We talk openly about drugs, alcohol crime, and stigma, and the turning points that forced him to change course.

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Since then, Chedo has gone to perform at Glastonbury, open for cold play and support Skepto and his well-taught, without ever leaving his roots behind.

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We begin today by talking about dual identity and how growing up between cultures shaped Cheddo from the very start.

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And I think it's something that I battled with for quite a long time, to be honest.

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You know, having them Nigerian expectations and my household being so Nigerian, and then when I step out onto the estate, it's it's a little bit of a different world.

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I'm going into my mates' houses, they're speaking to their parents a certain way, and doing and and demonstrating behaviours that really were quite alien like in my household.

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So it was always a bit of a battle.

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And I just wanted to fit in.

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I wanted to be like everyone else.

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Didn't want to be ostracised for my differences.

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Do you know what I mean?

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And when you're you're black, you're Nigerian, you're you're under you're under sort of a it's I don't know, like the eyes are always on you, do you know what I mean?

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Like I say, I was always tall, obviously I'm black, I'm on this rough council estate, and like I said, I just want to fit in.

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Because you mentioned just before we started, when we talked about that, being, you know, the the height you are as well as recognisable as you are, is a bit of gift of a gift and it's like.

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Gift and a case, most definitely.

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Obviously, I'm recognisable.

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Yeah.

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There's not many six foot seven black kids roaming around in hull, especially back then anyway.

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Obviously, I wasn't six foot seven when I was younger, but I've always been tall.

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So it's always been, yeah, that's Chadu.

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But then if anything ever kicked off, I was always the first one to get the blame.

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I was always the first one to get recognised.

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I couldn't do a lot of the things that my mates could do because I'd just get recognised and I'd get caught and and and dicey situations would happen.

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But yeah, it took me a while really to admit this balancing act.

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I was never really I was never ashamed to be black, but maybe I was a little bit ashamed to be Nigerian.

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Even though I was born in the UK, but I'm Nigerian, my name Chedu.

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It means the Lord is the Lord is my shepherd.

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Or Raqqa.

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These are proper Ibo Nigerian names, so I can't hide the fact that I'm Nigerian and black.

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But I did used to sort of hide the fact or want or just what like I say, it goes back to just wanting to be accepted.

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Do you know what I mean?

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Because people would sort of ridicule and set the Mickey.

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Like, so like say for an example, my house.

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My house doesn't really smell the same as a a normal I say normal British person's house.

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Because just because of the foods that my mum was cooking.

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Do you know what I mean?

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So people and even the foods we were eating, some of my white friends would sort of like turn their nose up or and and and you know what?

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I'm I'm not I look back now and I'm not angry.

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It was just new to them.

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They had never seen it either.

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It's not your usual bangers of mash.

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I was gonna say, it's not chicken noodle noodles and chips, isn't it?

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I mean not beans on toast.

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Obviously, we had we we did have their meals as well.

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Of course we had their meals as well, but obviously our mum's Nigerian, so she's gonna cook Nigerian food.

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So, like I say, some of the aromas were a bit different.

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She's cooking crayfish and and and pounded yam and just like okra soup and meat, these dishes that I I love, I love them.

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These were my favourite meals growing up, but to my friends, when they're coming in, it's a bit mad to them.

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Do you know what I mean?

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And then my mum's cooking, like she's getting like fish from the fishmongers, and she's cutting the fish, and the house is just stenching of fish.

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Like my mates are thinking, oh, that's just a bit mad.

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And like they're going in the kitchen and they're just seeing like a fish head boiling in the water, and it's just a bit mad to them.

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But these are the little cultural things that made me feel a little bit different.

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I just didn't like it.

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I just didn't, and then even wearing traditional Nigerian clothes, I remember when we used to go to church and my mum used to like make us because my mum's like a proper proud Niger woman, so she's like, Yeah, you're not forgetting about your heritage and your culture.

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So when we're going to church and we're dressed in the Nigerian get up and we're walking through the estate, and people are like laughing, like, oh Chedo, why are you wearing a dress and stuff like that?

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You know, I mean, and it sounds it's you know it's really funny now.

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But at the time but at the time, I hated it.

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Because in those teenage years as well, like perception of your peers is so important.

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It's like you put it up there amongst I think just about anything.

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You want you want your mates to think that you're ah, it's all you care about is reputation.

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And like, I mean, obviously for you it'll be a bit different based on your career as a as a musician, but for me, I found that the older I got, the more I wanted to hide away from reputation.

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Yeah, I want people to hear my name and know exactly who they're on about.

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I want to be known less.

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You even got to like sometimes, obviously, when you'd have like you might have like a substitute teacher in class, and your name comes on the register, and obviously to save the embarrassment, you'd say your name for it.

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So they don't mispronounce it.

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So they don't mispronounce it, because when they mispronounce it, everyone's gonna start laughing and start saying.

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Yeah, yeah, yeah.

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It's just real little real little things like that used to be like they used to like really make me feel small and make me feel inadequate, to be honest.

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So yeah, I'd say I used to sort of hide, not hide my Nigerianness, but because I couldn't, like I'd say I can't hide it, but I wasn't proud of it.

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I didn't embrace it.

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Do you know what I mean?

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I'd be like, when people would be saying, like, like when people ask you the question, oh, where are you from?

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And I'd be like, I'm from Hull.

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Yeah.

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And they're like, yeah, but where are you really from?

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That's the question where you're really from.

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And I'd get real annoyed because I'd be like, I'm from Hull, what you want about?

