Scottish hip-hop
Encyclopedia
Scottish hip-hop is the Scottish
manifestation of the hip hop
culture, comprising the five elements of MCing, DJing, beatboxing
, graffiti
and b-boying.
From the inception of Hip hop culture in Scotland, and possibly due to the universal nature of the element, break dancing has been popular. Scotland has had a number of strong breaking crews over the years, such as Glasgow City Breakers, Lazer City Crew(LCC), Ayrshire, Skywalkers, Floor Freaks, White City Breakers and The Clan. Bboys such as Archie Easton, Brian Sharp,Baby J, Billy Todd, Mark Auldy Alderson, Gaz,Nancy McAndrew, Hammy,John Todd & Coza are all well known for their skills in Breakin and today's Bboys such as sideshow maule, eggy, presto, T pop, Maroc,sam,super stevie, tiger, harribo, Karol & Matt Finnish are taking Breakin forward.
The country also has a strong history of DJ
talent such as DJ Sonny from Edinburgh
, Aberdeen
's A La Fu playing far and wide overseas solo and as part of the Big Dada roster, D.J/Producer Nasty P(soul biscuits). DJ Plus One (ex-world DMC champ), Richie Rufftone (Scratch
), DJ Krash Slaughta (II Tone Committee
, Monkey Mafia), DJ Bunty and others.
Throughout the 1990s the popularity of hip hop culture spread outwards from the city to the coast, with groups appearing from further afield, such as All Time High and Speech Therapy. Contemporary Scottish hip hop is often overlooked due to the dominance of the English
, and specifically London
, rap scene. Contemporary Scottish acts that have managed to gain attention beyond the country's borders include Two Tone Committee, the ICARUS (who's track 'Longing for Reason' was used on a 'Bones' TV advert worldwide), Steg G and the Freestyle Master, Big Div, Mr Jinx Scotland Yard Emcees
, CatchKlick Emceez, Madhat McGore, Loki, Respek BA, Werd (S.O.S)
, Bigg Taj and All Time High whose " 68 n i owe ya 1 " track was picked up by Jurassic 5's DJ Nu-Mark and used on his worldwide released "Hands on " LP, a nice little achievement for a Scottish group.
in one way or another feel battling is a very important part of Hip Hop Culture. The most recognized Battle Emcee in Scotland is Respek BA from Glasgow who competed in numerous Jumpoff.tv street battles. Soul Biscuits a Hip Hop night in Scotland have hosted battles/competitions for Breakdancing, Graffiti Art, Beat Making and most notable 'The Soul Biscuits Emcee Championship' a freestyle tournament over beats, past winners include Jee4ce and Mr.Mackenzie
hip hop artists include: Reachout(Seen/Oh Eye Records), CatchKlick Emceez (Fader, Monolith, Cyrical C and Mr.MacKenzie), Capitol 12 12 (Fly T and Profreesor Fresh), Perfect Practice (Nostal/Holmes and Dj Sonny), Hero Records, Hex Co.(Sandman/Charlie Chong/Captain Howdy) S.T.M (O.D.G Records), Dead Set Gemini (Jee4ce/Deezy/Show N Prove), Stonez The Riddlah'(UVBeatz), Werd (S.O.S)
, Deeko (SOS), Wardie Burns (Powercut Productions/SOS), Mr.Jinx (Yard Emceez/BurghRecords) Scotland Yard Emcees
, Jordan Butler (Chavied Up Productions/SOS), L.Green, Mickey Blues, Big Spud, Depths, S-Type, DJ Nasty P, Dave Gunn (DKM/BurghRecords), Bone def (GhostGroove Records), Northern Exposure
, Madhat McGore (MCFR), Conscious Route, Kon-Tempt (AV8 Records), Simba (Rush Music Group), Dale A Thomson (Music Comes First Records & Show Love Don't Hate Clothing) and Zambian Astronaut.
The Capital City's hip hop scene is much the same as any other. It relies on the club promoters to book the big acts, then giving the local acts a chance to perform in support. A lot of Hip Hop club nights have come and gone but a few like Soul Biscuits, Urban Scot, Pass The Vibes and Noizteez have managed to maintain a regular slot in clubs like Cabaret Voltaire, Studio 24 and G.R.V (formally Octapus Diamond)and more recently Medina(D.J Nasty P & Cunnie) still pull the crowds in. MC Profisee (Clokes x Daggers) who has always played an active role in the emerging Hip hop scene since his Dark Paragons/Scotland Yard days he has recently been mixing flavors of Dub-Step, Electronica and Grime into his style, playing a big part in the success of club nights like Volume (Termite, G Mac) and Soul Biscuits. English Rapper Skinnyman
recorded a song called 'Soul Buscuits' for the album 'Choosers Can't Be Beggars' by Nasty P who was also the main figure behind the night club.
Hip Hop crews such as II Tone Committee
Krack Free Media (Kryptic & D.J.Science), Steg G
& the Freestyle Master, Eastborn
, Major Threat, Shadowpeople and The Being built reputations as quality groups. Groups like Gail Force Crew (GFC) whose roots are based in Hip Hop are still releasing new material and performing at show's have stepped it up another level by using live instruments bring a different vibe to the growing Scottish Hip Hop scene.Also the amount of talented producers from Glasgow has increased recently including, Konchis (The Being MC's , Scatabrainz (The Being MC's), BilL Breaks (The Being MC's) , Boydy from (Deadly Combo) and Steve Scant from (scant Squad) using various samples and scratching to emulate the sounds of hip hop. Other Glasgow or outside Glasgow (renfrew etc.) MC's also include : Gasp, Konchis & Physiks, Bigg Taj, Big Div, Mog, Phantom (TheTakeOver), Del (Deadly Combo) , Doonhamer, Louie, Butterscotch and many more such as Nity Gritz (Shadowpeople), Wee D (Shadowpeople) & Kayce One (Shadowpeople).
In recent years Scotland, and the city of Glasgow
in particular, has been the home of aqua crunk. Aqua crunk step, or Glitch hop as it is sometimes known, is the latest offshoot in the continouly evolving world of hip hop. Notable pioneers of this musical development are Rustie, Towny James and Hudson Mohawke
of the Luckyme collective. Another Scottish act, Capitol 1212-2 djs/producers aka Fly-T and Professa Fresh, have released records across Europe, America and Asia. They have built up a following with collaborations with international artists such as ED OG, Jungle Brothers, and Grandmaster Caz.
Outer Glasgow artists such as "RighteousDee" who has teamed up with many underground US artists, "Immune", Gangland Authentic &"Bar&Snow" have also been garnering attention for themselves in recent years.
Hip Hop artists such as Granite Emcees, Ekizel, Cheeens and SHY & DRS are just a few of the acts that bring light to the City of Aberdeen in Scottish Hip Hop music culture.
The Aberdeen Hip Hop scene is very different to others in Scotland. Due to lack of club and DJ Support from the City. Most of the Acts have made way for themselves by video marketing and Album/ep Production. The first group to make noise this way was Granite Emcees in 2005. Although very rough in their approach, they were the one act to open many doors for more successful artists in the City. Most notably "The Emcees" who also released a video in the same way in 2006. This group put together by Local producer Ekizel seen two of currently the more successful Scottish groups/acts of the year 2009, they are SHY & DRS and Cheeens.
SHY & DRS being picked up by Awe RECORDS and releasing their self-funded 20 track DEMO "Behind Closed Doors" in January 2009 (including a single release and two music videos) and Cheeens releasing his debut EP "My Miind in Rhyme" (including release of his single/video "For So Long) in September 2009. Both these releases featured Production from Aberdeens most well known producer Ekizel producing most of both releases and all video tracks. Ekizel working with the likes of Loki, Mic assassin, Syanide, Eastborn
profit as well as Putting Cheeens, SHY & DRS, Granite emcees and more into the forefront of Aberdeens Hip hop music scene opened many doors and cemented Aberdeens place in the Scottish Hip Hop music scene.
