“It’s Too Much” Interview with Serious of the about his video project

 

“It’s Too Much!” is a film project by Serious (of the Mud Family best known for his verse on 'Little Man') and Maverick which highlights the problems of drugs, homelessness and debt in the UK. This is not merely a cry for help, this is a well thought out expose of the roots of the problems society faces and is a step towards solving those problems.

I found out about the The Ghetto Premiere at Mr Youngs screening rooms in Soho completely by chance on the day and I jumped at the chance to view it.

It contains startling images, exaggerated to a farcical level, but this only causes the parallels with the blatant and terrible truth to be even more powerful; the bills relentlessly falling through the letter box, the politicians scheming, Serious in lockdown in the stocks of the London Dungeons (literally.)

 

I sat down with Serious to discuss how he created the video and what he intends to do with it. So what was the inspiration for creating the "It's Too Much!" video? "Actually going through losing my flat and becoming vulnerable was my inspiration," replies Kimon, aka Serious, passionately.

 

Serious explains the visual metaphor. “The Dungeon scene was set because sometimes you really feel like you're in a dungeon. Everybody can relate to that feeling of being forsaken at some stage. So with me waking up with the bailiffs knocking  at my door, next minute I'm in the London Dungeons - that's how I feel when it becomes too much."

 

"The plans for the video is to show it in schools, colleges, universities, get the children’s feedback on what they think about it and then have them give their ideas for solutions for Too Much i.e. homelessness, crime and drugs. Their opinion taken on board to for real change."

 

Many charities and organisations were invited to the premier but failed to turn up. Thank goodness a representative from NACRO felt that the project was worth his time. The film has been acclaimed by a wide range of organisation and was endorsed by Cardinal Hulme Drop-in Project, the Princes Trust and BFM (Black Film Maker.) It was not, however, endorsed by MTV. Serious begins to read from the letter he received concerning airplay on MTV, "'Unfortunately we feel Too Much is unsuitable for MTV, this is due to the fact that we thought it looked more like a music video rather than a short film', Well it was both of them!"

"'Cigarettes in rappers mouth - this would give the video a restricted timeslot according to ITC regulations.'" The cigarettes are farcical, not glamorised. There are about ten fags in Mavericks mouth, none of them are lit, and at that exact time he's saying "there's Too Much nicotine in my veins." Therefore the scene in the video is actually anti-smoking! So if smoking cigarettes is the problem MTV should have put that scene on repeat.

"'Violence - violent scenes. These would give the video a restricted timeslot according to ITC regulations.'" There is no graphic scenes of violence whatsoever, unless they consider the scene where the bailiffs are tied up and mocked, and that's hardly shocking.

"'Drugs - drug references. These would give the video a restricted timeslot according to ITC regulations.'" Once again, the video and the song highlight the problems of drugs; they do not advocate or glorify drug use like so many of the mainstream artists that get daily airplay. Kimon gets to the end of the letter, "‘Nick’, no signature, no headed paper, that's a dodgy geezer." So although it purports to be a reply from MTV with no signature nor headed paper there is no real proof of where it came from...

 

Serious was clearly happy about the example he was setting. "I want all the children together from all the areas to come up from the colleges, from the unis, from the youth clubs, from the surrounding community to do Too Much, to show that it can be done if you believe in yourself, if you can be motivated and do it."

 

Serious wants practical help. "Right now it's at the next stage now where we need to run workshops. In order to do that people need to see us ands empathise with us and just give us a chance to air our video and then see if they can relate to it so that in order we can therefore make change."

 

"I just want to explain that I did this video when I was losing my flat, when I was homeless for five months. Thank God I bounced back but I know what it means to go through homelessness, crime and drugs - all of which I've experienced. I believe that I have the experience to step up and speak for and on behalf of the people who are homeless and experiencing crime and drugs in whatever way. And I want the children to help me with this and respond, just to get a pure response from children, what can we do about it? How can we solve it? 'Cos it's Too Much!"

 

There is even a Too Much comic! "I wrote the script, Maverick did the storyboard for the comic. The plan for the comic is for the children to have it in a format that isn't age restricted. It has already been Okayed by Hackney Learning Trust that it would find it suitable to hand out comics to the 7-11 year olds and for the 11 - 13 year olds show them the video. So it has been decreed by the Hackney Learning Trust."

 

"If you notice at the end it says 'this video is for all the families around the world who pay too much.' So the theme is for them as well as for the homelessness, the crime and the drugs. There’s a bigger picture. It's for everybody that feels that all the bureaucratic ways and bills is too much. For all of those people who it breaks up relationships, breaks up families, breaks up friendships. That's what too much does. Everywhere could be okay and everyone could get along but you know sometimes pressure builds, makes people act horrible to each other." Ain’t dat the truth!

 

"It's Too Much!" is a powerful work of art. It portrays homelessness, addiction, and eviction. Any one of these three situations can lead to either or both of the other two. Addiction can lead to eviction, which can lead to homelessness which can lead to addiction. It is one of the most vicious cycles. The "It's Too Much!" project deserves your support.

 

Kevin “KP J Knowledge is Power” Panton