[Applause]
you know what yeah before I start I’m so
guests like I don’t think you understand
this is so sick
so thank you for for coming and I can’t
believe she introduced me like that you
know when someone does that and then you
get a bit awkward after cause like she
said so many things but yeah my name is
Jung ko bikini I am a radio and TV
presenter I say TV presenter but you
know I’m working on that side of things
and I was born maybe like half a mile
that way at King’s College Hospital and
I grew up seven minute walk from here in
North Beckham I grew up in the
Gloucester Grove Estate part of the
North Dakota State
so Peckham resident through and through
and and I wanted to talk to you today
about the myth of escaping the ghetto
because I grew up in a really close-knit
community I mean we didn’t even look odd
or at all which now I think about it was
kind of silly but we didn’t lock our
door there was so much crime in my
neighborhood but we didn’t realize it
because when you’re a kid you only see
that the candies lost in the rainbows
and the unicorns and stuff and then it
kind of all changed when Damona Taylor
died because he was my next-door
neighbor and it was one of those things
that overnight this place that I I know
and this is the only thing I’ve ever
ever experienced all of a sudden became
hell because you’re I was like 10 and
your eyes are open to all of that the
evils in the world but you’re not really
ready for it so we escaped and we moved
not even for just another just down the
road and then my family and my dad and
everyone it’s that this mentality I
don’t know if it’s like a West African
mentality I’m not sure but it’s your not
West Africa and then you can tell me if
you can relate but it was the you need
to go to school and then you need to get
your GCSEs then you have to get your a
levels and then you have to go to
university so you can become successful
so you can escape the poverty so you can
escape the ghetto so you can leave and
make a better life for yourself and all
of that sort of stuff so I did that I I
think I’ve got like a thousand
you catch points I did every single
subject at college I was in college for
four years that’s a long time you know
you only met to be there for two but yes
so I did the sciences at a level and
also re and R and laughs and yeah a
thousand new test points and yes I did I
did the sciences and I got into a really
good university I went to UCL which yet
again is just over there and I did law
at uni I studied for four years to be
this high-flying lawyer yes I saw Judge
Judy and I and I watched Legally Blonde
and this is the reason why I did law but
it was that one medicine I don’t wanna
cut people open so I did Laura at uni
and I remember going into class every
every day going to lectures going to
seminars and all this stuff thinking I
cannot believe this is what I’m gonna be
doing for the whole of my life now I’m
gonna be reading forever I’m gonna be
talking about things I don’t care about
I don’t care about maritime law that was
my pathway shipping and Coast Guard’s
think like captain Phillips right but
just not sassy at all
that is very boring that I dunno how
long it takes to ship five thousand tons
of steel from China to Sierra Leone but
that’s about it so when I graduated I’m
on it if I’m honest I didn’t I didn’t go
to my graduation I didn’t buy like a cap
and gown I didn’t do any of that but my
dad was so proud I come from a huge
family there were seven siblings I’m
like in the middle somewhere and I’m one
of the two of us we have degrees one of
my sister’s is a midwife I am a lawyer
so my dad was guest yeah because he now
has this piece of paper in his toilet so
every time there’s a poo right he can
stare at the fact that I did quite well
at uni yeah but I was just so unhappy
that year now I’ve got this piece of
paper and no money because it costs a
lot to study which I’m sure that some of
us can appreciate and I still felt like
I was trying to run from something like
is it trying to run from myself I was
born in this place it can’t really be
that bad
I know there are people under worse
circumstances
I didn’t know what to do so I thought to
myself I’ve made dad happy he can chill
out for a bit yeah he can rub in his
mates faces whenever they come round a
play poker and so now let me try and do
something for myself
I had no idea what I wanted to do that
even now standing here people ask me
like how did you get your job and I
don’t know I don’t know I heard people
on the radio and I thought you know what
I want to do that I don’t know how I’m
gonna get there but I think it’s
something that I could potentially be
quite good at so I know I like talking
to people I know that you guys have been
laughing I think I’m kind of funny um
and I don’t deny it but yeah and so what
I thought I would do is try and
incorporate my love for music like I
love music as most people do if you know
