As far as the evolution of Black British music goes, one genre’s influence, impact and long-overdue flowers (in the pouring rain) remains undeniable. What do you call it? UK garage, of course. From its heyday in the early-to-mid ‘90s and early 2000s, to its afterlife in the present day, UKG experienced nothing short of a Goliathan run. In what was most definitely a time to be alive, we witnessed homegrown crews—from Heartless to So Solid—come up in a pre-TikTok age, handcrafted through some of the most organic platforms we’ll ever live to see.

From pirate radio to rave, soundclash to cypher, they came, they saw, they conquered—taking over the airwaves with little to no label backing and redefining UK club culture from the underground up, in ways everlasting. Pioneering and innovating, UK garage provided new entry points for the Black music scene to be seen and heard in London. It also propelled the Black music scene into the mainstream consciousness of a nation. Often cited as the precursor to grime, it birthed a new generation of sounds, giving way for other descendant genres to take root in the Black British music family tree.

And so, we’re taking it back, way back, to belching basslines, rhythmic hi-hats and gunfingers galore at YouTube’s annual Legacy Party—which, this year, took place at London’s iconic KOKO to celebrate 30 years of an indelible sonic era, with stars such as Travis Scott, Knucks, Novelist, Sugababes, Mabel and more gracing its plush, blood-red carpets. With a little bit of luck, and a healthy dose of ‘olly olly olly, oi oi oi!’s, the vibes in the room were unmistakably UKG.

At the helm of the coolest event to join the Black music calendar in recent years? Sheniece Charway, YouTube’s Head of Black Music & Culture, EMEA. A fast-rising industry titan, Charway set out to pay homage to a genre of equally titanic proportions, the only way she knew how. “[Legacy] is about making sure everyone feels seen,” she says, “letting them know that they are appreciated in this industry that is moving and changing all the time. I think it’s very important for us, as a culture, to ensure that we’re giving people their flowers when they’re still alive, and when it’s not too late.”

Sheniece fondly recalls Britney Spears as her first ever live gig experience. Raised in a Ghanaian household on an eclectic diet of afrobeat, reggae, hip-hop and R&B, she emerges fresh-faced and all smiles less than 24 hours after pulling off a successful third edition of YouTube’s Legacy Party—a vision in a hot-pink fleece on our Google Meet.

TRENCH: Firstly, how are you feeling post-event?

Sheniece Charway: I feel so happy. I feel so blessed. I’m beyond tired, let me not lie to you [laughs]. But the feedback has been amazing.

What have you been up to in the past 24 hours? Did you get any downtime between then and now?

So, I actually got in at 4.30am. I woke up at 7am, prayed, did my Bible study, got ready and came back to work. We’ve got things going on this week so I can’t really take the time off, but God’s got me so I just keep going.

YouTube’s Legacy Party has quickly become a staple in the Black British music calendar. Could you give us some insight into what it takes to put on such an event?

It takes a lot of work, a lot of effort. It’s about understanding the culture and making sure it always feels authentic, making sure nothing feels forced and that everyone in the room is comfortable with what we’re bringing to the table. People are coming out, buying outfits and doing things that cost money, so I always want to make sure that people feel like it was worth the time. Time is very precious—I never want to waste anyone’s time. But this event takes months of planning, and really making sure that the experience is the best it can be for everyone.

It also takes a village. I have such an amazing team in Metallic Inc, who produced the event for me. I have such an amazing team internally, who helped support. I love that I was able to have a Black-owned agency run an event that is for Black people in the industry and their allies. Working with Metallic, they are a dream team, so shout out Grace Ladoja for creating such an incredible agency that I can trust.

Third time makes it a tradition, the fourth time makes it…

History in the making! Obviously, this is the third year of YouTube’s Legacy Party, but the Legacy Series is a big part of it. It’s not a momentary thing. This is all year round, celebrating Black culture and raising awareness around issues Black artists face through music and art. We want to show up for the community wherever we can. I just pray, by God’s grace, that it continues every single year.

