MET POLICE 'CBA WITH INVESTIGATING ASSAULT, SHOPLIFTING, GTA & BURGLARIES & MORE'

2017 has been truly loopy and you are 100% forgiven for not being to keep track with all the madness. Today, however, the Met police have made some pretty big changes that I feel we should all be aware of.

"On Monday, it was reported that the UK’s largest force would no longer look into many reports of crimes, including burglaries, thefts and assaults, where there was judged to be little prospect of identifying a suspect."

London's Metropolitan Police announced earlier today that they would be looking to save around £400m on their budget in the next four years as a result of over-spending and immense pressures caused by the current terror threat. Firstly, that's a huge sum. The fact that we're ready to reduce funding for our national/domestic security but happily increase our military budget is beyond crazy.

As a result of these cuts, police will now be investigating far fewer crimes, essentially giving free-reign to some criminals, some think. Nothing's been decriminalised so every crime is still worth it's weight in jail time.. What has changed are attitudes towards certains crimes, with less time being spent on the investigations of them.

Police will now be looking into the following a lot less;

- shoplifting

- burglaries and thefts

- assault (where the attacker isn't instantly idenitfied)

- car crimes

- criminal damage

The deputy commisioner of the Met Police, Mark Simmons said;

“With the pressure on our resources, it is not practical for our officers to spend a considerable amount of time looking into something where, for example, the value of damage or the item stolen is under £50, or the victim is not willing to support a prosecution.

The 'pressure' on their resources that Mr. Simmons is referring to is the supposedly ominous and looming 'terror threat'. 

“We need our officers to be focused on serious crime and cases where there is a realistic chance that we will be able to solve it. We also want them to be available to respond to emergencies and go to those members of the public that need our help the most.” 

He also added;

“Of course, we are not talking about things like homicide, kidnap, sexual offences, hate crime or domestic violence, but the lower level, higher volume offences such as shoplifting, car crime and criminal damage. 

Obviously, he's obliged to say everything he's said above, he has to do a job. However, I'd say that the Met Police are playing a risky game. They are fully aware of the mentalities the 'criminals' they have to deal with on a day-to-day and must surely know that the opportunist mindset of a potential wrong-doer is only going to see this as an opportunity?

This supposed 'let-off' is weirdly coupled with an announcement earlier in the week that the Police would now be looking to clamp down on people for the possession of corrosive acids/liquids in the wake of a recent rise in acid attacks, the most being one in Stratford's old shopping mall. All smells a bit contradictory to me.. 

The police are basically saying they're going to be harder on assault because that's what an acid attack is... at the same time as investigating it less?? I can only think that this will result in more people trying to get away with acid attacks and other assaults if they believe they can remain faceless, resulting in more people from that demographic being jailed. 

The Met are hoping to save this huge some of money over 2020, which is the tiniest bit more encouraging. Imagine if they forecasted themselves a year to save £400m we could be looking at a completely different story. Personally, I hope that these cuts of this nature don't continue. After all we fund the police through tax. If they do continue, we could be looking at a lot more 'leniency' on more severe crimes and that definitely wouldn't be good!

What do people most fear? (TWITTER POLL)

On my Twitter page, I've been conducting a series of polls - oo don't I sound scientific!? I've been doing so for a couple of months now and will probably carry on indefinitely! Given that I study Journalism and am looking to do things of this nature more in the future.. it wouldn't hurt starting now, on a smaller scale and less formal platform.

One of my first (I think my 4th or 5th) poles was targeted at everyone and posed the question, 'Generally speaking, what do you most fear being..?', the possible answers were; A Victim Of Crime, A Victim of Terror, Poor or Lonely.

I wasn't actually going to post anything on it, but yesterday, I mentioned to my mum that I'd polled this question and her reaction reinforced the significance of these findings.

These were the results..

Of course, there are a huge number of negatives that could be drawn from this data as well as one or two positives. This polls suggests that on average people in the UK fear being 'A Victim of Terror' less than crime, poverty and loneliness. The only positive from that is that people (or at least my Twitter seemingly aren't buying into the shit in the media. People, as you can see, most fear being lonely.. closely followed by poor.