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I'm I'm British, I was born here, blah, blah, blah.

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Where now, if someone asks you where I'm from, I say I'm Nigerian.

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So I've sort of now I embrace my culture.

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I'm so proud to be Nigerian now.

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I'm so proud of my name.

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It's a powerful name.

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What's caused that shift then?

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I think I've just found myself.

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I think before I was lost.

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I was lost, to be honest.

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I wanted to fit in massively, that's all I wanted to do.

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I wanted to just do what everyone else was doing.

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And then yeah, there was just a there was just a switch of energy.

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But it's mad though, because even though I wanted to fit in loads and be like everybody else, I have always been different as well.

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I've always embraced like it's weird, it's it's real, and I know that might not make sense.

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No, no, it's not.

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No, I think I no, what it is is I always knew I was different, yeah, but I wanted to be like everyone else.

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Okay.

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Basically, that's that's the better way to explain it.

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So yeah, but I don't know what the switch was when I just was like, you know what?

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F everyone else, this is Chedow Oraka.

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Like I'm a proud Nigerian boy.

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I was born in Head and Road Hospital, like everyone else, but I'm a Niger boy, do you know what I mean?

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And I come with this Niger energy, and I just don't know.

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I think it was probably when probably un maybe when I left university times, I think maybe.

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Maybe, and when I started like getting more into music and wanting to find my identity as a musician, I think that's when it switched.

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So it took me a while, really.

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I I've it's it's funny you should say that.

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I mean, one of my part of my background, I was a professional wrestler for years.

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Oh, yeah.

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And one of the things that one of my mentors used to say to me was really embrace who you are and where you're from.

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Obviously, I'm British, whole, local lad, but amongst the the British wrestling scene, he said, You've got something where you stand out.

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He said, You're a councillor state on install.

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He went, no one else on the show has that about them.

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What is that like for you as an individual?

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How does that affect you as a as a fighter in quotations?

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How does that affect your character?

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He went, lean into it.

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Yeah, and I think I can kind of see that with you as a musician, probably going through the same turning of the cogs of this is what makes me an individual.

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Yeah like even in the local music scene, you know, that's what makes you stand out to anybody else who will be performing.

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That's exactly what happened.

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I just started leaning into it.

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Hence the name the Black Yorkshire.

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Well, that's what I was about to ask.

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So I just I just lent into it, mate.

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Yeah, with the identity of the Black Yorkshireman, that is a title that does push race and regional identity into the foreground.

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So what made you claim that name, and what does it mean to you to be a visible black role model in a city where there are very few young black boys and men who will see themselves reflected here?

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You know what it is, it's just being like it's truly getting to that stage where I'm comfortable in my own skin, being called the black Yorkshireman.

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I'm black and I'm from Yorkshire.

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It's a stigma and a stereotype that's not really popular.

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So it was important for me to lean in it, lean into it, and it's my selling point.

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Where before, when I was rapping, I used to get real annoyed that oh, I used to think, oh, if I had a London accent and I rapped about certain subject matters, I'd be bigger.

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And I'm real angry, I'm real bitter because they need to respect me.

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And I was just like, you know what?

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Actually, this is my selling point, and this is what makes me different.

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I'm a six foot seven black kid who spits in a Yorkshire accent.

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This is my selling point.

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You have to respect it.

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And if you don't, I don't really want to know you.

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Like, no one wants to be saved the same food all the time.

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You don't want to be just saved bang as a mash every day for Tia.

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Do you know what I mean?

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Sometimes you've got to mix that up.

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Sometimes you've got a bit of you got you might have some chicken dippers, you know what I mean?

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Or change the beer, a little bit fish fingers and traffic on this top.

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You might want to change the mash for some uh for some sweet potato fries, you know what I mean?

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So this is this so I I just learn to be comfortable in my own skin and realise there's no one better at being me than me.

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There's no there's no one out there like Chedow Araka.

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So embrace that and and make that your selling point.

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In terms of you know, going back into that story of creating your characterisation, even down to the selling point and marketing.

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One of the things that my mentor told me is, can you sum yourself up in three words?

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He said, if you can't, you need to go back to the drawing board and think about it.

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And you can do that with the black Yorkshireman, boom, there it is.

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Boom.

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That's it.

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That's it, it's just it says everything.

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Says everything.

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It's such a powerful thing.

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And I just thought about it one time when I was driving home one time from somewhere.

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I think I've been in London, and I was like, yeah, this is the new, this is the new chapter.

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I've been Cherower for time and I'm proud of being Cherower, but the Black Yorkshireman is just different.

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This is me owning my identity of just a black northern kid from a place like Hull, where rap's not even a thing, really, and I've made my own lane and I'm owning it, and if you don't like it, you can do one.

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So, yeah, that's really what the Black Yorkshire represents and what it stands for.

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How did you get involved in the local music scene?

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What attracted you to it, and I suppose what attracted you to just being a you know, following and pursuing being a musician and an artist in the style and genre of music that you're doing as well?

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So music really was always in my house.

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My mum used to throw the best house parties, and my sister, my big sister or big cousin, they were really into music like RB and hip-hop.

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So I was just listening to what they were listening to, and then obviously when I got to a certain age, I started sort of building my own collection.

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My sister had such an amazing CD collection, so I saw her collecting CDs, so I was like, that's what I want to do.

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So I started collecting CDs as soon as I got a little bit of money from my mum or doing chores in the house or anything like that.

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I used to go to HMV or Virgin Megastores or Andy's Records and buy CDs and read read the credits inside and the lyrics and stuff, and that was me.

