About this episode

Tayo Papoola explores the authentic documentation of creative communities through the lens of Jennie Baptiste's photography and its impact on Black British culture.

DJ and producer, Tayo Papoola, explores how the ground-breaking photography of Jennie Baptiste documented a generation of Black British creatives. Rhythm and Roots – Jennie Baptiste ’s first major solo exhibition – opened at Somerset House in Autumn 2025, celebrating a three-decade career across music, fashion and youth identity. From the vibrating energy of London’s dancehall scene to the rise of hip hop and R&B, it is a vital visual record of a generation finding its feet – and leaving its mark. But for Jennie, a child of the 80s and teenager of the 90s, it made total sense that photography would be a gateway into the culture. Growing up in north-west London to St. Lucian parents, her family were always taking photos. When her mother bought her a camera at 10, it never left her side as she captured the heyday of the UK’s hip hop scene and an underground culture looking to define itself. In this episode of The Process, radio producer and DJ Tayo Papoola – who grew up alongside this creative generation – asks: what does an authentic portrayal of a creative community look like? And how do you preserve these histories for generations to come? Tayo is joined by a set of…

People in this episode

Host: Tayo Papoola

Guest: Jennie Baptiste

Topics covered

• creative community
• photography
• Black British creatives
• cultural documentation
• music and fashion
• youth identity

Keywords

• documentary
• Black British culture
• hip hop
• R&B
• dancehall
• youth culture
• photography
• creative process

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Somerset House

More episodes of Somerset House Podcast

• The Process: The Sea Snake is Listening · April 15, 2026 · 25 min
• The Process Archive: Experimenting with Sound and the Voice · March 6, 2026 · 16 min
• The Process: Are drums a time-travelling device? · February 5, 2026 · 31 min
• The Process: What happens when performance meets everyday activism? · January 8, 2026 · 25 min
• The Process: How does an object become erotic? · November 6, 2025 · 20 min
• The Process: Why did the British build a hedge across India? · March 7, 2025 · 30 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Somerset House Podcast podcast page.