Successful DJs from the City like DJ A La Fu have brough different sides and angles into the Aberdeen Music scene with big name feature tracks and Live shows at his nights in Club Snafu make him one of the Best loved DJs in his field.
is perhaps the most overlooked area of Scottish Hip Hop though acts such as Spit-Dis and T-E-C were prominent in the Highlands & Islands. Spit-Dis consists of Brude (Glass Cage), John-Boi (Focus on the Day), KD (Life is a Game) and Sherbit (Hip-Hop). The members of T-E-C, Mgoff and Paul Scotti are perhaps most recognised for their tracks "Don't Doubt The Flow", "These Parts" and "The Movement". In an area disproportionately dominated by traditional Highland music and Rock bands, these groups are particularly influential in the local and national scene in a way which was previously unassociated with artists from this area.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
manifestation of the hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
culture, comprising the five elements of MCing, DJing, beatboxing
Beatboxing
Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. It may also involve singing, vocal imitation of turntablism, and the simulation of horns, strings, and other musical instruments...
, graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
and b-boying.
History
In the 1980s the elements of hip hop culture had spread to Scotland. Hip-hop and electro music reached Scotland and was adopted and developed locally by DJs and later MCs.From the inception of Hip hop culture in Scotland, and possibly due to the universal nature of the element, break dancing has been popular. Scotland has had a number of strong breaking crews over the years, such as Glasgow City Breakers, Lazer City Crew(LCC), Ayrshire, Skywalkers, Floor Freaks, White City Breakers and The Clan. Bboys such as Archie Easton, Brian Sharp,Baby J, Billy Todd, Mark Auldy Alderson, Gaz,Nancy McAndrew, Hammy,John Todd & Coza are all well known for their skills in Breakin and today's Bboys such as sideshow maule, eggy, presto, T pop, Maroc,sam,super stevie, tiger, harribo, Karol & Matt Finnish are taking Breakin forward.
The country also has a strong history of DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
talent such as DJ Sonny from Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
's A La Fu playing far and wide overseas solo and as part of the Big Dada roster, D.J/Producer Nasty P(soul biscuits). DJ Plus One (ex-world DMC champ), Richie Rufftone (Scratch
Scratch
Scratch may refer to:* A mark or indentation on a surface: Abrasion It may also refer to:- Recordings :* Scratch , by Kaela Kimura* Scratch , the soundtrack to the 2001 documentary Scratch...
), DJ Krash Slaughta (II Tone Committee
II Tone Committee
II Tone Committee a.k.a Tones of Twice, composed of Mista Bohze, Defy, Sace and DJ Krashslaughta and emerged from the Glasgow Hip Hop scene of the late 80’s-History:...
, Monkey Mafia), DJ Bunty and others.
Throughout the 1990s the popularity of hip hop culture spread outwards from the city to the coast, with groups appearing from further afield, such as All Time High and Speech Therapy. Contemporary Scottish hip hop is often overlooked due to the dominance of the English
British hip hop
British hip hop is a genre of music, and a culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. It is generally classified as one of a number of styles of urban music...
, and specifically London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, rap scene. Contemporary Scottish acts that have managed to gain attention beyond the country's borders include Two Tone Committee, the ICARUS (who's track 'Longing for Reason' was used on a 'Bones' TV advert worldwide), Steg G and the Freestyle Master, Big Div, Mr Jinx Scotland Yard Emcees
Scotland Yard Emcees
Scotland Yard Emcees was an Edinburgh based hip hop group composed of MC Profisee a.k.a Nutty Prof, Necaras, E-Hybrid, Big Stoo a.k.a Isomer and Mr Jinx.-History:...