My perrrrsonal opinion is that our 'system' is to blame for such a high number of people fearing for the financial stability. It's purely a reflection of the complete uncertainty surrounding employment for over 18s. Zero-hour contracts, poor wages comparably to the price of life, lack of jobs various reasons, poor education system that doesn't prepare you for 'adult life', discrimination (racial, gender etc), lack of motivation, anxiety, lack of confidence... the list sadly is endless! But all of these are indicators of a failing system. Now obviously a number of people have flourished in the same system but again, in my perrrrsonal opinion, that's a kind of luck of the draw thing. Either you were luckily instilled with the right mentality to help you succeed (upbringing/life xp has resulted in good money management, high motivation, innate dislike for laziness etc) from a young age - whether you were raised poorly or well. Either that, or your from a rich/connected family blah blah blah, you know the story.

Now, people most feared being lonely in the future. That's quite telling. I've found this to be true in life tbh; people aren't too scared about terror unless a bomb goes off, people utter the odd word about being the victim of crime but I don't hear it often, people are alllways talking/worrying about money and people genuinely all want to be accepted. It's just important that we speak to people often and if you see anyone looking like they could potentially need a friend, be the friend!!

Follow my Twitter for more polls!

Happy Sunday!

COOL MUSIC; Jeremih & Chance - Xmas Mixtape

So, I rarely blog on new music but Jeremih & Chance the Rapper have given me absolutely no choice.

On Wednesday night the rapper and r'n'b singer dropped a crazy Christmas mixtape to rival every other album release this year. Fans were given zero warning and woke up on Thursday to a welcomed, early Christmas present. The album features some awesome samples, including a funky spin on the Jackson 5's  hit 'I want you back', they've even collaborated with famous comedian Hannibal Buress, it's all mad.

 Each track is a perfect blend between Christmas and contemporary music and the way both artists compliment each other is sure to catch most listeners by surprise.

You'll find the tape on the right-hand toolbar, just there, it should actually start playing automatically.... ----------->

The end of 2016 has brought an abundance of impressive albums; Post Malone's Stoney, Childish Gambino's "Awaken, My Love!", J Cole's 4 Your Eyez Only to name a few.

Check them all out - they're all on Spotify, but not before giving this festive treat a listen.

Have a great Christmas and New Year pretty people X

COOL DEALS; WHERE THE HECK DID YOU FIND THAT??

Cool, so I'm back as promised, with some AWESOME new deals. As you all know, I am addicted to buying clothes, especially cheap ones, I am a bargain hunter. If I see a good deal, I'm there. and if I don't have the money at the time, I will borrow it, and then I'm there. Good deals do not wait for anyone. Just like in anything you do in life, you must be an opportunist.

I've mainly sourced my clothing from charity stores, must notably, Iain Rennie, BHF and Cancer Research. Some of the items I am about to show you were also found in sample sales that I have recently attended (search google for 'local sample sales') where I was able to pick up some really nice things for under £2.

Some of the items I will be showing are for sale now too, so if you're lucky enough to have me on a social network, contact me via one of them, for more information. Notepads ready?.. Let's go. 

 

This simple ASOS Black Bucket Hat was picked up at a sample sale for 25p.

You can't go wrong with the classic, Nike swoosh design. Copped this at the Islington Car Boot Sale for £2.

Now for some bottoms.. These high-rise Levi's 505's, have quickly become my life. Slightly different from the original 501's, these beauties cost me £10 (50%) from Beyond Retro, Dalston. Get yourself down to your closest BR if you're looking for a solid pair of jeans.

For those who don't know, Carhartt, is my favourite brand. I actually got these Carhartt Sid Chinos, from EBAY for a £10. Have a look yourself, these babies retail at 85.00GBP!

Now for some of my hot finds in sportswear..

This 80s LA Sharks Ice Hockey jersey was bought aaaages ago now, I couldn't resist it at the time and still absolutely love it. One of the best things I've ever picked up for £1. 

We all know how sort after Adidas Firebird Tracksuits are.. Retailing at a mean £50. I felt like the heavens were smiling on me when I found this on an Algerian man's rack at the wonderful Dalston Car Boot Sale. He charged me £4! 

