Hip Hop

Platinum Pied Pipers to play rescheduled Edinburgh date

5 Sep 2008

Detroit-based hip hop and R&B group the Palatinum Pied Pipers play at Edinburgh's Voodoo Rooms on Monday 15th September. Promoting their new album Abundance, PPP take a soul-based foundation and mash it up with their array of vintage & modern…

Gym Class Heroes

4 Sep 2008

They may have had their big break on Fall Out Boy’s Decaydance Records label but Gym Class Heroes play up beat hip hop, earning their stripes playing mainly rock bills. Now frontman Travis McCoy has helped push the band into the big leagues with duets…

The Streets - Everything is Borrowed

4 Sep 2008

Mike Skinner might be one of the finest pop artists of our generation, but there’s no escaping the fact that his fourth album is a real disappointment. Certain passages of it might well grow over time, yet the suspicion is that it’s just too damn…

Underling - Underling

4 Sep 2008

Based in Dunfermline, Underling pull off the hitherto impossible trick of making the Kingdom of Fife sound like a district of Brooklyn. Their music is played live, a light but spirited bed of intently grooving jazz, through which Aron Moorhouse’s raps…

Root Manuva - Slime and Reason

21 Aug 2008

Almost a decade after his debut album Brand New Second Hand appeared, Rodney Smith’s no longer at the head of a field of one. The popularisation of UK hip hop which he ushered in has since given way to garage and then grime, and while he’s stepped back…

Beans - Thorns

14 Aug 2008

HIP HOP (Adored and Exploited) A welcome return from Beans, aka Mr Ballbeam, one quarter of Anti-Pop Consortium, but also a fully-fledged vocalist and beat master in his own right. He’s a self-proclaimed scene outsider who requires no association to…

Class Enemy

A different class

14 Aug 2008

When Nigel Williams’ Class Enemy made its debut at London’s Royal Court in 1978, hip hop was still a phenomenon of the American underground. It would never have occurred to a director to incorporate it into this portrayal of a bunch of teenagers in a…

The Grouch - Show You The World

14 Aug 2008

HIP HOP (Legendary Music) The Grouch drops his first solo-project in five years, and it ain’t too bad either. A highly respected solo MC, beat-maker and founder member of The Living Legends, he is famed for his heartfelt approach to his lyrics; an…

Headspin

7 Aug 2008

Over the years the guys behind Headspin have built up an enviable reputation on the Edinburgh club scene. Seamlessly mixing the retro with the futuristic on their no-holds-barred four-deck set-up, which splices hip hop, funk, disco, house and other…

Jon Phonics - Half Past

7 Aug 2008

HIP HOP (Illsmith Productions) UK hip hop is hard work, but Jon Phonics looks like an exception to the rule. Half Past, his debut album, plays host to UK vocal talent. What’s interesting is that his approach to production seems to have got the best…

Sa-Choom

Sensory Korean overload

7 Aug 2008

They call it a dance musical but Sa-Choom is more like a happy assault vehicle. Big beats mix with big smiles in a rolling collision of breakdancing, martial arts, techno, hip hop and glossy pop. It’s all about feeling good, and with the verve and…

Tasty sub - Glasgow Sub Club honoured in Resident Advisor poll

7 Aug 2008

Glasgow clubbing institution the Sub Club has been honoured with a place in respected dance magazine Resident Advisor’s Top 10 list. The Sub Club was placed inside the worldwide Top 10 in three out of four categories, including Atmosphere, Programming…

Student guide: Clubbing hitlist - Edinburgh

4 Aug 2008

David Pollock selects the top ten club nights you cannot afford to miss. Residents Hobbes and Erik D’Viking DJ all over town, but the eclectic party night Trouble is still their biggest deal. Diversity is key; since the start of 2007, Rob Da Bank…

All day hip hop event

31 Jul 2008

Banksy’s subversive street art sells for millions, Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre are basically musical royalty and films such as Step Up 2 continue to popularise break-dancing and battling. Hip hop and street culture couldn’t be having more of a moment. Funny…

Student guide: Clubbing hitlist - Glasgow

29 Jul 2008

David Pollock selects the top ten club nights you cannot afford to miss. OPTIMO Riding the crest of a wave for the best part of a decade now, JD Twitch and JG Wilkes’ Optimo (Espacio), which borrows the aesthetic of early 80s New York nightlife and…

5 Reasons to Go See - Jay-Z

17 Jul 2008

He stuck it right up Noel Gallagherafter Noel made some rash remarks about Jay-Z being chosen to headline Glastonbury this year. In retaliation, Jay-Z ran an intro tape mocking Gallagher, then proceeded to lead the huge crowd through a sarcastic version…

Profile - DJ Assault

17 Jul 2008

Name DJ Assault Real name Craig De Shan Adams aka Craig Diamonds Occupation Filthmeister supreme of the ghettotech genre. Ghettotech? A latter-day Detroit style, devised by Assault, DJ Funk and DJ Godfather, which blends the city’s ghetto house…

The Roots - Hip hop's best live act

17 Jul 2008

Originally ignored by rap audiences in the US, the band gained notoriety on the 1994 Lollapalooza tour where the alt.rock crowd took to them with gusto. They have slowly broken through and carved a niche for themselves. The eclecticism On paper The…

Tricky - Knowle West Boy

17 Jul 2008

Fifteen years in and Tricky remains a fascinatingly contradictory figure. This debut for esteemed indie Domino sees him more eclectic than ever, with a raft of obscure guest vocalists adding to that vibe, and features both some of his most commercial…

Smoove

3 Jul 2008

FUNK/HIP HOP Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, Fri 4 Jul. Smoove is a man in the thrall of the funk, and while he’s happy to pilfer from any genre or decade, it all needs to have that groove. ‘Everything is rooted in the funk; soul, even music going way, way…

Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold

3 Jul 2008

HIP HOP (Rhymesayers) The sixth studio album arrives from Slug and Ant, long time contributors of non-formula hip hop weirdness, but it ain’t going to please everyone with its more polished slant. There’s the live sounding funkster groove ‘Dreamer’…

Physical graffiti as The Wackness comes to Edinburgh International Film Festival

23 Jun 2008

Friday 20th June 2008 saw Festival Square, Edinburgh transformed into an enormous technicolor homage to graffiti, breakdancing and hip hop culture to mark the UK premiere of film The Wackness at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Estelle @ ABC Glasgow

Seen on Monday 9 June

12 Jun 2008

Anybody who witnessed, no, anybody who experienced the vivacity of Estelle in Glasgow last night will not be surprised to discover that the American-produced British success story of 2008 is not new to the circuit. In fact, as she explains following…

Atmosphere

5 Jun 2008

HIP HOP Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, Tue 17 Jun No matter how tired commercial hip hop becomes there’s always a smattering of inspirational characters to breathe some life into the scene. Innovators like MF Doom, Madlib and Shape of Broad Minds keep us on…

Triple Darkness - The Heresy Presents: Anathema

5 Jun 2008

HIP HOP (Higher Heights Records) UK hip hop suffers from the age-old problem of trying to compete with its US roots; a losing battle some might say, but Triple Darkness have been receiving a fair bit of hype of late, supporting Method Man and Redman…

Public Enemy

22 May 2008

HIP HOP ABC, Glasgow, Tue 27 May Do you know the one about the ahead-of-his-time internet entrepreneur, the clock-obsessed reality TV star, and the boyish looking, alleged anti-Semite? No punch line here, just excerpts from the long and vivid history…

Santogold

22 May 2008

‘I’m trying to fix pop,’ proclaims Santi White (aka Santogold) with an impish laugh. ‘It’s broken.’ If anyone is qualified to take their toolkit to the genre, it probably is White. A music industry veteran of over ten years, she’s seen the business…

Jae P - Unsigned & Hungry Vol. 1

22 May 2008

HIP HOP (Souljawn) Perhaps it’s the clamour to be heard or a yearning to be taken seriously, a hangover from the UK’s self-conscious beginnings, but British rappers frequently sound exasperated, predisposed to moan. Ghanian-born, London bred Glasgow…

Cadence Weapon and J-Live

8 May 2008

HIP HOP Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, Mon 19 May; The Ivy, Glasgow, Tue 20 May In the space of two albums, Rollie Pemberton (aka Cadence Weapon) has cut a compellingly maverick path across the hip hop landscape. His first record, Breaking Kayfabe, set…

Kyon & Dyems - Overnight

10 Apr 2008

HIP HOP ELECTRONICA (Crystal Wish) Kyon & Dyems are enigmatic Edinburgh-based brothers who, on this quality showing, would put most major label hip hop acts to shame. This debut album, recorded on a budget, is nevertheless brimming with ideas…

Guilty Simpson - Ode to The Ghetto

27 Mar 2008

HIP HOP (Stones Throw Records) Byron Simpson aka Guilty Simpson is the real deal. He’s done his time within Detroit’s hip hop scene, mastering his art and waiting for his moment. Ode to the Ghetto is his first full-length project and what you have…

Method Man, Redman and LuckyMe

27 Mar 2008

HIP HOP Carling Academy, Glasgow, Sat 29 Mar - RESCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY 20 APRIL ‘Change’ seems to be a popular word at the moment; politically, environmentally, it’s all about moving into something new. As always, you can rely on hip hop to reflect the…

Guru

13 Mar 2008

‘I’ve personally always been about trying to create new, relevant, hot music,’ states Guru in a considered tone that sits well with his rap canon, ‘and thanks to my partnership with the super-producer Solar I’m able to do that. Not everyone has a…