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I was just sold on it.

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Loved the culture.

00:13:02.799 --> 00:13:05.440
I used to go to Notting Hill Carnival a lot when I was younger.

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I had an Auntie in Stoke Newington, and that's when I sort of first got introduced to grime music.

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And then, like I say, always loved music, always used to like freestyle and stuff and mess about.

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And then I had a good friend, I got to big him up, a kid called Danny Kraft, a kid who I've known for years, he's one of my best friends.

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He was rapping, and I just I just admired him because no one I knew was doing that.

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He's just a white kid, blonde hair, blue eyes, don't look like your stereotypical rapper, but he's just spitting bars and they're absolutely sick.

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And I thought, you know what, you're sick, like you're doing it in a whole accent.

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And I was like, You've you've got the bravery to do that.

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So it gave me the confidence to start doing it.

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So again, I was just freestyling at house parties, and he he sort of said I was good, and for him to say I was I was good, that meant a lot, do you know what I mean?

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And he was uh he said, Oh, why don't you just start writing lyrics down?

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So I started doing that, and then the rest is history, really, and that was probably like oh five, oh five, oh six times.

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So yeah.

00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:27.200
I think the interesting thing is when you do see not so much like you know, singers, but when when you see rappers that have, you know, been able to crack the mould and make it big, you just assume that in a way they was just naturally good at rapping, and it was a natural skill set that they've just capitalised on.

00:14:27.919 --> 00:14:29.039
Was that the case for you?

00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:39.759
Did it come naturally, or was it a lot of work to get to that point where you know what you were saying was actually good, it was drawing people in, you were telling that story.

00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:43.440
How did you evolve into doing it as good as you do now?

00:14:43.679 --> 00:14:44.879
I think it took a lot of practice.

00:14:44.960 --> 00:14:46.240
I always had an all right flow.

00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:47.279
That's that's what I mean.

00:14:47.360 --> 00:14:55.519
It almost seems like you you hear things in you, you just hear people like you know the stories of Eminem when he was like you know, prior to making it, you just think fucking, it was almost like it was just a natural thing.

00:14:55.600 --> 00:14:56.080
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:14:56.159 --> 00:14:59.120
Like Eminem's obviously he's a beast on the microphone, do you know what I mean?

00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:02.720
That's like the high echelon of being able to put words together.

00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:04.240
I always had an alright flow.

00:15:04.480 --> 00:15:12.799
When I when I first started rapping, like I said, I was just freestyling, so I was just saying any words and putting them together, and like I say, it always flowed.

00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:21.360
Obviously, the difficult part is actually writing and making words fit properly, subject matters and all that sort of stuff.

00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:26.879
But yeah, I'd say it's took a lot of graft, and to be fair, I'm I don't even think I'm anywhere near my prime yet.

00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:30.159
I feel like I'm gonna keep on getting better at my big age, do you know what I mean?

00:15:30.720 --> 00:15:35.759
So yeah, like, yeah, I'd say it it's not natural for me.

00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:39.360
I'm I'm quite a slow writer as well, because I'm I'm such a perfectionist.

00:15:39.679 --> 00:15:43.360
I don't like to waste words, waste lyrics, I don't like it.

00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:46.320
So it takes me a long time to write bars, to be honest.

00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:50.320
I'm quite, I'm very harsh on myself, even in certain studio sessions.

00:15:50.399 --> 00:16:03.679
It might take me ages to write a 16 bar, but sometimes it might not take me ages, but most of the time it does because I I care about my craft and I want every word to punch.

00:16:04.080 --> 00:16:21.919
As a side note, you know, talking about the difficulty in in writing, I think with the growing existence of AI, how does that play into I'm not saying you use it by any means, but how does like AI written lyrics, music, songs, how does that play into your field of the same thing?

00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:22.799
It's against it.

00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:24.159
It's against everything I represent.

00:16:24.320 --> 00:16:24.960
I can imagine that.

00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:27.120
Have you noticed people using it?

00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:30.000
I mean, no one that I know, but I know it's happening.

00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:30.399
Yeah.

00:16:30.559 --> 00:16:31.519
I know it's happening.

00:16:31.759 --> 00:16:34.000
I'm r I don't even like this thing.

00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:36.879
I think there's like certain apps you can do to have rhyming words.

00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:38.240
Yeah, that's that's cheating to me.

00:16:38.559 --> 00:16:38.799
Exactly.

00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:40.799
It takes all authenticity from it.

00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:42.000
Yeah, that's cheating to me.

00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:50.960
I'd rather it I'd rather spend six days thinking of one lyric than go going on Google and say and searching, oh, what rhymes with hat.

00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:51.759
Do you know?

00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:55.440
I mean, I that's not that's not really it's not part of what I represent.

00:16:56.320 --> 00:16:56.799
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:16:57.200 --> 00:17:06.000
I've got to this point with with all with a lot of things in terms of like social media, with art and creativity, that everything I read, it's almost like pretty sure that's AI.

00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:08.720
In everything, you're almost mistrusting of everything these days.

00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:14.319
And I guess I I mean just as an interesting side point, I've often thought, well, how long until it does start?

00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:23.599
I mean, mainstream media, they say it's it's like a factory package pop star has been pushed into the forefront anyway, and you do wonder how much will AI contribute to that in the future as well.

00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:25.039
I think AI is gonna take over.

00:17:25.599 --> 00:17:26.400
I honestly, yeah.

00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:26.880
I do.