Again, another blessing. This was sourced a lot closer to home than my previous buys. I picked this Adidas Original Brasil World Cup edition shirt from my local favourite, Iain Rennie Hospice for £4.50. Again, that's almost 90% I saved myself on the retail price. This hobby takes a lot of patience, don't guy buying anything or crying because you didn't find something mind-blowingly cheap, that just defeats the whole object of bargain hunting.

D'you know a stylist? Luckily I know a few! They're fab because they're always looking to offload spare clothes. I actually picked up the next three items you're about to see, for free!

From my lovely friend Grace. That's a link to this cool chick's instagram.. Take a look at what she's about!

 

FOR SALE - Add me on Facebook (Zachary Ekpe) or contact me on a social network (@ZachEkpe).

 Alternatively, you can email me at zacharyekpe@gmail.com or text me, if you're lucky enough to have my number.

This bad boy bomber is also for sale, again, hit me up.

Now for some slightly more upmarket finds..

To keep myself out of the trap of becoming

This FCUK top, as seen in my 'profile pics' all over the web, cost me £2, from an ASOS sample sale, just outside London. This shirt is loud and screams 60s!!! So I'll have to be in a certain mood or going to a certain event to wear this one.

To add to the classy buys I nabbed myself this ZARA jumper for men. This probably retailed at around £25-50 and I got it from Age UK, in Hemel Hempstead's town centre for £4.

And finally, to ensure that I can look smart with regardless of the bottoms I choose. I had to get this, a lovely North Face fleece that was only £6, from Cancer Research. 

This was bought by a friend of mine, for me, as he knew it'd be right down my street, thank you Ross!

 

  ..

I trust that the items you have seen have given you all hope, but, I'm not done yet! I still have the shoes to show y'all.

First up, we have these beauts. These are classic Timberland walking boots, they are around 20-30 years old now, but knowing Timberland and they're high quality/prices, these would retail nowadays at somewhere near £80. You want to know how much I paid? £2, from Dalston Car Boot Sale. The lady really wanted to shift her ex-husband's old walking boots and as it was the end of the boot day, she was looking to get ANYTHING for them. I almost felt bad buying these. Admittedly, these needed abit of mending as the inner soles had holes in them! Not anymore though, I put some Supra insoles in them, making them clouds for my feet to rest in.

The Reebok Classic Workouts were also bought at the car boot sale in Dalston and they set me back £4, which again, is a really good price. Especially considering the condition the shoes are in and the way in which they've kept their value over the last decade.

 

So guys, this is the end. I've got many more items to show you in the near future, I just hope that this is evidence enough that good deals are accessible to all of us. The proof is in the post. Go out there and search for local sample and car boot sales. And pop into the odd charity shop, you'll DEFINITELY find something. If you're weirdly embarrassed by charity shopping, glance into them at the very least, when you walk past, something may catch your eye.

Remember, some of these items are for sale so please do not shy away from getting in touch with me.

Have a great day, stay tuned and stay blessed!

COOL MUSIC; GRM NEWS - WHAT'S NEW?

Here are a few videos, I just want to keep you guys involved, from a two former LOTM MCs and some upcoming youngers from Nottingham, all of which were shot by JDZMedia. 

I'm not jumping on any sort of band wagon when I say look out for Mez, one of the hottest in the game. You don't have to look far on YouTube to see  this yout slicing off heads. 

Here's my first vid. JDZMedia presents D2's SPITFIRE. I have met this guy live and spoken to him since on live call ins to SilkCityRadio, warning- this is fire..

'You can't challenge me on the mic, I've got a black belt in.. karaoke..'

Another former LOTM man, K Dot (Sheffield) hits us up with some fresh material, in his Elite Sessions. Listen closely to the lyrics! This video is only a day or two old.

Finally, we have a new single on the market?? Sparx and Mez have come together to produce suttin' amazing, again, this is a fresh tune.

That's all for now. Do stay tuned for more GRM news! Don't forget to suscribe to the channels on YouTube.

FOLLOW THE ARTISTS ON TWITTER

@UncleMez

@SparxMusic

@D2_Invasion

@kdotshefftown

COOL MUSIC; IT'S DA MURKLE MAN!

