Benji B: 'Notting Hill Carnival offers a reflection of what it is to be a Londoner'

As Carnival comes round again, Radio 1's Benji B reminisces about raving under the Westway with Tim Westwood, Norman Jay and Rampage
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Notting Hill Carnival
notting Hill Carnival Photograph: Teri Pengilley

I was seven the first time I went to Carnival; my dad was living in Notting Hill Gate and I remember him putting me on his shoulders and dragging me through the crowds.

From that moment on, Carnival has been important to me. I think I've missed just one since I was about 13. As a kid I would keep to a regular route; I would check out the reggae soundsystems, spending a few hours at Channel One, Jah Observer or Saxon, then check in at Rampage, take in some Aba Shanti-I and Good Times, and head over to Westwood under the Westway when he was there.

Westwood's original stage was moody but he had the artists and he gave the crowds what they wanted, too. I remember seeing Lil Kim, Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes on the same bill once around 1997. I will never forget the moment Busta launched into his verse on Scenario. Another classic Carnival moment was when Original Nuttah was everywhere in 1994. I saw a live PA of that tune that shut down the whole street. Special mention also goes to Carnival legend Norman Jay who always seemed to be able to bring the sun out on rainy Mondays by playing a classic soul record at peak time.

Carnival crowds can be very unforgiving and they don't suffer fools gladly; poor selection or performance will not be tolerated easily. But if you come correct it can be the best place to play in the world. That's the thing about Carnival; it represents what's going on on the street. It represents London music. Alongside the backdrop of the foundation musics of reggae, dancehall, soca and calypso, Carnival has always reflected the most important native musics of London – be it jungle in 1994 or garage in 1999 or funky in 2009. If you look at selectors such as the Rampage soundsystem who play, arguably, the youngest sound at Carnival, it's their job to reflect what people are actually checking for. A lot of those songs are just street records but I guarantee that when those same songs get played at Carnival, they'll get pulled up a few times, and you won't be able to hear them for the crowd response.

For me, Carnival offers a true reflection of what it is to be a Londoner. My hope is that it can remain that way. There have always been people who want to close down Carnival and there's a lot of OGs who will say it's not what it was. Maybe they're right but you have to remember that for every person who thinks that way, there's someone who's having their first experience there. Despite the pressures, I hope the traditions of Carnival will be passed on for generations to come. Apparently we are the third-best carnival in the world after Rio and Trinidad; I can live with that status. Let's hope it can continue to be inspiring, positive and the best street party in Europe. And sunny, of course.

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