9 months ago
Brixton local and hip-hop artist Benedict “TY” Chijioke died in 2020. A mural was erected to commemorate his life and now it’s had a refresh.
TY was known for his influence on the hip-hop community- he released an impressive total of 5 albums: Awkward, Upwards, Closer, Special Kind of Fool and A Work of Heart, one of which (Upwards) was nominated for a Mercury Prize. Sadly, in 2020 TY died due to COVID related complications and to commemorate his contribution to the arts and music world a mural was painted on Valencia Place.
Three years later, the mural has just had a refresh and is looking as beautiful as ever. The regeneration of the art also happens to coincide with hip-hop’s 50th year anniversary (11th August) and what would have been TY’s 50th birthday on 17th August. The organisation ‘Create Not Destroy’, who produce community related art based projects, has been orchestrating the mural, here’s what Bunny Bread from the company has said:
“The mural has served as a way for us to honour and remember TY, and… we felt this was the perfect time to rejuvenate the mural and create a new visual representation of TY’s artistic legacy. Collaborating with arts organisations close to TY’s heart: Jazz re:freshed, Louder Than Words, Apples and Snakes, Scanners Inc, The Brixton Project were able to bring this vision to life. Their support and partnership made it possible to create a new design that would serve as a beacon of TY’s lasting impact and influence on his beloved Brixton and the wider international Hip-hop community.”
You can find the mural on Valencia Place, Brixton SW9.