The boss Jammer is back. We haven't scene a freestyle for 2 years now from the grime scene baaaauuuus that is the Murkle Man, and look.. I know 2 years isn't that long but that is a whopping THREE series of SBTV, without a Jammer freestyle. And you'd think for those who love Jammer for his music, the east London rapper would just stay out of dramas and the social media spotlight, just to keep his fans from thinking 'oo I haven't heard a freestyle from him in a while?' but NO. Impossible. May I remind you who the CEO and owner of Lord Of The Mics is?? Yes, IT'S DV MURKLE MVN. So expect to be seeing his face on your twitter timeline A LOT around now as anticipation for LOTM6 is hotting up! He has already received threats from rapper Big H and now has gotten on the wrong side of the Asian rapper, from Birmingham.. Grimmy, over comments Jammer has made about Grimmy's LOTM5 contestant Grim Sickers. Without further ado, I present to you Jammer's 'Warm Up Session' by SBTV

Released on the 25th of February

This year, Jammer (BBK) is definitely going to be in the top 5 most talked about rappers, so make sure you don't miss a word of what's going on! Follow the artist at @JammerBBK

Stay locked and stay blessed!

Follow me - @ZachEkpe

Follow the artist on twitter - @JammerBBK

COOL MUSIC; WHAT'S OUT THERE?

WARNING: THERE ARE A LOT OF VIDEOS IN THIS POST, IF YOU WATCH EVERY VIDEO FROM BEGINNING TO END, I HAVE WORKED OUT THAT YOU'LL BE ON MY POST FOR THE NEXT 2 HOURS OF YOUR LIFE. JUST WATCHED A FEW MINUTES OF EACH. FOR YOUR OWN GOOD.

Okay, this is just going to be a short(ish) post. A shortish post that should educate you more about the grime scene, outside of London. Yes, yes, yes, we've all heard of Skepta, Wiley, Frisco, P Money, K Koke, JME, to name a few. BUT how clear a bell do these names ring? Marshy, A9, KB, Dorris, JayKae, Gino, Mez, Eyez, Dankz.....  Hmm, I thought so. Well these are the names of MCs who have been representing their 'ends' for the past few years now, all with different flows, bars, styles, fashions and goals not too mention accents. Without London and the Godafther, Wiley, the whole idea of grime theoretically may have never started, London has done very well to give the grime scene one demographic, one face. With the help of social media channels, grime now has many faces, many different demographics and a lot of accents.

The main grime following outside of London can be found in the Midlands, east and west but predominantly in Birmingham and then in Nottingham. Awareness has been raised in these areas mainly via YouTube and the work of online grime media channels, such as, JDZ Media and P110, that operate on YouTube. Both have emulated characteristics of the father of all YouTube media channels, SB.TV.

 I personally am a huge advocate for The Midland's grime music, what attracted me to it was the individually that  each rapper possesses. Crews like Invasion from Birmingham are a team of talented MCs coming in all in different shapes and sizes, MCs are solely judged on talent and how much their bars are believed, no matter what the bars are. This is better than being judged on what clothes you're wearing and how many times you've 'banged a strap', no? 

Anyway let the lessons begin! I'm going to kick it off with some videos of artists from Birmingham..

Invasion Alert - Vader, Hitman, C-Dash, Tazzle, JayKae (LOTM4), Depz (LOTM4), D2(LOTM5), Sox(LOTM3), Villain (In Order)

Here's some more talent from Brum..

Jaykae (Invasion)

KB & SafOne (StayFresh)

Devilman, the grime veteran of Birmingham who was banned from MCing, after an incident in which he was found to have snitched on a close friend. Devilman famously clashed Skepta (BBK) in LOTM2!

P110 have definitely been the main advocates for Birmingham, with JDZ raising awareness for surrounding parts of the Midlands. Other media channels have been around for a while as well, doing the same thing that the three platforms mentioned are currently doing. Here's a cypher from one of those channels.. UGX (UndergroundExposure).

These are MCs from Nottingham, Derby and Manchester.

