Law Abiding Citizen

"In Broadwater Farm the pressure was building so in 1985 a policeman was killed in the Tottenham Riots so I have to mention that on the black youth the police are putting on too much tension. Me as a youth me witness this ..." The Demon Boyz' Law Abiding Citizen deals with the issue of mutual suspicion between the black community and the police force which was a massive factor in igniting the riots in Broadwater Farm in Tottenham on 6 October 1985 and remains a big issue to this day. The Demon Boyz were from Tottenham and it is not overstating the case to say that they were UK hip hop pioneers. Like the London Posse and Rebel MC they were important in giving the music an identity that reflected the UK rather than Brooklyn in terms of accent and by incorporating reggae/dancehall elements via the sound system tradition they'd grown up on. Their two LPs are real gems. The second of these, Original Guidance, from '92 is harsher lyrically and in tone, reflecting a loss of innocence and the inevitable industry trials and tribulations they'd endured. There was also a strong jungle flavour to the set, which worked really well despite the irony that the advent of drum 'n' bass MCs took away many opportunities for the more articulate rappers.