that music I don’t know what’s wrong
with you man that I met someone who
doesn’t like music that every day as
that what sort of music you like and she
was that none and I was at all this
conversations finished let me leave
but yeah so incorporate my love for
music with my love for talking rubbish
constantly every all that other speakers
backstage they know I don’t sharp I’m
really sorry I know I’ve been talking
back blah blah but yeah so I got a job
at a radio station called rinse FM and I
I’m doing this a lot but like to work
for free isn’t really working in it I
volunteered all my time yeah for like
four years to this station eventually
did the the breakfast show and it was
maybe this time last year I think it’s
about a year ago where I seriously
considered quitting I thought it’s not
going anywhere
nobody wants me these people don’t want
me they just want their I’m in here
because I do it for free
yeah like they pay my expenses which
when you get a bus to work every day
it’s not a lot and so I thought I’ve
failed because I did went to uni I’ve
got a degree and there I now I’m trying
to be a radio presenter nah this is not
working I’m not on telly I’m not doing
anything and I still live in Peckham
like I’m still here 28 years and I’m
just
well 27 because that was last year but
yeah and I’m still just here got how do
I get out of this funk how do i I don’t
know how to try and then I thought you
know what instead of complaining mostly
to my best friend Dan who
sitting there and just try this just
send your tape to someone do something
lo and behold I got a job at capital X
Shawn yeah it’s amazing
um but I realized on this stack year
journey and in the four years before
that and in the four years at uni and
the 7,000 new cast points and all the
GCSEs that you can imagine yeah I even
did French that why am I trying to
escape what am I trying to leave behind
because like me I think that Peckham and
I are a little bit similar I’m not gonna
stab you but we’re a little bit similar
because it’s not you’re not perfect
you’re not I wouldn’t say that I’ve
completely made it I wouldn’t even
describe myself as it’s that’s all I’m
sure over half of you are looking at me
like who is that who is she I’ve never
heard of her before which is fine
because you will see but no I’m saying
that we’re not perfect and we’re not you
know flawless and anything like that but
if you don’t invest that in yourself and
do what you want to do or lack in it
like an area like this which has had so
many I can’t even sort of explain that
we’ve haven’t been given a chance if I’m
honest I was born into a three-bedroom
flat with seven kids and a single mum
she had six of us were like under ten
there was there’s no opportunity there
every single thing they did to try and
make things better
didn’t you cops don’t exist anymore
everything that we asked to school
things that it’s just I thought like
everything sort of pit against us and if
I don’t invest in this area and if I
don’t you know at least try then there’s
going to be another kid who maybe
wouldn’t that think they could do it and
wouldn’t work as hard because if people
are telling you constantly you live in a
crap place this is a prep area
look at those bugs look at the mice all
this then you start to believe it and
the the myth of escaping the ghetto is
it’s just so rife in our culture and the
fact that I’m not against gentrification
I think it sounds weird I’m not against
it but I think it’s a necessary part of
evolving and adapting of course I was
born here and I want it to remain and I
I like the fact that you know you can go
to the pub and get a pint for free
pounds it’s wonderful yeah probably not
going to happen for much longer but if
we don’t allow things to move and to
change and to grow then we’re going to
be stunted as people and the area is
still going to be that rubbish lack that
blemish on the face of London or the map
or whatever is it’s just I get so
frustrated when you know I see people
put down because of where they are
originally from which is why I’ve chosen
to just invest in in my town so I’m
buying my house and I’m doing things
that I know will allow that potential
children or my family or whatever to
have some sort of legacy I think that
we’re taught so much to not have pride
in where we’re from because we live in
Council fats and and we’re not our
teachers are terrible terrible my
teacher yeah in secondary school told me
I was going to amount enough in and then
last week she emailed me office do a
talk yeah
and I just said her this emoji because
no but like our teachers are rubbish
yeah because they’re overworked
underpaid the kids our parents have too
many children because of poverty and
they don’t know any better and then
you’re left with imagination at least
who are just a little bit confused
because we want to love where we’re from
we want to love ourselves but it’s very