00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:31.119
I think it's gonna, especially in the in the creativity and music world, I think it's gonna take over.

00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:36.160
But I think what AI can't do is that physical feeling of a gig.

00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:43.200
So I get certain artists might be a bit worried, but I I think you're never gonna be able to replicate that.

00:17:43.359 --> 00:17:48.480
That physical feeling of going to a music show and seeing your favourite artist on stage.

00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:50.240
You can't replicate that.

00:17:50.480 --> 00:18:08.079
And I don't think AI can really replic replicate true individuals like yourself as a musician, because you've got obviously such an interesting story, and I kind of want to go back to some of your earlier days because one of the things that you've said is that in the same year that you went to prison, you also went to university.

00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:08.559
Yeah.

00:18:08.960 --> 00:18:16.960
What was happening in your life at that point, and how did you navigate being seen both as like this troublemaker and an academic in the same year?

00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:18.880
Do you know the two very different subs on the other?

00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:19.440
You know what?

00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:23.759
It's mad that you've mentioned that because I I went on a football night out.

00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:27.440
It's probably showing my age year a little bit, because one of the young kids.

00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:29.359
I said, Oh, when are you when was you born?

00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:31.200
He said, 2007.

00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:35.440
I said, 2007's probably the most important year of my life.

00:18:35.519 --> 00:18:36.880
And he was like, Oh, why?

00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:41.440
Obviously, I told him, and when I went to prison, he wasn't even born.

00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:48.960
I went to prison in March 07, and yeah, he wasn't even a big thing.

00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:49.839
He wasn't even a thing.

00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:52.799
That yeah, it disgusts me.

00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:53.759
Do you know?

00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:57.039
I feel like I went from 15 to 34, like in the blink of an eye.

00:18:57.200 --> 00:19:01.440
It's ridiculous how fast the the world and time just seems to be be passing by.

00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:05.279
But tell me a little bit more about that entire that entire thing.

00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:06.960
So I'll just take you back to the beginning.

00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:13.680
So for me, I was I was always I was labelled a persistent offender from a young age.

00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:17.920
So the first time I got arrested, I was ten.

00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:25.920
Nothing major, just shoplifting from my local shop on Greenwood Avenue.

00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:27.440
It was called Centre Point.

00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:33.279
Got arrested, I got taken home by the police, and my mum gave me the biggest hiding ever.

00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:40.720
I was gonna say, coming from a Nigerian home, I imagine the punishment that you'd get going home to what one of your peers had getting is very different.

00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:42.079
Squealing.

00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:51.519
Because I always remember my mum on the side of her job, she used to do people's hair, you know, like braids and stuff.

00:19:51.599 --> 00:19:54.880
And I remember she was doing someone's hair.

00:19:55.039 --> 00:20:02.160
She'd just finished work, and it was definitely a weekday, and the police were Brought me home and mate.

00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:10.000
I just yeah, I remember like oh the police actually had had to like rest like restrain because back like now you could do that.

00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:12.880
Now the police the police would probably arrest the parent, wouldn't they?

00:20:12.960 --> 00:20:41.039
Like but back then obviously yeah it was it was we're talking what would it would have yeah it would have would it would have been the nineties yeah yeah just slapping me up mate and then but then that didn't stop me you'd think that would but again you're trying to fit in with the lads on the estate yeah I I'm I'm I'm never anyone who who what's the word sort of I'm not blaming the because I used to hang around basically I was I was younger.

00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:50.160
You take accountability for the always got to take accountability for my own for my own actions and I was hanging around with the older kids and the older kids would get me to like pinch stuff and black.

00:20:50.400 --> 00:20:54.559
You want to impress it comes back to fit it comes back to wanting to fit in the black.

00:20:54.960 --> 00:20:55.839
And the respect from your peers.

00:20:56.240 --> 00:22:30.319
Like obviously on on the on I mean you grew up on a council estate you know you know what it's like like estates is it's families yeah it's run by families I had no allies do you know I mean my sisters I've got a big sister but she's not about that life she's a she's a well she's she's not well back there you'd say she's a bit of a geek she was a bit of a nerd she's just a nice girl do you know I mean who didn't really go outside she was just hit her books but me I wanted to be outside I was outside from very young playing out probably playing out quite late as well so I just wanted to fit in so I'm in this environment with a lot of rum lads and I'm trying to fit in so I'm shoplifting nicking goodies nicking chocolate blah blah blah so that was the first time I got arrested but I was doing it all the time shoplifting was just standard mate I tried smoking when I was in primary school I remember bringing a pack of Lambert and Butler to primary school and smoking them out on at break time match no interest in it but just trying to pair it sort of pop a coffee not even how to take it back or anything but just putting out like a little candy cigarette literally it was just that that was it but because I hang around with some of the lads the big bigger lads so they gave me Sigs and smoked it blah blah blah and I tried drinking very young but that's just the estate life do you know what I mean and because my mum's Nigerian as well she's not really understanding what's going out there going on out there in the streets or she didn't really get it because young kids where she's from don't get up to this.

00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:31.039
Do you know what I mean?

00:22:31.119 --> 00:22:39.519
Like my mum didn't even when we used to smoke weed in my house my mum didn't even know the difference between the smells between weed and smoke.

00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:42.079
Yeah she just thought you're just smoking.

00:22:42.240 --> 00:22:44.559
She didn't she didn't know this is what this is what I'm dealing with here.

