Adam ‘King Adz’ Stone,  is an author and film-maker whose  speciality is street culture, click here for books and here for film.
His work is published by Thames & Hudson and HarperCollins in the UK, by The Overlook Press in the US, Edel Books in Germany, and Edition Thames & Hudson in France. He has his own column in Huck Magazine as well as contributing regularly to Little White Lies magazine,  The Independent on Sunday, and Time Out Magazine.

His  latest book Street Knowledge (an A to Z of Street Culture) is out now. Have a look in our gallery for some exclusive images. And here’s what he has to say about ‘ the street’ ( no, not Corornation.)

Can you define street culture?
Street is something that can’t be faked, bought, copied or sold. Street is a look, an attitude, a result of hardship, a by-product of talent. Street sh*t can be seen, heard, worn or read but it can’t be manufactured.

What’s the difference between street culture and popular culture?
Street Culture is born on the street. Popular culture is often manufactured or created by someone in a room with a ‘big’ idea.

Can older people be ‘street’?
Anyone can have a connection to the street. It’s not an age thing. It’s a love thing.

Why do brands often fail in their attempts to harness street culture?
99.9% of brands f*ck up as they desperately want to connect their sh*t with street sh*t (as it’s by now such a massive, important market) they chuck money at so-called creative’s who always fail miserably. The only way to connect with the street is to be from, and to love, the street. End of story. This is where youth culture comes in. The youths are the true pioneers around the world whatever they are doing. They never give a f*ck about anything other than doing what they want when they want how they want. This usually mutates into authentic street culture, this is the stuff that good adverts and brand communication comes out of. Big brands don’t trust kids with a sh*t load of money to create advertising. I often act as a middle man or creative director or babysitter. It’s great when commerce meets art on an even footing. This is when it works…

What trends can you spot right now in London street culture?
There is always some retro thing going on, as well as people in East London spending hours to look scruffy. It used to be that everyone East looked like that cos they had no money. Now it’s a look and nothing of any real significance. But give it time and some bright young thing will flip a long forgotten idea or look and come up with something completely fresh. Something that will then be consumed by the hungry and spat out on the high street a year or so later…

What next for you?
I’m working on two books: One about Street Food and one about Youth Advertising. My heart belongs to both and this is paramount if you want to create something authentic. You have to be in love with what you do. I certainly don’t do it for the money, but saying that the Street Food book is being developed for TV as we speak….

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About the author

Loma-Ann Marks
Loma was a performer and freelance writer before becoming a journalist on the Daily Star Sunday, Daily Star and Express. She's the Founder and Editor of Culture Compass. North, South, East or West? I'll go anywhere. I like to think that I'm a pretty good map reader ( not everyone would agree ) but then I remind them that I navigated my way around the Paris one-way system with NO mistakes. High Class or Common or Garden? High class in the garden. Clothes or Culture? Culture in new clothes. My best night out ever made me feel....... That things would never be the same again. And they surely weren't the following day.