difficult when you’re told that you’re
rubbish all the time so here’s to the
inspirational part and yeah I don’t have
like the formula for success I think
that if you find love in what you do
then you can you can invest in
yourselves I’m strong about like being
better I don’t think there are any of us
at the top of our craft or at the top of
the mountain or you know I’m not there
yet nowhere near I think this might even
be my first proper job because I worked
in a hotel one time and I didn’t and it
didn’t go back and I left my Jordans in
the locker and I was changed my nan
books they kept ringing me and it was it
was a terrible time so it’s it’s about
finding something that you actually love
and be it talking rubbish
eight minutes now or you know it could
be creating stuff it could even be if
you like law and you love reading all of
those books yeah and actually invest in
the time in it because I think I read
somewhere you probably don the quote
it’s like overnight success takes like
10,000 hours or something like that and
it’s so true because people look at me
and they’re like oh look at you you’re
12 not and and that you came out of
nowhere and that and I’m thinking no I
used to do the breakfast show at rinse
FM finish work at 10:30 a.m. go home and
nap then work in a pub from two o’clock
in the afternoon to a free o’clock in
the morning then get home at 4:00 and
wake up at 5:00 and but for like three
years so it’s like if you don’t actually
put that work in be it did I just spit
because I thought wake up out if you
don’t actually that put that work in and
invest in yourself and in the area that
you’re from nothing is going to improve
and then we’re just going to have our
own children another generation of kids
who have no idea what’s going on and
that’s not to say our parents are silly
they’re not but they didn’t understand
we would like the baby bloom our thing
where they just had bare I’ve got six
brothers and sisters why did they do
that I love them all yeah I do love them
they’re kind of annoying but I do love
them now we’re all in our 20s and 30s so
like it’s a vibe every day’s a house
party but you know if you don’t invest
be it in your work or in where you are
from you’re going to have there’s no
pride you’re gonna have nothing to leave
behind so hear me or feel my wrath
alright just invest in yourselves please
and I’m gonna walk off really awkwardly
thank you for laughing at my dead jokes
I appreciate
[Applause]
you know what yeah before I start I’m so
guests like I don’t think you understand
this is so sick
so thank you for for coming and I can’t
believe she introduced me like that you
know when someone does that and then you
get a bit awkward after cause like she
said so many things but yeah my name is
Jung ko bikini I am a radio and TV
presenter I say TV presenter but you
know I’m working on that side of things
and I was born maybe like half a mile
that way at King’s College Hospital and
I grew up seven minute walk from here in
North Beckham I grew up in the
Gloucester Grove Estate part of the
North Dakota State
so Peckham resident through and through
and and I wanted to talk to you today
about the myth of escaping the ghetto
because I grew up in a really close-knit
community I mean we didn’t even look odd
or at all which now I think about it was
kind of silly but we didn’t lock our
door there was so much crime in my
neighborhood but we didn’t realize it
because when you’re a kid you only see
that the candies lost in the rainbows
and the unicorns and stuff and then it
kind of all changed when Damona Taylor
died because he was my next-door
neighbor and it was one of those things
that overnight this place that I I know
and this is the only thing I’ve ever
ever experienced all of a sudden became
hell because you’re I was like 10 and
your eyes are open to all of that the
evils in the world but you’re not really
ready for it so we escaped and we moved
not even for just another just down the
road and then my family and my dad and
everyone it’s that this mentality I
don’t know if it’s like a West African
mentality I’m not sure but it’s your not
West Africa and then you can tell me if
you can relate but it was the you need
to go to school and then you need to get
your GCSEs then you have to get your a
levels and then you have to go to
university so you can become successful
so you can escape the poverty so you can
escape the ghetto so you can leave and
make a better life for yourself and all
of that sort of stuff so I did that I I
think I’ve got like a thousand
you catch points I did every single
subject at college I was in college for
four years that’s a long time you know
you only met to be there for two but yes
so I did the sciences at a level and
also re and R and laughs and yeah a
thousand new test points and yes I did I
did the sciences and I got into a really
good university I went to UCL which yet
again is just over there and I did law