00:22:45.039 --> 00:23:17.119
Yeah there's almost like a level of naivety yeah naivety not ignorance naivety is the way my mum was very very naive really very naive so yeah like I say I was just shoplifting all the time petty petty crime when from the age of about 10 up until about like 12 and then I got I got I got arrested the first time I ever got cautioned by the police so like an actual you could say criminal record or even though it's a caution but was I I got caught stealing Pokemon cards at Toys Ar Russ.

00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:37.680
Joe I got caught stealing Pokemon cards from my local newspapers I just had a flashback learning getting chased out yeah so and that so that was that was the summer going from primary school to secondary school so I'm so young I'm a baby mate and I'm doing daft stuff like this and I remember I always could I always I always remember I could have got away that day as well.

00:23:38.160 --> 00:24:43.359
I come out of Toys Arts and some of the lads had obviously been caught but I was stood outside waiting for them and I should have just ran but I didn't and then I got caught and I remember I had to go to some youth youth court and there was some youth order and they were like monitoring me and this this this was like my primary school knew about this and then I've obviously gone into secondary school as well and like yeah it probably was like probation really probation like I had a little officer that used to come and see me at the house and and because I I don't know if they just thought my mum's struggling single parent don't really know what her son's up to she probably needs a bit of help and it was so embarrassing for my mum my mum this again the beatings and stuff like it was embarrassing that someone's coming into our house because her son can't behave and then yeah I I suppose from from petty shoplifting probably went into like stealing bikes I remember me stealing a bike at Hull University getting caught for that real dumb and stupid crimes.

00:24:43.759 --> 00:25:14.960
Then I started fighting I remember I got arrested because I punched the security guard in McDonald's after under 18's position got arrested for that like I was there was always a drama there was always some sort of caution or crime or something growing up always and then but this led to me having a stigma and a reputation and a lot of my friends' parents just thought he's the bad lad and we don't want our kids to hang around with him.

00:25:15.200 --> 00:26:08.400
And that had a real bad effect on me that to be honest and like I'd go to certain friends I'd be allowed in certain friends' houses but I wouldn't be allowed in other friends' houses and again there was no real guidance I always felt like I was on my own a little bit if I'm gonna be honest because they a lot of my friends came from like they had both parents in their households obviously they had family they had aunties uncles cousins all my family's in Nigeria do you know I mean all I've got is my mum and my sister no father figures no nothing so I always felt alone a little bit and always and I know a lot of it was my own fault me being a little bit of a toe rag but what I I wish sometimes is these parents who were supposed to be adults of my friends understanding why Chedo's like this.

00:26:08.799 --> 00:26:34.400
Ched was like this because he's a young black kid living on a on a on a council estate with no dad no guidance mum who's working three or four jobs basically getting raised by his big sister this is why he's acting like this because he's got no guidance really but they weren't thinking like that they were just thinking about their kids and how my behaviour is going to impact their kids.

00:26:34.880 --> 00:27:10.559
Don't get me wrong not all my friends' parents was like that I had some great I had some great some of my friends' parents were great do you know I mean they were great with me to take me places and stuff like that but yeah it did feel a little bit alone sometimes and then you commit crime and you just do daftness because you it's like a call for help really I think it must be that's it I that's what I was kind of thinking to be fair without the father figure there it is almost like a a bit of a cry for help and and without sounding controversial would I say this as well you're almost fitting into what would be quite the stereotype exactly of a young black man as well.

00:27:10.960 --> 00:27:35.839
Exactly I'm living up to my stereotype so from petty crime went to like me selling drugs and obviously school as well if we talk about school I got I got kicked out of school I was only allowed to I was only allowed to come back to do my exams yeah but there was a turning point really with at school and this was a man who I could say was a bit of a father figure or a positive influence.

00:27:36.319 --> 00:29:48.400
And I want to shout him out is a guy called Mr Davidson Mike Davidson and to be fair he's one of the most important figures in my life really because he was someone who saw the potential when all my friends' parents didn't really see the potential when people on the estate didn't really see the potential when a lot of the teachers didn't see the potential Mr Davidson did we had a common thing we're both Newcastle United fans he's a new he's a Geordie himself and he just he just saw the potential every time he saw me around school stand up straight a racker because obviously I'm tall I used to walk with a bit of a stoop just little things like that he was just a real top man and when I got kicked out of school at St Mary's I went to he he was deputy head and every time I used to kick off in school they'd send me to his office I'm off to see Mr Davidson blah blah blah and he'd he'd always give me a telling off and he was fair he was he was like one of those guys who like he was he was firm but fair yeah firm but I wouldn't and he's one of those guys who I if I let him down I'd feel real guilty because he put a lot of time into me so he said yeah you you you you've been obviously it's over now you you you're not gonna be able to come back to St Mary's but he was like this is the because I was always quite good at sport I played football I was quite quick sport was something that had my attention and he was like if you keep your nose clean like don't come back to school like don't come here at quarter at quarter past three when it when when when all your mates are leaving school just stay away I will try and persuade Mr Fitzpatrick who was the head teacher at the time to let you come to the sports college because it was the first year St Mary's was turning into a sports college so I was like oh this is going to be hard mate this is like my last year at school I want to be at school because I I enjoyed school yeah but it was just a youth club to me.

00:29:48.559 --> 00:30:15.920
That's it in it you kind of do you know everyone used to I remember the saying Jake oh you'll you'll miss school when you leave and I used to think nah fucking what and then you get into a job and you realize God how lucky was I just to spend six hours a day with my best mates I loved school I was always under the understanding of loving school no mate I I loved school hindsight thing for me where I'm like no no I'm not I'm not one of those who like who who couldn't wait to leave I loved it was like it was a safe haven.

