Top Facts For Top Boy: your need-to-know guide

Do you need a little help getting up to speed with the recent top trend Top Boy? Look no further as we keep it short, sweet and all you need to know, right here.

Now, it’s no secret that Drake is a big fan and supporter of Black British culture and entertainment – however, his involvement in the revival of Top Boy should secure his status as an honorary Brit.

It all started after the ‘Money In The Grave’ rapper watched the series on YouTube in his downtime, and was dismayed and confused when he got to the end of season two, and there was no more; Channel 4 cancelled the show in 2013, leaving the story on a cliffhanger. Stating in an interview with BBC Radio’s Clara Amfo that he became ‘attached to the series’ after the story really ‘drew him in’, Drake refused to let the Top Boy ride end there.

Though at first Drake’s interest was purely for selfish, binge-watch purposes, he later understood that plenty of his UK fanbase would also appreciate more Top Boy. After contacting his team and pitching for a third series to maintain the long lost momentum, Drake put his words into actions and well, voila! How thoughtful.

The series detailed the lives of youngsters based in East London who operated out of the Summerhouse housing estates as underground drug dealers. The storyline clenches us when we see gang members of Summerhouse go into a rivalry due to their aspirations of competitively wanting to be the richest man on the block – the Top Boy. With main characters Dushane (Ashley Walters / Asher D) and Sully (Kane Robinson / Kano) introduced to us as spiritual brothers, business partners and sometimes foes, the plot thickens allowing the audience to relate even deeper, gasping for more.

If you missed the Top Boy hype the first time around, or We understand that not everyone has been around or engaged in the show s much as others, so here are a few highlights of what you may have missed and what you should know before the new series’ release:

1. The hit series returns Friday 13^th September 2019 on Netflix. (Now’s the time to borrow your relative’s account!)
2. The cast members for the new seasons include originals Ashley Walters and Kane Robinson, as well as newcomers Dave, Lil Simz, Michael Ward, Lisa Dwan, Kola Bokinni, Saffron Hocking, Kadeem Ramsay, Hope Ikpoku and Jasmin Jobson.
3. Unlike seasons 1 & 2 that have four episodes, the new series is brought to us with a smashing 10 episodes which you can binge-watch all at once! (Drake really couldn’t get enough, could he?)
4. In series 1 we see Dushane and Sully partner up with top don – Bobby Raikes; Kamale and his gang have their loan from Raikes stolen so they plot revenge; and Ra’Nell gets lured into a gang and the drug business, while his mum becomes hospitalized for mental illness.
5. In series 2 we see that a body is discovered by the police leaving Dushane as a first-hand suspect, while he tries to stay alert of Sully who is no longer his friend – but his rival; Ra’Nell is deeper within the gang and we see his mother trying to recover from her mental breakdown and rehabilitate her life; and we are also introduced to Jason who is an abused youngster simply trying to avoid the gang-lures, drugs and violence.
6. The new series sees Dushane returning to London after years in exile with the intent to regain his throne in the kingdom of the East-London drug market; Sully returns from prison with the same intentions; but they’re both astounded to discover that their competition is Jamie – a young gang leader, notoriously known to be ruthless.
7. Despite the initial thought of the new season carrying on from the 2013 series, Netflix is naming the new release: ‘season 1’, with threads from the first two series. (But if you want all the deets’ of what happened before, start streaming series 1 & 2 on Netflix now!)
8. The new series is for the old school fans as well as the newcomers as it aims to be a mixture of a rebirth and a new start for the series. (Cast and crew from the series believe you can jump straight into the revival series FOMO-free.) 

It’s a great time to be alive when the hustle and bustle of entertainment never stops and were consistently provided with new talent. Though Top Boy found itself on the chopping block in 2013, it finds itself back in the public eye, and still relevant, with knife and gang crime ever a topical subject.

The show was highly praised and appreciated for its genuine display of a community that is usually ignored, and the realities of gangs and drugs that we prefer to dismiss. And simply, it was great TV and had us passionately rooting for the recognisable characters. Overall, we are beyond thrilled that it’s returning and we can’t wait to see what Drake and co have in store!