In Order - D Flowz (NSB), Rikkers (NSB), Mez (NSB), Jay Eye (NSB), Don Dyno (Str8GzENT), Baz Brown (NewCamp), Wariko (LOTM3 & NewCamp)

Now let's have a look at Nottingham and what's going on there?..

Firstly, Wariko. Wariko is one of the first non-London MCs to really blow in the UK scene, with appearances on Westwood 1Xtra in 2009 and LOTM3, Wariko is DEFINITELY a grime veteran AND.. he has the lyrics to match the reputable career.

Mez (NSB), one of the hottest younger's in the country, beating Grimsta on Sunday to claim SilkCity Radio's Prizefighter award. Please look out for, for your sake.

You cannot forget Gino. Defintely Nottingham's most commercial MC.

This #SPITFIRE from A9, had to feature in this post. This is probably my favourite freestyle on any YouTube channel, MAD VERSES. 'I don't wanna hear man chat chat..'

Okay.. Now we'll have a look at Walsall, I think it's time to get the map out.

Walsall, is extremely close to Birmingham.

Here's Walsall's best MC, Marshy representing Higher Stakes and Young Guvament. Amazing flow and only 17 years old!

Flawzz from Walsall has his Story Teller shot by JDZ.

And finally. to rap things up.. we have Eyez (LOTM5) and Dankz representing Derby. And representing Manchester we have Dorris, accompanied by more Notts man in 'Deya'.

The scene is also exploding up north, so obviously, I'm going to show you more videos. 

From Liverpool, now representing a K Koke's crew, USG. We have Aystar. Then we to MCs that both broke through via DON'T FLOP rap battles, Blizzard (LOTM5) from Manchester and Lunar C from Bradford, yorkshire's first big grime name. 

 BANG!.. Aystar.

Blizzard!

and Lunar C, who's popularity is ever growing!!

Now, I hope it didn't take you 2 hours to read all of this. I also hope that you are now more enlightened on the exploding grime scene and that you all understand that good grime music is not solely produced by one demographic. If this is still the case and you're not convinced, have a look at my absolute FINAL vid. 

This is Cee Major, straight out of East London, the home of grime.

Have a great day! Listen to more videos on YouTube and follow and subscribe to the channels I've mentioned throughout! Here are the links..

SBTV 

SBTV YouTube Channel - SUBSCRIBE

SBTV Twitter - FOLLOW

JDZ

JDZ Media YouTube Channel - SUBSCRIBE

JDZ Media Twitter - FOLLOW

P110

P110 Media YouTube Channel - SUBSCRIBE

P110 Media Twitter - FOLLOW

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and anything else you can think of @ZachEkpe, it'll be worth it. Stay Locked for more GRM News and videos, and stay blessed.

COOL MUSIC; P MONEY vs BIG H: WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

You may have heard it. You may not believe it. You may not even have heard it till right now! Regardless! It's happening. The clash of the year, and one of the biggest clashes in grime history, has now been confirmed by both of the rappers involved. P Money, one of my favourite MCs, from Lewisham in South London, is clashing BIG H, straight out of Tottenham!! Both MCs have had their fair share of beefs, famously P Money and Ghetts, and then for Big H.. the list would find out and surpass Blogger's word count. Ultimately, this clash will be amazing for a number of reasons. 

1. Both MCs feel as if their respective flows have been copied as grime has grown and new MCs have emerged. I think most will agree that they're both not too far from the truth here..

2. Big H speaks about his relationship with P Money being 'tense' on The Grime Show, claiming that P Money has maybe not been as polite as he could have been in their previous encounters.

3. Big H is a mad man, and is hell bent on the destruction of P Money. This mixed with P Money's composure and confidence, will promote this clash all by itself.

4. THESE ARTISTS DO NOT FLOP.

Both these MCs are very different. As people and as artists. In fact, they're completely different. That's where the main spice comes from, they're difference. One of the only things they share is confidence. Big H is a character, he's loud and it is very clear that he thinks a lot of himself, and not very much of those around him in the game. Big H talks about his recent EP 'Fire and Smoke' being his weapon of destruction. Big H wants to flush out all the s*** in grime and keep it real. P Money on the other hand is a completely different personality, he's a reserved character who I've been in very close proximity ha, check me. He hasn't commented much about the clash with H and you shouldn't expect to hear anything too revealing about the clash and his opinions on it. Although, P's personality can come across a bit arrogant, so can H's. With Big H though, it is different. He is almost too arrogant, the way he MCs and talks is almost as if he doesn't take anything that seriously. I feel that H should be a bit more careful in his approach to LOTM6, he needs to do his research on P, because P Money is a master lyricist. His wordplay and skippy flow attract reloads and massive crowd backing, this is a disadvantage to H as his flow doesn't warrant a reload as often.

But in the meantime, have a look at BOTH MCs, and come to your own conclusions! First up, we have both of their 1Xtra Fire In The Booth's released only two weeks apart from each other. 

BIG H - FIRE IN THE BOOTH

How'd you find that?

Here's P

P MONEY - FIRE IN THE BOOTH

I'm allowed to have an outright opinion, right? A few of my pals are certain this one's going to Big H, but I am almost positive that they're all wrong. P MONEY FOR THE WIN. Listen to the guy, he's a lot more talented than most, not just Big H. Thaaaat said, Big H is a lot more suited to clashing so it is going to be close whether you like it or not.

Since starting this post, there has been all sorts of dramas surrounding the clash. Big H didn't turn up for the pre-clash contract signing, making people believe that he had 'wimped' out of things and ultimately proving me right about his character. But no! It's not over yet, according to H, his absence was due to mis-communications between him and Jammer (LOTM6 owner), something about Jammer telling him the wrong time. ANYWAY, here's a screenshot showing what Big H thought about rumours claiming he was too scared to clash P Money.

I don't know what will happen yet with regards to the clash, all I know is both Big H and P Money will clash! And it's going to be an epic one. Who will win? What will happen?

Follow both artists on twitter to keep up to date with their feuds and what they have to say about this upcoming clash of the titans!!

@KingPMoney

@BigHOfficial

@JammerBBK - for news on this clash and more!

Stay Tuned and Stay Blessed!!

@ZachEkpe

check out.. www.kitkittyfashion.blogspot.com!

COOL POINTERS; iMOAN - WATCH YOUR STEP!

Afternoon beautiful people! After many years of procrastination, I present to you.. my FIRST post. As you've seen in my little bio section, 'I occasionally post things that I hope will fascinate people as much as me.' And boy o boy have I been swept off my feet by my latest discovery. 

I'm sorry to say that if you do not own an iPhone 4/4s/5/5s/5c, with iOS7, you will not be able to participate. That said, the relative next to you or downstairs is probably in possession of one, so use theirs!

ANYWAY.. Ever wandered how true the gossip about our privacy actually is? Well, here's something that should help you form your own opinion on the matter. I personally was amazed when I stumbled across this, since seeing this I have probably told everyone I know with an iPhone about it from friends to customers at work!

Ok, so finally.. Here are the steps:

1- Go to Settings

2- Scroll down a LIL to Privacy

3- Then go to Location Services (make sure they're turned on, if they've previously been switched off then this may not work as well for you, but credit you for your battery preservation skills!) 

- Scroll down,below all your apps, to System Services!

4- Now in your System Services you'll see Frequent Locations, GO TO FREQUENT LOCATIONS!

5- Make sure your Frequent Locations are turned on, scroll down and view your locational history, click on one of the locations if you're thinking 'hmmm.. this isn't THAT accurate..' (again.. if you previously switched off Frequent Locations then your results will not be as extensive as most, worry not though, this is a default setting and should already be turned by the cheeky buggers running apple.)

6- I won't show you all exactly where I've been and at what time but I feel as if I have taken you far enough. Press the addresses and your phone will pull an inch perfect register of where you've been for the past 2 months.

Amazed? I told you. 

Although this may be seen as an invasion of our privacy, it is also an example of human lethargy! We all agree to these terms as we hurry to set up our brand new iPhones, but next time take a step back, have a read, see what information you're nonchalantly handing over to these massive corporations. 

Thank you for reading! Eyes peeled for the next one. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram - @ZachEkpe for more blog info, and an look into my life!

Stay tuned, stay blessed.