What were your top three moments from this year’s event?

Seeing England win against the Netherlands at the Euros. The atmosphere was insane! Having Travis Scott pass through was incredible to me; for people overseas to see what we’re doing is really amazing. But just seeing everyone enjoy themselves, I think that has to be the biggest highlight for me. I always tell people, “Just use Legacy as a second birthday party to celebrate the work that you’ve done for Black music and culture.” Because it doesn’t go unseen.

Speaking of legacy, we had some living UKG legends pop out with surprise performances. From DJ Pied Piper & The Masters Of Ceremonies’ “Do You Really Like It?” to Architechs and Nana’s “Body Groove”, how did you curate such as stellar line-up?

Shout out to DJ Spoony—he’s incredible. He pulled it all together. I can’t take any credit for that. Spoony was the only person to do this, in my honest opinion; he’s been such a champion and a pioneer for the genre, and I so I gave him that space to create what he wanted.

What does 30 years of UKG mean to you?

It shows that we, as a community, are continuing to thrive. Despite all the obstacles I know we’ve gone through to get here, it shows that if you keep going, these things can be so special, so unique, and actually a really big part of British history. Everyone was so happy. We got to celebrate songs created by Black people in the UK that are still in the charts 30 years later. They were the pioneers for a lot of artists now. People still love them—they still know the words! It gives me encouragement to know that the things we do can be timeless.

What’s a day in the life of Sheniece Charway like?

No day is the same and this is why it’s so exciting. I get to spend so much time with artists, understanding what their needs and wants are on the platform—whether it’s about new updates, YouTube Shorts, monetisation or releases. Being in the music industry, we’re lucky enough to go to a lot of shows and connect with fans. I’m also on emails a lot with my partners, letting them know that YouTube is here, that we’re here, to help amplify their campaigns.

As Head of Black Music & Culture at YouTube, what does success look like to you?

Ensuring that we’re uplifting the voices, on and off the platform. That’s super important to me, and also a big thing for YouTube. We really want to ensure that people know that YouTube is a safe space for your creativity—your voices, your art and music videos are still so important. You can use [Legacy] to celebrate, make connections and connect with other people. To create a community that you feel safe in. This industry is a lot; it’s important that you have allies in the business supporting you.

What’s one trend you’re seeing in Black music—British or beyond—that’s getting you most excited right now?

I’m loving what Afrobeats is doing, and has been doing for a while. Even look at the Wireless line-up: Asake, Shallipopi, Rema, Ruger, Ayra Starr—it’s sensational to see that they can come to the UK and play at the biggest Black festival in Europe, that they can speak in their mother tongue and people are going to know every single word. It just makes me think about the power to be Black and African.

What would you say was your big break in the industry?

I started as an intern at Columbia at the age of 24 and I never, ever thought I would be in the position that I’m in right now. It’s incredible. It’s insane! I do have imposter syndrome sometimes and I do pinch myself, because there’s not a lot of Black women in these spaces—not as many as I would have thought there would be in 2024. By God’s grace, because He is the greatest, I’m still in this industry, doing the best job I can to help the next people come through. I just feel really, really blessed.

And your biggest learning in your career so far?

You have to champion yourself. No one is going to force you to go above and beyond or show up and show what you’re worth. If you really want this, you have to show you want it. That was the biggest learning for me, I think. Like, if I don’t do the work, no one’s gonna do it. And that’s why I will never slow down.

How important is the idea of legacy in your work, and what is your one hope and dream for the future?

I believe we all live with a purpose. I want to be able to say my legacy was helping the next generations of creators be able to have confidence in the work that they’re doing—and seeing YouTube as a safe space for that. I think it’s definitely good for both executives and artists to know what they want their legacy to be. It’s important that people have a legacy that they’re proud of. The dream, for me, would be people remembering my legacy as being able to celebrate the beauty of our culture and champion underrepresented voices. My hope is that, one day, I’ll see more people like me in more positions—especially for Black women. I pray that there’s more of us, and those safe spaces continue to be created for us.