00:30:16.000 --> 00:30:16.400
You know what?

00:30:16.480 --> 00:31:41.759
Because I was quite immature for my age really I look back I must have been because I loved the camaraderie the lads I love being with the lads terrorising school terrorising the teachers like we got we got to some we got to some mad stuff at school like some stuff that I probably wouldn't even like I I was a bit of a legend at St Mary's because of my behaviour like I was and obviously again tall black kid and the thing is though I'm tall and I'm black and I'm doing stuff of course I'm gonna get caught I'm the only tall black kid in the school do you know what I mean who did it well it was tall he was I don't know exactly what did I think I was always gonna get caught and I was always gonna get the blame and I I was oh it wasn't me what why do you always pick on me why we always pick on you Cheru because it it normally is you yeah yeah and you're like so you know what I mean so it's just like but I loved it I loved school like I if I could bottle up that feeling of being in school I would do I loved it mate I just loved the whole the ban uh just just yeah loved it and I was gutted when they kicked me out because I was like it's my last year I'm not gonna see the lads in my last year it's gonna be annoying but it worked out in the end so they let me come back to the sixth form and yeah so but then now I'm getting now I need money 30 quid EMA it's not enough mate for me.

00:31:41.920 --> 00:31:42.720
Do you know what I mean?

00:31:43.119 --> 00:32:31.920
So I started selling weed yeah and I had a decent little line to be fair like for my age for as a 16 17 year old like mate it paid for like I remember I went Falaraki 06 Kavos 07 paid for my holiday and my spends and everything like I was doing alright do you know what I mean but I got caught house raided first time I remember I think I was driving in my mate Reese's car yeah we had quite a bit on us and we was near near Napoleon's and we just got blue lighted searched houses just got raided boom to put me on like a what do they call it commun summut discharge I can't remember.

00:32:32.000 --> 00:34:02.960
It's a bit like a suspended sentence summut discharge I can't remember but this is a common theme though I've been arrested look I've been arrested so many times like going to cells was was nothing but first time getting my house raided was different because that's invading my mum's privacy that's it yeah your family as well that's not my mum's fault do you know what I mean my mum don't deserve that but me I don't care yeah I'm I think I think I'm the and the beatings aren't hurting now because I'm because I'm old now the beatings so the punishment it don't really matter like oh she should try to kick me out but I'd go to my mate's house for a day or two and then she'd feel guilty and then I'd be back do you know what I mean so yeah so the the crimes are getting a little bit more serious now and now I'm getting a bit more of a name around the city so I'm going out drinking round town and again go back to being go going back to what we was talking about earlier about being the target when you start going round town big tall black kid only young 17 grown men won't want to pick fights with you now so I have to defend myself and I'm not having it I'm not having it do you know what I mean like and obviously I'm hanging around with like obviously I'm I'm missing gaps in the story button No no no but some out but we'll get it but we so I started hanging around with like uh when I was like 16 I started hanging around with like you could say in air brackets a gang but kids from all different parts of the city and kids like from all from ethnic minorities.

00:34:03.119 --> 00:35:42.239
So I hung around with like two Syrian twin brothers a couple of South Asian kids a couple of mixed race lads and where the people used to call us like blazing squad and that but because everyone else every everyone else's crews and gangs were they were all white like yeah we were like multicultural is that what drew you together themselves I think so I actually think so because we had a common we had a common theme to fight for then but don't get it twisted the majority of people in the in the in the gang were white yeah I get that but the core were all from ethnic minorities and we used to suffer a lot of racism especially when we used to go around town like black this black that the M word the P word you and people were just jealous of us because we used to get a lot of girls and we dressed well and we we were cocky in that I'm not gonna lie but people didn't like it and we must have antagonized a lot of people because we used to fight it like I'm not over exaggerating every weekend we went out we had a fight if it wasn't in if it wasn't in heaven and hell it was in bedroom heaven and hell if it wasn't in bedroom it was in yellow if it wasn't in the yellow it was in HU1 if it wasn't in HU1 it was in Cheeky Monkeys If it wasn't in Cheeky Monkey Monkey If it wasn't Cheeky Monkeys it was it was goose and granite if it wasn't goose and granite it was Burritz do you know what I mean so like we had a reputation we get banned from everywhere mate and we used to go we used to go like Bev Road on a Sunday roundtown on a Saturday roundtown on a Thursday we was out all the time obviously we're young lads hormal we want girls you know I mean like that this is just what we're doing.

00:35:42.400 --> 00:35:50.960
I can't even do a day's worth of like you know drinking now it's the idea that I used to just be able to go all these nights in a row and now it's like yeah I couldn't do one now.

