{{Short description|British online series (2018)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}} '''''Shiro's Story''''' is a three-part [[YouTube]] series released in 2018, written, directed and narrated through the medium of [[rap music|rap]] by British rapper [[Rapman]]. It stars [[Joivan Wade]] as Shiro, [[Percelle Ascott]] as his best friend, Kyle, and features appearances from [[Krept and Konan| Konan]], [[Deno (singer)|Deno]], [[Ashley Walters]], [[Headie One]], [[Not3s]] and [[Cadet (rapper)|Cadet]]. Themes of betrayal, love and [[London gang]] rivalry play throughout, but there is no glamourisation of violence.
The series was shot [[Guerrilla filmmaking|guerrilla-style]] on a budget of £3,000 and had been seen 7.2 million times as of early November 2019.<ref>Leigh, Danny (8 November 2019). [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/nov/08/rapman-the-london-film-maker-who-gatecrashed-hollywood-in-style Rapman: the London film-maker who gatecrashed Hollywood in style]. ''[[The Guardian (newspaper)|The Guardian]]''.</ref> The series as a whole has a run time of 45 minutes. Part 2 of the series won [[GRM Daily]]'s Video of the Year award in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://versus.uk.com/2018/09/winners-grm-daily-rated-awards/|title = Here Are all the Winners from the GRM Daily Rated Awards|date = 5 September 2018}}</ref>
Rapman subsequently signed a contract with [[Island Records]] and [[Jay-Z]]'s [[Roc Nation|ROC Nation]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.capitalxtra.com/news/rapman-shiros-story-jay-z-roc-nation/|title = 'Shiro's Story' Creator Rapman Signs "Life-Changing" Deal with JAY-Z's Roc Nation |website = Capital XTRA}}</ref> and in late 2018, [[Paramount Pictures]] and [[BBC Films]] bought the rights for his [[feature film]] ''[[Blue Story]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-45594313|title=Rapman: I want to take Shiro's Story to Netflix|first=De'Graft|last=Mensah|date=September 21, 2018|website=[[BBC Newsbeat]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/sep/18/move-over-bodyguard-shiros-story-youtube-crime-drama-joivan-wade-percelle-ascott-rapman|title=Move over Bodyguard: how crime drama Shiro's Story became a YouTube hit|website=[[The Guardian]]|date=18 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/stayingin/tvfilm/shiros-story-an-engrossing-tale-of-growing-up-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-tracks-a3956651.html|title=Shiro's Story: an engrossing tale of growing up on the wrong side of the tracks|website=[[Evening Standard]]|date=8 October 2018}}</ref>
== Episodes ==
{| class="wikitable" |- ! Episode !! Production Companies !! Released !! Length !! Views ''(as of 2024)'' !! Notes |- | 1 || Aukes Media || Apr 8, 2018 || 10:15 || 10.5 Million || Self-financed and created by 'calling in favours' |- | 2 || Aukes Media || Jul 1, 2018 || 13:47 || 10.2 Million || Won GRM Daily Rated Awards - Video of the Year |- | 3 || [[Island Records]], Aukes Media || Sep 16, 2018 || 21:42 || 13.6 Million || Received over a million views in five hours. Rapman signed to [[Jay-Z]]'s [[Roc Nation|ROC Nation]] soon after. |}Behind the scenes episode 1-4
==See also== * [[Blue Story]] * [[The Essence]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
[[Category:YouTube original programming]] [[Category:British drama web series]]