A 15-minute movie inspired by lyrics from the New Gen’s self-titled album has made its way online. Directing duo The Rest (Lewis Levi, Alex Motlhabane) shot the film around Grenfell Tower before the tragic fire where 71 people lost their lives in 2017.

“We didn’t want to make a film directly about the music from the New Gen album, we wanted to try and paint a picture of the world that breeds it,” explains Levi. “In the shadows of the steel and shiny city center of London, inner city life can be grim in comparison, but that’s where the magic grows.”

New Generation – The Film is meant to highlight issues faced by London’s urban youth. Freestyle performances by Kojey Radical, Dotty, and AJ Tracey are part of the visual project.

“When we first came up with the concept of the film, we just wanted to put a spotlight on these issues, which are ingrained in the black experience of living in the UK’s inner cities,” Levi states. “But it was shocking to us to find out in pre-production that almost every person we spoke to about the film had had someone close to them either get hurt or die because of crime within the city – mostly knife or gang related. These are issues that happen so regularly you read about them and then just move on, it’s normal.”

New Gen brought together over 17 creatives from the United Kingdom’s underground music scene. Growing out of a playlist turned radio show, the artists eventually combined for a complete body of work released through XL Recordings.

Check out New Gen’s New Generation – The Film and stream the New Generation album below.