00:35:51.280 --> 00:38:09.360
So then yeah that's what we're doing we're going out all the time fighting like you win some you lose some there'd always be a get back blah blah blah we were we were quite petty and obviously some of us used to drive so we might if we if one of them if one of us got beat up or something happened we might drive to someone's area see them it was just tit for tat all the time and it just got serious like literally we we believed our own hype I think do you know I mean we thought our reputations meant very childish we thought our reputations meant everything that that that's what it was at that age though the reputation and all that sort of stuff and some mad stuff's happened like I've had I've had one of my one of my good friends got stabbed like from us going to have an arranged fight and it just went left and a knife got pulled out and and I rap about in one of my songs The Trials and Tribulations of CEO like it was it was a it was a very dark night very dark evening that but this is what's happening it's getting serious out here and then I went to jail yeah so oh sorry I just went around and but I'm just trying to build it no I've I've enjoyed it it's good it's good to get around I'm trying to build the story so yeah so when I went to jail so what so what I went to jail for is for fighting I had a so it was a fight Mainbus Beverly Road after the night after the night out there used to be a Chinese takeaway opposite Mainburhis and it wasn't even my beef to be honest but it's just an aver it's just an average night something's always gonna kick off so you've always got to be on your P's and Q's you've always got to be on your toes you've always got to be aware so what happened now someone had it was it was two bouncers actually but they wasn't on shift they'd gone for a night out I think they used to work at Piper I think and they'd my friend was trying to get into a girl that one of them liked and me and my friend are in the takeaway and they're basically set on us both one of the guys he's thrown a punch at me I've moved out the way and then I've hit him and he's hit the deck and I should have just left him there but I started kicking him and stamping on him and all that sort of stuff.

00:38:09.840 --> 00:38:42.400
Thinking I got it's when the adrenaline gets over confrontation it's not like do you when you see like trained MMA fighters where that once the once their opponent's down they know to stop but it's competition they're trained to handle that adrenaline rush that comes with physical confrontation but you see it all the time when you get into like physical fights like people don't know when to stop do they it's it's it's it's I I find myself quite lucky to be honest mate in the sense that you know you wear all the time on nights out when someone's killed someone off one punch.

00:38:42.480 --> 00:38:55.760
Yeah that could have easily been me on so many occasions on so many nights out from the age of 16 to 19 easily could have been me.

00:38:55.920 --> 00:39:26.800
I'm just one of the lucky ones I'm lucky it never happened to me because I've took pastings I'm not gonna be I'm not gonna be here claiming that I'm the artist man on Goldman I've just given out a lot more beatings than what I've had pastings but again I'm just one of the lucky ones so yeah I've walked away blue lights arrested me and me and my mate and they were only allowed to keep you in for like 24 hours before you I'm sure you know they let you go blah blah blah.

00:39:27.039 --> 00:40:01.760
Yeah they can't have any but they kept me in for longer they'd obviously asked the CPA because it was it was it was severe because like I'd hit him hard and I'd stamps on him and it was like it looked quite I'm not proud of it but it looked quite gruesome on camera so obviously they eventually let me out they bailed me and yeah they bailed me and then I had to keep on going so basically and then I got I got Someone to court, obviously.

00:40:02.480 --> 00:40:04.480
And I was at college at the time.

00:40:05.360 --> 00:40:11.280
And it was like a bit of a day out at college.

00:40:11.440 --> 00:40:13.039
So everyone at college had come.

00:40:13.280 --> 00:40:15.920
There'd be me, a couple of others, we'd get a lift there.

00:40:16.320 --> 00:40:17.039
Like a college day out.

00:40:17.119 --> 00:40:19.199
Like, oh Cherry was at court this week.

00:40:19.440 --> 00:40:21.599
And it just kept on getting adjourned.

00:40:22.719 --> 00:40:25.199
So I was thinking, oh, now it's gonna happen.

00:40:25.360 --> 00:40:27.760
Never in my mind did I think I was going to jail.

00:40:28.239 --> 00:40:29.119
Never in my mind did I think.

00:40:29.360 --> 00:40:30.960
Because you'd have thought if you was, it would have happened there.

00:40:31.199 --> 00:40:31.360
Yeah, yeah.

00:40:32.320 --> 00:40:39.199
Well, they tried to do me on a to be I've missed a bit of the story, they tried to do me on a section 18, which is one below attempted murder.

00:40:39.360 --> 00:40:40.079
Oh wow.

00:40:40.239 --> 00:40:42.239
I ain't got no love for the CPS.

00:40:42.480 --> 00:40:44.800
The CPS, in my opinion, are scumbags.

00:40:45.519 --> 00:40:49.760
But they actually turned it down to a section four.

00:40:50.559 --> 00:40:54.719
So even though they kept me in overnight, there was it was just a real weird situation.

00:40:54.880 --> 00:41:00.639
Like I don't know, I think I think the police wanted it to be more, basically.

00:41:01.360 --> 00:41:09.199
Do you think that going back to obviously, I mean, it's hard to say, but going back to you know, Nigerian roots, you race, do you think almost like trying to make an example of the police?

00:41:09.440 --> 00:41:10.000
Properly someone.

00:41:10.159 --> 00:41:12.079
The police are scumbags, man, the racist, man.

00:41:12.320 --> 00:41:13.199
They're the racists.

00:41:13.280 --> 00:41:16.960
I don't I mean, I ain't got nothing good to say about the police either.

00:41:17.199 --> 00:41:24.239
And you you may be right, but God was on my side and it got turned down to a section four, so yeah, I'm going to court.

00:41:24.559 --> 00:41:25.760
Blah, blah, blah.

00:41:26.000 --> 00:41:27.360
Agend, agenda, agend.

00:41:27.599 --> 00:41:30.719
And then this, there was this, I remember it was a f- I think it was a Friday.

00:41:33.199 --> 00:41:35.199
And it just somewhat felt off.

00:41:35.360 --> 00:41:37.360
I don't know what it was, it just felt off.

00:41:37.599 --> 00:41:38.719
Almost like you knew it was coming.

00:41:39.280 --> 00:41:41.679
In a way I did, but then but then I thought, nah, surely not.

00:41:41.840 --> 00:41:42.159
Surely not.

00:41:42.320 --> 00:41:43.280
Yeah, but it just felt off.