at uni I studied for four years to be
this high-flying lawyer yes I saw Judge
Judy and I and I watched Legally Blonde
and this is the reason why I did law but
it was that one medicine I don’t wanna
cut people open so I did Laura at uni
and I remember going into class every
every day going to lectures going to
seminars and all this stuff thinking I
cannot believe this is what I’m gonna be
doing for the whole of my life now I’m
gonna be reading forever I’m gonna be
talking about things I don’t care about
I don’t care about maritime law that was
my pathway shipping and Coast Guard’s
think like captain Phillips right but
just not sassy at all
that is very boring that I dunno how
long it takes to ship five thousand tons
of steel from China to Sierra Leone but
that’s about it so when I graduated I’m
on it if I’m honest I didn’t I didn’t go
to my graduation I didn’t buy like a cap
and gown I didn’t do any of that but my
dad was so proud I come from a huge
family there were seven siblings I’m
like in the middle somewhere and I’m one
of the two of us we have degrees one of
my sister’s is a midwife I am a lawyer
so my dad was guest yeah because he now
has this piece of paper in his toilet so
every time there’s a poo right he can
stare at the fact that I did quite well
at uni yeah but I was just so unhappy
that year now I’ve got this piece of
paper and no money because it costs a
lot to study which I’m sure that some of
us can appreciate and I still felt like
I was trying to run from something like
is it trying to run from myself I was
born in this place it can’t really be
that bad
I know there are people under worse
circumstances
I didn’t know what to do so I thought to
myself I’ve made dad happy he can chill
out for a bit yeah he can rub in his
mates faces whenever they come round a
play poker and so now let me try and do
something for myself
I had no idea what I wanted to do that
even now standing here people ask me
like how did you get your job and I
don’t know I don’t know I heard people
on the radio and I thought you know what
I want to do that I don’t know how I’m
gonna get there but I think it’s
something that I could potentially be
quite good at so I know I like talking
to people I know that you guys have been
laughing I think I’m kind of funny um
and I don’t deny it but yeah and so what
I thought I would do is try and
incorporate my love for music like I
love music as most people do if you know
that music I don’t know what’s wrong
with you man that I met someone who
doesn’t like music that every day as
that what sort of music you like and she
was that none and I was at all this
conversations finished let me leave
but yeah so incorporate my love for
music with my love for talking rubbish
constantly every all that other speakers
backstage they know I don’t sharp I’m
really sorry I know I’ve been talking
back blah blah but yeah so I got a job
at a radio station called rinse FM and I
I’m doing this a lot but like to work
for free isn’t really working in it I
volunteered all my time yeah for like
four years to this station eventually
did the the breakfast show and it was
maybe this time last year I think it’s
about a year ago where I seriously
considered quitting I thought it’s not
going anywhere
nobody wants me these people don’t want
me they just want their I’m in here
because I do it for free
yeah like they pay my expenses which
when you get a bus to work every day
it’s not a lot and so I thought I’ve
failed because I did went to uni I’ve
got a degree and there I now I’m trying
to be a radio presenter nah this is not
working I’m not on telly I’m not doing
anything and I still live in Peckham
like I’m still here 28 years and I’m
just
well 27 because that was last year but
yeah and I’m still just here got how do
I get out of this funk how do i I don’t
know how to try and then I thought you
know what instead of complaining mostly
to my best friend Dan who
sitting there and just try this just
send your tape to someone do something
lo and behold I got a job at capital X
Shawn yeah it’s amazing
um but I realized on this stack year
journey and in the four years before
that and in the four years at uni and
the 7,000 new cast points and all the
GCSEs that you can imagine yeah I even
did French that why am I trying to
escape what am I trying to leave behind
because like me I think that Peckham and
I are a little bit similar I’m not gonna
stab you but we’re a little bit similar
because it’s not you’re not perfect
you’re not I wouldn’t say that I’ve
completely made it I wouldn’t even
describe myself as it’s that’s all I’m
sure over half of you are looking at me
like who is that who is she I’ve never
heard of her before which is fine
because you will see but no I’m saying
that we’re not perfect and we’re not you
know flawless and anything like that but
if you don’t invest that in yourself and
do what you want to do or lack in it