Cadence Weapon - Afterparty Babies

13 Mar 2008

HIP HOP (Big Dada) It’s not entirely fair to say we need another smartass boy shooting his mouth off over gristly beats but here’s another, who, despite initial impressions has dealt us a hand of oddly affecting, raw and human stories. Cadence…

Robert Glasper

13 Mar 2008

JAZZ The Lot, Edinburgh, Thu 27 Mar Blue Note recording artist Robert Glasper has made one of the more successful attempts to merge the influences of jazz with contemporary urban forms, and particularly hip hop. While such experiments often end up…

Trevor Nelson

13 Mar 2008

One of a rare breed of DJs to have secured an MBE, Trevor Nelson is still the public face of R&B in the UK. Nelson started out playing warehouse parties and on Kiss FM (when it was still a pirate radio station), and, over the years, has proved his…

SoCo Social Mardis Gras

28 Feb 2008

New Orleans-flavoured night of DJ skills and live music. Steve Angello (pictured) mixes up electro, techno and house influences while Henry Ralph mashes hip hop, rock and disco. Plus, there’s a live set from the Hot 8 Brass Band (also playing the Voodoo…

Soul Biscuits

28 Feb 2008

The SB crew step back to the 80s for one more ‘Superboogie Breaks’ special. So expect plenty of b-boy action from the tracks that helped shape the face of hip hop, from Run DMC to Public Enemy. As if that wasn’t enough excitement, there’s also a live…

The Hot 8 Brass Band

28 Feb 2008

It shouldn’t work, but it does. Live and direct from New Orleans, The Hot 8 Brass Band add funk and hip hop grooves to the familiar brass band sound. With funked up covers of the likes of ‘Sexual Healing’ overlaid with lyrical rapping they take the…

DJ Format

14 Feb 2008

Three years since the last album and having apparently denounced hip hop while throwing himself headlong into DJing and re-editing duties you might be surprised to find that DJ Format, aka Southampton-born Brightonian Matt Ford, has been quietly…

The Cool Kids

14 Feb 2008

HIP HOP Ego, Edinburgh, Sun 17 Feb For the past few years hip hop in the states has been suffering. In 2007 album sales nose-dived and the ‘hip hop tycoon’ icon with clothing labels, butlers and perfumes finally crumbled under street level scrutiny.

Aesop Rock

31 Jan 2008

INDIE HIP HOP Five albums deep, and with a cable access TV slot and Nike Original Run project under his belt (because even slacker heads need to exercise), Aesop Rock’s murky stew of hip hop, rock and post-apocalyptic commentary still proves a…

Lupe Fiasco - The Cool

31 Jan 2008

(Atlantic) HIP HOP The fondness for branding artists the ‘new’ someone means they have little or no time to establish themselves as themselves. So, with this in mind, young Master Fiasco is neither the new Kanye West or Jay-Z, though the Chicagoan…

Headspin's 10th Birthday

17 Jan 2008

It was the winter of 98, and, inspired by fellow leftfield institution Messenger Sound System, Allan Dunbar and Steve Austen landed themselves a brand new club night at the old Bongo, determined they were going to put on something a little different…

Wu Tang Clan - 8 Diagrams

13 Dec 2007

HIP HOP (Bodog Music) The prevalence of solo efforts from the numerous members of the Wu-Tang Clan makes their joint efforts less of an event than they should be. The band’s last two outings have been worryingly inconsistent affairs and this, the…

J-Zone and DJ Sheep

29 Nov 2007

A double bill of hip hop talent with a twist. They’ve christened this the ‘Extra Chee$e’ tour and are planning on playing anything and everything but current hip hop. J-Zone has seven full-length albums under his belt and has worked with everyone from…

Jay-Z - American Gangster

29 Nov 2007

HIP HOP American Gangster (Roc-a-Fella) Retirement plans seem like a long way off as the Jigga Man produces his second album in a little less than 12 months. If Kingdom Come was all bluster and no substance, then Jay-Z redeems himself with this…

Example - Word smart

15 Nov 2007

Even for seasoned trend-spotters and taste makers like those here at The List it isn’t easy to predict which artists will strike a chord with the masses, who will stall before take-off and who will crash and burn. Having conquered press and public…

Ben Westbeech

15 Nov 2007

Skunk Funk team up with Trouble to bring you a live set of funk from Ben Westbeech. Gilles Peterson chose Westbeech’s debut single ‘So Good Today’ as the first release on his new Brownstone label so he must be doing something right. Expect soul, hip…

DJ Vadim

15 Nov 2007

HIP HOP The Sound Catcher Extras (BBE) When The Sound Catcher came out last year, some reviewers believed that DJ Vadim, the original White Russian, was not interested in inventing sub-genres, but simply putting his stamp on the music he was in…