00:41:43.519 --> 00:41:48.320
Maybe it felt off because my si my sister came to court this day, my mum wouldn't come.

00:41:49.840 --> 00:41:52.559
So I'm there now.

00:41:52.880 --> 00:41:56.159
And I'm with my mate, my mate, my co-defendant.

00:41:56.800 --> 00:41:58.719
And I've got all my friends from college.

00:41:58.880 --> 00:42:00.800
And again, it's like it's a cool thing.

00:42:00.960 --> 00:42:03.280
Oh, Cheru's at court, bad boy, blah blah.

00:42:03.360 --> 00:42:04.719
I'm thinking I'm the guy, do you know what I mean?

00:42:04.800 --> 00:42:06.079
But I think I'm gonna get off.

00:42:06.400 --> 00:42:11.920
Then all these men start walking up the stairs like in like white shirts.

00:42:12.480 --> 00:42:18.079
And I look at my my boy, and I'm like, surely not.

00:42:18.239 --> 00:42:19.679
Like this can't be happening.

00:42:19.920 --> 00:42:26.639
Then they're just like, yeah, like Cheru Araka, we're sentencing you to a custodial sentence, blah blah blah.

00:42:26.800 --> 00:42:30.400
Like, and I'm like, it didn't feel real.

00:42:30.800 --> 00:42:34.639
It didn't even feel real the first night I stayed in in prison.

00:42:34.960 --> 00:42:37.039
Luckily, I got to stay with my friend.

00:42:37.199 --> 00:42:41.440
So my my friend, he got he got a lower sentence to me, I got the higher one.

00:42:42.000 --> 00:42:50.159
And we've gone, and we're there, we're sat on the bed, and we're just like, we're just in both utter shock.

00:42:50.320 --> 00:42:51.760
That we're both in jail.

00:42:51.920 --> 00:42:53.119
We couldn't believe it.

00:42:54.159 --> 00:43:00.880
And then we're there, and then a week later, I get shipped out, so you just got a bang, bang, bang on the door.

00:43:01.679 --> 00:43:05.519
Araka, or it might have been, they might no, I think it might have been just my jail number.

00:43:06.159 --> 00:43:08.800
We're shipping, you're getting shipped out, you're going North Alerton.

00:43:08.880 --> 00:43:10.559
I'm like, North Allerton, where the hell's that?

00:43:11.440 --> 00:43:15.599
So I'm me, me and me and my boy, I just we just hug each other.

00:43:15.679 --> 00:43:23.920
We're like, we're getting separated, we've cut, we've come to jail together, but we've never been, we are first-time jail guys, we've never been to jail before.

00:43:24.000 --> 00:43:26.320
This is a very new experience to us.

00:43:26.480 --> 00:43:32.320
And I'm leaving him, and it's like, it's like you're leaving your brother or your mum or something, do you know what I mean?

00:43:32.400 --> 00:43:33.199
It was quite emotional because.

00:43:33.599 --> 00:43:35.119
Imagine you would have thought you were going in together.

00:43:35.519 --> 00:43:37.519
Yeah, because obviously we'd spent a week together in jail.

00:43:37.599 --> 00:43:39.519
We're getting used to the jail life, do you know what I mean?

00:43:39.599 --> 00:43:47.760
Like the 22-hour bang up and all that rubbish and the rubbish food and calling your mum and all that stuff and playing pool on the landing and all that crap.

00:43:48.239 --> 00:43:49.599
So you're getting used to each other.

00:43:49.679 --> 00:43:51.920
Like, obviously, he's one of my best mates, so I know him anyway.

00:43:52.000 --> 00:43:54.559
So, really, again, it's a bit like a youth club.

00:43:54.719 --> 00:43:55.679
I'm just I'm just doing jail.

00:43:56.719 --> 00:43:57.679
I'm just doing jail, my mum.

00:43:58.480 --> 00:43:59.760
Yeah, it's all banner, do you know what I mean?

00:43:59.920 --> 00:44:02.239
Like, we're like, oh, we can't wait to get out, like blah blah blah.

00:44:02.320 --> 00:44:05.599
Like, and then boom, I'm gone, and I'm going to this other jail on my own.

00:44:05.679 --> 00:44:08.320
So I'm and it was quite a rough jail, Northallerton.

00:44:08.719 --> 00:44:10.800
Not obviously, nothing happened to me.

00:44:11.679 --> 00:44:15.280
And then, yeah, man, I'm just there.

00:44:15.519 --> 00:44:16.559
And it's just crazy.

00:44:16.639 --> 00:44:18.480
Like, I'm just in a total different jail.

00:44:18.559 --> 00:44:23.599
And obviously, you meet new people and and stuff, and but I got out early.

00:44:23.760 --> 00:44:23.920
Yeah.

00:44:24.159 --> 00:44:25.519
How long was you in for then?

00:44:25.760 --> 00:44:27.679
So I actually got out.

00:44:27.920 --> 00:44:35.920
I got sentenced to 14 weeks.

00:44:36.719 --> 00:44:38.159
I was supposed to do seven.

00:44:38.800 --> 00:44:40.559
And I only did about three weeks.

00:44:40.880 --> 00:44:41.199
That's not.

00:44:41.599 --> 00:44:45.199
I got out early because my mum appealed against my sentence.

00:44:46.239 --> 00:44:47.840
Obviously, my mum's traumatised.

00:44:48.239 --> 00:44:48.800

Chiedu Oraka: The Black Yorkshireman. Culture, Identity, Drugs and Prison to Supporting Coldplay

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