like an area like this which has had so
many I can’t even sort of explain that
we’ve haven’t been given a chance if I’m
honest I was born into a three-bedroom
flat with seven kids and a single mum
she had six of us were like under ten
there was there’s no opportunity there
every single thing they did to try and
make things better
didn’t you cops don’t exist anymore
everything that we asked to school
things that it’s just I thought like
everything sort of pit against us and if
I don’t invest in this area and if I
don’t you know at least try then there’s
going to be another kid who maybe
wouldn’t that think they could do it and
wouldn’t work as hard because if people
are telling you constantly you live in a
crap place this is a prep area
look at those bugs look at the mice all
this then you start to believe it and
the the myth of escaping the ghetto is
it’s just so rife in our culture and the
fact that I’m not against gentrification
I think it sounds weird I’m not against
it but I think it’s a necessary part of
evolving and adapting of course I was
born here and I want it to remain and I
I like the fact that you know you can go
to the pub and get a pint for free
pounds it’s wonderful yeah probably not
going to happen for much longer but if
we don’t allow things to move and to
change and to grow then we’re going to
be stunted as people and the area is
still going to be that rubbish lack that
blemish on the face of London or the map
or whatever is it’s just I get so
frustrated when you know I see people
put down because of where they are
originally from which is why I’ve chosen
to just invest in in my town so I’m
buying my house and I’m doing things
that I know will allow that potential
children or my family or whatever to
have some sort of legacy I think that
we’re taught so much to not have pride
in where we’re from because we live in
Council fats and and we’re not our
teachers are terrible terrible my
teacher yeah in secondary school told me
I was going to amount enough in and then
last week she emailed me office do a
talk yeah
and I just said her this emoji because
no but like our teachers are rubbish
yeah because they’re overworked
underpaid the kids our parents have too
many children because of poverty and
they don’t know any better and then
you’re left with imagination at least
who are just a little bit confused
because we want to love where we’re from
we want to love ourselves but it’s very
difficult when you’re told that you’re
rubbish all the time so here’s to the
inspirational part and yeah I don’t have
like the formula for success I think
that if you find love in what you do
then you can you can invest in
yourselves I’m strong about like being
better I don’t think there are any of us
at the top of our craft or at the top of
the mountain or you know I’m not there
yet nowhere near I think this might even
be my first proper job because I worked
in a hotel one time and I didn’t and it
didn’t go back and I left my Jordans in
the locker and I was changed my nan
books they kept ringing me and it was it
was a terrible time so it’s it’s about
finding something that you actually love
and be it talking rubbish
eight minutes now or you know it could
be creating stuff it could even be if
you like law and you love reading all of
those books yeah and actually invest in
the time in it because I think I read
somewhere you probably don the quote
it’s like overnight success takes like
10,000 hours or something like that and
it’s so true because people look at me
and they’re like oh look at you you’re
12 not and and that you came out of
nowhere and that and I’m thinking no I
used to do the breakfast show at rinse
FM finish work at 10:30 a.m. go home and
nap then work in a pub from two o’clock
in the afternoon to a free o’clock in
the morning then get home at 4:00 and
wake up at 5:00 and but for like three
years so it’s like if you don’t actually
put that work in be it did I just spit
because I thought wake up out if you
don’t actually that put that work in and
invest in yourself and in the area that
you’re from nothing is going to improve
and then we’re just going to have our
own children another generation of kids
who have no idea what’s going on and
that’s not to say our parents are silly
they’re not but they didn’t understand
we would like the baby bloom our thing
where they just had bare I’ve got six
brothers and sisters why did they do
that I love them all yeah I do love them
they’re kind of annoying but I do love
them now we’re all in our 20s and 30s so
like it’s a vibe every day’s a house
party but you know if you don’t invest
be it in your work or in where you are
from you’re going to have there’s no
pride you’re gonna have nothing to leave
behind so hear me or feel my wrath
alright just invest in yourselves please
and I’m gonna walk off really awkwardly
thank you for laughing at my dead jokes
I appreciate
[Applause]
Please follow and like us: