Ashley Walters, the artist formerly known as Asher D, of garage horde So Solid Crew, is in a new film called Waz. When people think about Ashley they tend to think about his misguided attempts at rapping and being a gangster, which is sad for the poor fellow because while he’s a very unremarkable rapper and an abysmal gangster he’s actually quite a good actor. Why oh why Ashley did you try to be the tough guy? You went to Silvia Young Theatre School FFS! You were in Grange Hill! Stick to what you’re good at. We caught up with young Walters to talk about his new film and to ask him why he finds it so hard to accept that he is an actor and not a rapper.

Don't Panic: Oh shit! Grange Hill!

Ashley Walters: Hahaha, what?

DP: It’s gone! They killed it!

AW: Oh, yeah man, it’s over!

DP: You must be pretty pissed.

AW: Hahahaha! Am I pissed? Nahh no no no! Y’know. I think it ran its course. They’ve got Skins and stuff now. It’s like it’s a bit more real in these shows today. Kids know more and so they want to see more. It was a good show while it lasted though, but kids have changed. I think they’re a bit wiser these days.

DP: Hmm, so Bullet Boy… was that real?

AW: Bullet Boy was about a thing I went through myself, personally around that time… So it was really the right thing for me at the time and it’s good to do something that’s informative to people - something that’s actually showing the reality of what guns and things does to people’s lives.

DP: So how many people were there actually in So Solid Crew, like fifty?

AW: There was thirty-five of us.

DP: Okay, so my question is this – with thirty five people in the band how does anyone make any money?

AW: Nobody made any bloody money! Tch! Hahaha. Nah the main thing about So Solid Crew was a chance to capitalize on the moment in the spotlight, I suppose. Sometimes you have to stand out from the crowd and we got a lot of negative press but still… we were out there and you have to make the best of the opportunities.

DP: You’re one of the guys that did best out of it career-wise. What are Megaman and the rest of them up to? Do we even want to know?

AW: Just trying to pursue their careers and stuff.  You know some of them are doing really well and doing films and TV and stuff. But you know there are the guys that are driving the buses, working in restaurants and stuff.

DP: Really?

AW: Err, yeah.

DP: You’re new film – it’s a horror?

AW: There’s a lot of blood. It’s based on something that’s always there with us that we don’t talk about. We’re basically animals but we suppress our actions because of society. It’s all about instincts – when you get put into a situation and it’s a choice between killing yourself or someone you love, you think you know what you’d do, but until survival instinct takes over in that situation you just don’t know.

DP: So are you still making music?

AW: Yeah I got out a pre-album called Appetizer at the moment.

DP: Any collaborations with Stig?

AW: What?

DP: Stig of the Dump?

AW: Oh yeah – you’ve been watching Youtube have you?

DP: Why would you do that to yourself?

AW: Yeah, yeah alright mate! I was drunk okay?

Check out Asher D - sorry, Ashley Walters and his new film, Waz at www.wazthemovie.com

And if you really want to hear his music, I suppose you could go here www.myspace.com/streetsibling