Gemel "Gem" Mustapha is the former best friend of Ra'Nell Smith. Gem lived with his father who owned a fish and chip shop in Hackney, London before the two relocated to Ramgsate and Gem succumbed to drug addiction; partly due to a brief stint working for Summerhouse gang leaders Dushane and Sully, and later an abusive drug dealer named Vincent.
Gem served as the deuteragonist to Ra'Nell in the first and second season of Top Boy, and a recurring character in the third season. He is portrayed by Giacomo Mancini.
Biography[]
At some point in Gem's life, his mother walked out on Gem and his father, Babrak Mustapha. By March of 2011, Gem lived in Hackney, London with his father who ran a fish and chip shop. Gem attended school with Ra'Nell Smith and the two became best friends. He adopted a street dog he named Marnie whom Dris Wright would later kill. Gem became involved with Vincent in the weed business but was regularly bullied by him. In September of 2012, Gem's dad learned of Vincent's abuse towards his son and stabbed Vincent. The two then moved to Ramsgate because rent prices were much lower there. By 2019, Gem was still living in Ramsgate, and is friends with Sully and Jason.
Season 1[]
Gem comes to Ra'Nell's house. The two walk to school together. Ra’Nell and Gem get back to the flat but Ra’Nell discovers his mum isn’t home. The two decide to wait but Lisa has been kept at the mental health clinic. Ra’Nell leaves her a voice message asking when she’ll be home. Gem and Ra'Nell are at the DIY shop with Gem when a friend of Lisa’s, Heather recognises Ra’Nell. Heather, who is pregnant, is buying lights for her flat and asks the boys to help her take the items back to the car. Later on Gem and Ra'Nell are approached by Dushane, Sully and Dris. Dushane asks them to come work for them. Later it only happens to be Gem working for the Summerhouse crew when Leon talks them out to keep Ra'Nell out. Sully, Chantelle and Tareek pick up Gem after school. Ra’Nell tries to follow but Sully tells him he can’t come, and he should talk to Leon if he has a problem. They drive to Finchley and go the house where Dris and Andre are, with a crackhead named Robert. Gem and Chantelle work together and she shows him how to work the drug game properly. Tareek and Andre are on the street corner with Gem and Chantelle further on. The two sell to numerous customers with the rest back at the house. Dushane sends Gem to meet a customer for their drugs. However Kamale and the London Fields gang go and rob Dushane and his crew.
Sully is adamant Gem could be the snitch and Dushane is dubious about that, but tells him to make sure Dris keeps an eye on him. Gem speaks to Dris, Chantelle and the others and shows them his dog, before going to assist Ra’Nell with painting his mum’s room. As the two are painting, Ra’Nell teases Gem about his feelings for Chantelle. Gem takes Chantelle to his hideout where he goes with his dog. They talk about their families and Chantelle gives him some alcohol and asks why he doesn’t have a girlfriend. Gem tells her there is no girls like her at school.
Sully pressures Dushane about the snitch. He thinks its Gem but Dushane has his doubts and tells him it’s like he wants it to be him and he should leave it. Sully gets annoyed and thinks he’s getting ordered, and sends Dris to the school to collect Gem for him. Dris goes to the school and tries to get Gem to come with him but he refuses. He grabs him but Precious sees this and tells a teacher. When the teacher tries to stop Dris he punches her. Gem runs away but Dris chases him. Gem hides in a garden as Dris searches for him. A man comes out and tells him to leave, threatening him with a baseball bat. Gem is hidden in his garden and he is told to leave too. Dris rings Sully and tells him Gem gets away, but Sully doesn’t want to hear excuses. Ra’Nell tries to reach Gem, but he had dropped his phone in the tunnels when he was running away. Dris confronts Ra’Nell and asks where Gem is. He says he doesn’t know and argues with Dris and tells him he’s not a snitch. Dushane arrives and tells Ra’Nell to ask Gem when he sees him to go see him. Ra’Nell and Precious go to find him. Ra’Nell and Precious walk to Gem’s hideout, where he is sleeping. Ra’Nell explains to him that they think he’s the snake who told Kamale about the house. The trio wait in an underpass for Leon to come and pick them up. Ra’Nell explains to Leon that Gem’s dog is dead, and Leon drives the three home as he says he’ll sort it out for them.
Gem and Ra’Nell walk by and Dris apologises about Gem’s dog, and Dris gives him some money for a new one. Chantelle meets Gem at his hideout and apologises for telling Dris about the place. Gem and Chantelle are working for Vincent to move his cannabis.
Season 2[]
Ra’Nell is playing football at the cages when Gem calls him over. Gem tells him that he has messed up and he needs his help urgently, much to Ra’Nell’s annoyance. Gem has an issue with his crop. Ra’Nell asks him if he’s spoken to Vincent about it yet, which he hasn’t. Meanwhile the Summerhouse youngsters are out selling. Gem visits his father’s chipshop with Ra’Nell, where he and Ra’Nell are confronted by Collins, as Collins mocked Gem for looking like he had no money, before Ra’Nell tells Gem to leave him alone. Gem recieves a text from his dad and it turns out he gets told that they might be moving to Ramsgate.
