JP’s UK Culture Picks: June 2025

This year marks 11 years since I joined Complex UK as its first Music Editor (then as Senior Editor, and now as EIC), and this is my very first column. About time, right?

Welcome to JP’s UK Culture Picks—a continuation of my UK Culture Heroes list—where I share what I’m rating in the UK music and culture space each month. Expect everything from my favourite tracks and albums of the month to random YouTube finds, fire food spots, and club night recommendations. You can find me on IG: @josephjppatterson.

Streamer Spotlight: MularJuice

Am I too old to know who Kai Cenat, Tylil, Dez, Punga and Zoe Spencer are? Probably, but I like the way that these streamers have built a new way to be successful in the creative world—all by being their true, authentic self. This is ~influencing~ done right, if you ask me. All some of us had to look-up to growing up were ‘ballers, rappers and road yutes; the kids of today have a new (less stressful) lane they can aspire to go down, and even I find inspo in some of these streamers now.

Here in the UK, the streamer world is still growing. Of course, you’ve got the big dawgs like KSI and Samham, but you also have people like MularJuice, who, I believe, has the potential to break through internationally. I first came across Mular through his YouTube videos with Maduncks—his hilarious, short-tempered uncle—and his crew, including fellow content creator LV General. Now, Mular and friends have joined the Twitch world, with world domination right around the corner.

“I’ve always been about connecting with people and making noise in my own way,” Mular told me recently. “Streaming just felt like the natural next step for me. I started off doing YouTube content, then music, and I feel like, with Twitch, I can literally combine the two when live-streaming. I saw how people were really tapping in with the realness and the energy, so I thought, ‘Why not bring that energy live, in real time, and build a community that’s interactive?’”

He added: “I have to shout-out the OGs in the UK and US scenes—mainly the US scene, though. Obviously, you’ve got KSI, Chunks and those guys, and then you’ve people like Kai Cenat, DDG and David Dobrik, who brought that high-energy, unapologetically entertaining vibe. And that’s how I see myself. Truth be told, a lot of my influence comes from the streets, my upbringing and who I’m around. I’m just influenced by real life: the ups, the downs, the funny, the raw and the unexpected. That’s what I bring to my streams every time. Nothing is pre-planned with me, just authenticity all the way. You should be motivated whilst watching my stream... My goal for the future is to hit 5k views on average on my Twitch streams. I’ve got some big plans.”

You can join MularJuice’s Twitch stream here.

Fekky’s new life on a farm is equal parts hilarious and inspiring…

Most of you reading this column will know Fekky as being the road rap star who had the streets on lock in the early 2010s with cuts like “BANG!”, “Ring Ring Trap” and later, “Way Too Much” and “Still Sittin’ Here”. The Lewisham don has earned his stripes in the music field, that much is clear. But these days, he finds himself in a different field: one made with grass and that cows, pigs, and sheep live on. Currently enjoying the fruits of his labour in the countryside as a farmer (his own farm, of course), Fekky has found a new calling in agriculture, which is a far cry from the bright lights of UK rap and London’s always-on environment.

Big Fek’s new docuseries, Hood 2 Farm, takes us inside this new world—and it’s just as funny as it is inspiring. I caught up with him to find out how and why...

JP: What made you decide to buy a farm and live on it? It’s not a typical next move for a rapper of your calibre.
Fekky: During lockdown, I discovered a real sense of happiness and peace working with nature. I started by doing up my garden, and later I spent a few months living in Thailand, surrounded by nature and animals. That experience made me want to expand and live in nature full-time.

JP: Who came up with the idea to film a docuseries around your new farm life?
Fekky: After seeing the response to my daily posts on social media, I noticed people really connected with my lifestyle. Some even said they found peace in my content and used it as an escape. That made me think, “Why not turn it into a show?” This way, people can follow my journey, learn where their food comes from, and understand how it’s grown.

JP: Being a city boy in the English countryside must have its challenges.
Fekky: The only real challenge is when I come back into the city—everything feels faster, louder, and more stressful now. But it’s all good. I’ve got my charity in London, so it’s important for me to stay connected to the community. Then I get to return to peace. It’s all about balance.

JP: Is farm life really a forever thing?
Fekky: Yeah, most definitely. It’s a forever thing! I want to grow the Hood 2 Farm show and eventually get an even bigger farm. I’d love to open it to the public so people can buy fresh, organic produce, see the animals, and even stay over—whether it’s camping or staying in pods. I’ve got big plans for the next few years.

JP: What do you hope this new way of living inspires in your fans and supporters?
Fekky: I just hope the youth feel inspired to be themselves and not follow the crowd. If someone like me—who was heavily involved in gang culture—can turn their life around, become successful in music and now live on a farm, then they can too. I want them to learn from my journey and make better choices earlier. A lot of my friends weren’t as lucky—some are serving long prison sentences, and others have sadly passed away because of the street life we were living. I also want people to become more aware of what they’re eating and choose a healthier way of living.

You can watch the full Hood 2 Farm series here.

It’s true: The Black Kitchen might just be one of the best Caribbean food spots in London...

Dad’s from Jamaica, mum is Guyanese: I know a good Caribbean food spot when I see one. The Black Kitchen in Streatham, South-West London, is up there with some of the best West Indian food that I’ve had, full stop—and I’ve had a lot in my 30-plus-year-lifetime. London is full of yard food shops, but you’d be hard-pressed to find one whose food tastes like it was made with that mummy and granny-type love, like TBK.

I decided to try them out one day after seeing the hype reviews on TikTok (randomly, as I hardly use that app), and I’m not one to follow fashion but it looked too good to be true. Oxtail pizza? Patties packed with curry goat? Spring rolls filled with jerk salmon? A madness, indeed! And if you think I’m capping, try it out for yourselves and get at me with your verdict in the DM.

Album Of The Month: AJ Tracey is back where he belongs on Don’t Die Before You’re Dead, his third studio album

It was great to hear AJ Tracey return to his grime and underground rap roots on Don’t Die Before You’re Dead. It’s taken me a minute (we’re talking years) to reconnect with AJT’s music following some negative remarks he made about grime, and with me being the staunch champion of grime that I am, I held feelings; well, that, and the fact that his previous drops didn’t hit the mark for me—lyrically or sonically. But it’s a new day and his new LP has great replay value, with standouts including “3rd Time Lucky”, “Second Nature”, “Crush” with Jorja Smith and “Paid In Full” with MTP. Home is where the heart is, it seems…

Tracks Of The Month f/ Skepta, K-Trap, Nemzzz x Latto, Little Simz, Little Torment, Odeal & more

10 new tracks that I’ve had on repeat will be added to this playlist at the end of each month—in no particular order. This month: Skepta taps back into his garage and grime heritage (“Cops & Robbers” and “Victory Lap”, respectively); Atlanta’s Latto gets her UK groove on with Manny boy Nemzzz (“ART”); Little Torment brings the #pain with incarcerated rap dons Marnz Malone and KayMuni (“Free Us All”); Jords recruits Bashy and Kojey for a rowdy lyrical workout (“Fuji”); Odeal blends Afro-house and R&B for the win (“London Summers”), and loads more sonic goodness! Lock in, lock on.

Ravers’ Delight: Forward Motion

Steven Cee and his team have created a raver’s haven for the 28-and-overs who love house music. More deep and Afro than tech and minimal, Forward Motion caters to the mature ravers out there; you know, the ones who used to frequent Can’t Stop Won’t Stop every Sunday night, or Radunos over in Farringdon (guilty!). Nothing but good vibes and 2010s classics, this is where you need to be at this summer.