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P.Zone: Beeston rapper spells out knife warning to youngsters AUDIO
Beeston rapper P.Zone knows a thing or two about life on the mean streets.
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Born and bred in the heart of Beeston the 32-year-old, aka Sajaad Hussain, was a 100-a-day crack addict for 14 years.
He's been in street fights and at one point had to leave the area for a year after receiving threats.
But now the father-of-four is turning his life around through music and has just released his debut album, Th!nk.
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The first single, Say No To Gangs n Knives, is P.Zone's personal message warning youths away from knife culture.
The musician said: "I remember when we were kids we never looked at knives. At worst it was fist-fights.
"I was never a gangster – all I'm saying in the song is this is what's happening today.
"I dedicated the track to Pat Regan who sadly is no longer with us, but was a strong anti-violence campaigner.
"My music's not just for Asians, it's for white kids, black kids,
whoever you are.
"The message is the same: say no to gangs and knives."
One of the worst knife incidents happened in April, 2004, when 16-year-old mixed-race Tyrone Clarke was attacked by a mob in Brett Gardens, Beeston.
Four Asian youths were convicted of his murder. The incident highlighted the growing problem of knife crime among the city's young.
P.Zone said: "Beeston has had its fair share of bad publicity. I lived on the same street as one of the July 7 bombers.
"It's taken its fair share of hits so I wanted to do something positive. There's not one swear word on my album."
Th!nk features an introduction by fellow Leeds rapper Kockee K and was produced by Chapeltown-based Chapel City Records.
It marks a new start for P.Zone, whose name stands for both Peace Zone and Pac Zone in memory of his hero, American rapper Tupac Shakur.
"I lost my dad, Sait, before my 18th birthday," he said.
"Not long after I started smoking heroin, got off it but started on the rock (crack-cocaine).
"I've only got one conviction for burglary as I always worked in telesales, even at the height of my addiction.
"The turning point was my wife, Shabnam, who came back from Kashmir in Pakistan where we got married.
"I had to make a choice between my family and drugs. This is my career now."
* Th!nk (price 8) is on sale at: Stylish Hairdressers, Tempest Road; Beeston Motor Spares, Dewsbury Road; Kasa Stores, Dewsbury Road (all Beeston); CC Continental, Chapeltown Road, and Asian Radio Fever, Roundhay Road.
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Friday 18 May 2012
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