Gem speaks with his father. Mr. Mustapha tells him that they may have to move to Ramsgate as the rents are lower there. Gem walks with Ra’Nell to school but Vincent is waiting for him. Vincent speaks to him and gives him a package to keep in his locker then deliver, before meeting him at the shop. Ra’Nell is at his trial as Gem delivers the package. Gem goes to Vincent’s shop. Vincent gives Gem some cigarettes. Gem tries to leave but Vincent pulls him back and smacks him. He says until Gem pays him back he owns him and he must go to him when he calls him. Gem phones Ra’Nell, and says it’s like he’s Vincent’s slave. Lisa comes home and Ra’Nell tells her about Gem moving to Ramsgate. She says the landlords are ripping the community apart.
Gem and Ra'Nell meet up, Ra'Nell asks him why is he not in school uniform, Gem then tells him he has to do a job for Vincent, Ra'Nell refuses and tells him he needs to cut ties with Vincent. Gem said he can't and he needs him with him and Ra'Nell tells him that he got himself into it and walks off. Gem then says to Ra'Nell "what a friend you are". Gem is walking to a flat to an associate of Vincent which is in a strip club, he gives the bag and then witnesses the associate getting his arm chopped off and runs away. Gem panickly bangs on Ra'Nell's door, Ra'Nell answers the door, Gem then tells him what he saw so Ra'Nell goes over on his way with Gem to confront Vincent. Vincent then brutally beats up Ra'Nell. Gem tries to stop it but Vincent pushes away Vincent and carries on kicking in Ra'Nell. Then Vincent then intimidates Gem and tells them both to fuck off. Ra'nell walks away all cut up and Gem stands there scared. Gem comes to the chip shop to see his father, Gem is then talking about his mum and his dad tells him that she is not worth talking about as she left them and refers her as bad woman. Mr. Mustapha asks Gem if he has done any homework and he then asks his dad if he can help him at his chip shop. Gem then tells his dad that he likes the thought of moving to Ramsgate. Gem is at the chip shop, he walks of his father tells Gem not to be late home. As he walks out, he unexpectedly sees Vincent. His dad looks out the window as he sees his son being dragged by Vincent. Vincent then continued bullying Gem. Vincent tells him that he should be a man and that his dad should help him become a man. He gives Gem a new package, he then tells him not to come near the shop and tells him to wait til he calls him.
Gem is sat in his bedroom, he opens up a bag of heroin and looks at it. Gem is then snorting the heroin. Lisa goes to see Mr. Mustapha about Vincent using and bullying Gem. Mr. Mustapha returns home, he finds Gem in bed drugged up. The next morning Gem wakes up and finds the drugs. Gem tells him it was Vincent. Ra'Nell is eating his eating his breakfast and Lisa tells him that Vincent will be sorted out. She tells him it is gonna be back to normal and walks off to work. Mr. Mustapha gets his knives ready and goes to kill Vincent. Dushane and Dris are there as they confront Vincent about bullying Ra'Nell. Ra'Nell is at the football field practicing to make the football youth team again. Gem shouts and approaches Ra'Nell. He tells Ra'Nell that him and his dad are moving to Ramsgate today. Gem tells Ra'Nell he is always welcome to go to Ramsgate and visit him. Ra'Nell repsonds "Yeah alright". Ra'Nell and Gem have their last goodbye and Ra'Nell tells Gem to holler him. Ra'Nell goes back to his football and Gem says "safe bruv". Gem then parts his own way. The next morning Gem and his father get ready and leave to move to Ramsgate.
Season 3[]
Gem meets up with his old friends from Summerhouse Sully and Jason at Ramsgate. Gem recommends them about the job to help them make money. Gem and Jason are being told off by Sully for doing drugs. He gives them a safehouse where Faez and Heidya are living at who get racially abused by Ramsgate local. Gem is messing around with Sully and Jason near the beach with fireworks. Jason, Gem and Sully are making money selling drugs round Ramsgate. As Sully made enough cash for him and Jason, he gives Gem his cut and tells him not to spend it on any more drugs.
Kill count[]
Murders connected to Gem[]
- Marnie: Hung by the neck by Dris, on orders from Sully after Gem was accused of being the gangs mole for Kamale. (14/3/2011)
- Vincent's associate: When Gem come and met up with him, Gem witnessed the man's arm being chopped off. (21/9/2012)
- Vincent: Stabbed in the leg by his father after finding out Vincent was exploiting Gem and givng him drugs. (23/9/2012)
Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- Between September 2012 and September 2019, Gem had made friends with Sully and Jason before Sully was sent to prison.
- Between 2012 and 2019, it is unknown if Gem and Ra'Nell keep in touch.
- Gem never spoke about what happened to Chantelle as she didn't appear in Season 2. It is likely they stopped seeing each other and Gem was left to work with Vincent on his own.
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