A former gang member who has a bullet lodged in his skull will take to the stage at Cadogan Hall near Sloane Square tomorrow to help turn other young people away from crime.
Ali Niaz, 26, will perform a rap he wrote about hope at a concert to raise money for Regenerate UK and other London charities, many of which work to steer teenagers away from gangs.
Mr Niaz started selling cannabis at the age of 12 and was accidentally shot in the head at 16. By the age of 19 he was in jail for dealing heroin but was helped by Regenerate UK and on his release he completed a postgraduate business course at Cambridge. He now lives with his son and partner. He will perform alongside young people who were on the fringes of gangs at the concert, which will be headlined by rapper Misha B. It was organised by entrepreneur and philanthropist Gina Miller.
Mr Niaz said: “The event is based on hope about life no matter what happens, and that’s the message I always push with my music.
“We try to focus on young people from the inner city. The message is people need to really be motivated, determined, hold on to their dreams and use the resources we have, which is London. It is a major city in the world full of opportunities.”
He said he owes a lot of his success to a business mentor who helped him when he left prison, and he urged other Londoners to start mentoring.
Mr Niaz runs a social enterprise and has a company, Giftrapt, which allows people to commission rap songs.
Ms Miller said: “We want to work with charities succeeding in reducing gang-related crime and stopping young people becoming involved in violence.”
Mr Niaz was shot in the head when he and his friends got hold of their first gun and it went off accidentally. He survived because it was an underpowered converted replica but the bullet can never be removed because it would cause brain damage.
For tickets to the Hope Springs concert go to www.cadoganhall.com.
