Morden hip-hop artist turns gardener (From This Is Local London)

Morden hip-hop artist turns gardener

10:26am Wednesday 19th November 2008 in News

Most hip-hop artists would be content in just raking in fame and fortune, but one Morden rapper is using his musical skills to clean up his garden too.

Ian Solomon-Kallaw has scooped a grant from the Mayor of London to turn his back yard in Middleton Road into a vegetable garden tended by the young people he teaches music.

And according to the accomplished DJ and hip-hop artist, an all-new gang horticulture can be created that will bring young people together.

“With music, people think it’s all about drugs, sex and rock ‘n’ roll, but to look at artists or other people in the industry that might have a different lifestyle is really important,” he said.

“Hopefully this will have a strong community effect. It’s an opportunity to bring people together, particularly young people who are getting a bad rep because of gun and knife crime.

“I want to show that music can transcend so many different areas, even gardening.”

He added: “I’ve actually had an amazing response to this and volunteers are already putting themselves forward - it’s phenomenal. We’ve even been doing radio interviews.”

Ian is among the first group of three gardeners to have received funding from the Mayor of London as part of the city’s Capital Growth project.

In total, 2012 new community gardens will be created across London in time for the Olympics, allowing locals to grow their own fruit and veg.

Mayor Boris Johnson said: “Linking up currently unloved patches of land with people who want to discover the wonders of growing their own food, delivers massive benefits.

“It will help to make London a greener, more pleasant place to live whilst providing healthy and affordable food.”