HOP's Bandanna is the Embodiment of a South London "Creative"

London’s cultural reach has been hitting higher points than ever within the last few years, and despite the Twitter threads that argue viciously about which corner of the city rules supreme, the average Londoner can admit that South has the upper hand. Ask Bandanna, one of the Top Boy cast, but more importantly a young creative who, like all of us, is still trying to find his footing amongst the bustling South London scene. Alongside his friends, he's one of the House of Pharoahs, a collective rap group who were on the underground current so early it wouldn’t be a reach to say they were some of the trailblazers of 2010s UK alternative rap.

In a previous interview with the members, Bandanna affirmed that to him, success comes in the form of freedom. It is to be able to venture out on any path while excelling and feeling fulfilled, and considering the reactions of his friends when asked how they felt when they saw him on the big screen, he’s very close to getting there. Staying in a tight knot with his guys while simultaneously unfurling onto his own lane, Bandanna has found his calling in music and acting, and this is only just the beginning for him.

Due to our social media driven era, culture, fashion and music are able to congeal into a lattice of interesting media content that, with good enough marketing, can stand firm throughout the tests of time. Top Boy is a prime example of one of these crystalline cultural monoliths, not only for its engaging story, but also for how relatable it is for so many UK youths. Maybe we can’t understand Dushane’s dream of becoming London’s Pablo Escobar, but the lingo, music and backgrounds of some characters allow so many watchers to self-insert, blurring the line between a fictional universe and the structures of our own.

Bandanna’s role as Romi can be perceived as a self-insertion to some extent - his high-spirited, energetic nature allowed him to fit snugly into the character, when asked how he felt when given the role, he responded “it felt so close to home, like that’s me.” He and Romi are so superimposed that Bandanna sometimes took creative control over the direction of the character, “of course I had lines in place, but sometimes I’d say ‘Romi wouldn’t do that’ to certain things in the script. Some things were improvised too.”

Romi speaks quickly, in season 1 his humour and dynamic demeanour was what set him apart from the stoic and calculated Dushane or the temperamental, gloomy Sully, but in season 2 Bandanna knew that he was going to have to adapt to a more fleshed out character. Probably the highlight of Romi’s appearance in the show, the police scene, showed us a different side of the character; a young man faced with the potential stripping of his freedom – easy to see why Bandanna was able to depict him so naturally.

"I was that crazy kid that was always doing things that no-one else was doing."

An archetypal “performing arts kid” from head to toe, Bandanna always foresaw himself one day holding the title of creative, no matter which way it would take shape, “I always knew I was gonna act, even if it was further down the line, I was that crazy kid that was always doing things that no-one else was doing.” Being on a show alongside a starring roster of several musician/actor hybrids, he was constantly surrounded by like-minded, talented black Brits, “they’re inspiring. They all do their own thing and they’re mad humble.” He and Little Simz even shared some music with each other while in a car to the set.

“It’s just about putting yourself into that mold at that time” says Bandanna when asked how he was able to adapt to his role as a “roadman.” With his philosophy, the different avenues of acting and making music can be likened to separate molds, and he’s determined to be able to condense himself into each to the best of his ability. “I feel like any rapper can be an actor, and vice versa.” Being on set with paragons of the musician-actor pipeline like Kano and Ashley Walters, he makes sure to observe, learn and put his knowledge into practice, slightly improving at his craft every time the cameras get rolling.

During production, it was Bandanna who stayed the hub of good vibes and positivity. “I wouldn’t say I had a specific highlight while filming the show, the whole thing was a highlight in itself. But what really got me was getting my own trailer.” Having filmed the latest season over seven months, he naturally formed bonds with the cast and crew, describing the overall dynamic as being “like a family.” Bandanna’s seemingly unlimited supply of positive energy is one of his most defining traits, and while on set it was often he who acted as the harbinger of good vibes, his trailer being the abode of enjoyment.

As Bandanna answers questions with ease, his humour, wit and insight provokes laughter, applauses and a sense of community in the room, even amongst strangers. While speaking to him, it becomes clear that the life of the party facet of his person is not limited to being on a busy, often stressful set. That isn’t to say he doesn’t sometimes go through mental glitches and bad days, but his ability to stay diligent in the face of negativity is nothing short of admirable.

Always proactive, planning new ventures and staying on the go, Bandanna is entrenched in the steady development of his acting career, to him “there is no limit to where I’m trying to be. There is no end goal because this is a journey.” He wants to prioritise acting while staying steady on the music torrent, having released Flawless, a solo single only three weeks ago.

But despite Top Boy undoubtably being the glittering pinnacle of Bandanna’s acting career so far, he doesn’t want it to define his identity as time passes. “I wanna play a character that’s nothing like me in the future.” Knowing that people will have different entry points to his life in the entertainment industry, perhaps recognizing him from House of Pharoahs or being familiar with Romi, he wants to ensure that one day it’ll be more than just those that come up on a Google search.

Bandanna is on his way to being one of the names that comes to mind when we think about the wave of black British actors entering the big leagues; John Boyega, Letitia Wright, Daniel Kaluuya; he’s motivated both by his own personal evolution, but also the fact that he’s a part of something bigger. “Top Boy is just another level” of his progression.

Follow Bandana here to keep updated on his progression in music and film.