, CatchKlick Emceez, Madhat McGore, Loki, Respek BA, Werd (S.O.S)
Werd (S.O.S)
Werd also known as Drew Devine, is an Edinburgh based hip hop artist signed to Sons of Scotland record publishing....
, Bigg Taj and All Time High whose " 68 n i owe ya 1 " track was picked up by Jurassic 5's DJ Nu-Mark and used on his worldwide released "Hands on " LP, a nice little achievement for a Scottish group.
Battle Scene
Many people who contribute to Hip HopHip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
in one way or another feel battling is a very important part of Hip Hop Culture. The most recognized Battle Emcee in Scotland is Respek BA from Glasgow who competed in numerous Jumpoff.tv street battles. Soul Biscuits a Hip Hop night in Scotland have hosted battles/competitions for Breakdancing, Graffiti Art, Beat Making and most notable 'The Soul Biscuits Emcee Championship' a freestyle tournament over beats, past winners include Jee4ce and Mr.Mackenzie
Edinburgh (Auld Reekie)
EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
hip hop artists include: Reachout(Seen/Oh Eye Records), CatchKlick Emceez (Fader, Monolith, Cyrical C and Mr.MacKenzie), Capitol 12 12 (Fly T and Profreesor Fresh), Perfect Practice (Nostal/Holmes and Dj Sonny), Hero Records, Hex Co.(Sandman/Charlie Chong/Captain Howdy) S.T.M (O.D.G Records), Dead Set Gemini (Jee4ce/Deezy/Show N Prove), Stonez The Riddlah'(UVBeatz), Werd (S.O.S)
Werd (S.O.S)
Werd also known as Drew Devine, is an Edinburgh based hip hop artist signed to Sons of Scotland record publishing....
, Deeko (SOS), Wardie Burns (Powercut Productions/SOS), Mr.Jinx (Yard Emceez/BurghRecords) Scotland Yard Emcees
Scotland Yard Emcees
Scotland Yard Emcees was an Edinburgh based hip hop group composed of MC Profisee a.k.a Nutty Prof, Necaras, E-Hybrid, Big Stoo a.k.a Isomer and Mr Jinx.-History:...
, Jordan Butler (Chavied Up Productions/SOS), L.Green, Mickey Blues, Big Spud, Depths, S-Type, DJ Nasty P, Dave Gunn (DKM/BurghRecords), Bone def (GhostGroove Records), Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure is an American television series that ran on CBS from 1990 to 1995, with a total of 110 episodes.-Overview:The series was given a pair of consecutive Peabody Awards: in 1991–92 for the show's "depict[ion] in a comedic and often poetic way, [of] the cultural clash between a...
, Madhat McGore (MCFR), Conscious Route, Kon-Tempt (AV8 Records), Simba (Rush Music Group), Dale A Thomson (Music Comes First Records & Show Love Don't Hate Clothing) and Zambian Astronaut.
The Capital City's hip hop scene is much the same as any other. It relies on the club promoters to book the big acts, then giving the local acts a chance to perform in support. A lot of Hip Hop club nights have come and gone but a few like Soul Biscuits, Urban Scot, Pass The Vibes and Noizteez have managed to maintain a regular slot in clubs like Cabaret Voltaire, Studio 24 and G.R.V (formally Octapus Diamond)and more recently Medina(D.J Nasty P & Cunnie) still pull the crowds in. MC Profisee (Clokes x Daggers) who has always played an active role in the emerging Hip hop scene since his Dark Paragons/Scotland Yard days he has recently been mixing flavors of Dub-Step, Electronica and Grime into his style, playing a big part in the success of club nights like Volume (Termite, G Mac) and Soul Biscuits. English Rapper Skinnyman
Skinnyman
Skinnyman is an English rapper who was born in Leeds, Yorkshire and moved to Finsbury Park, London at a young age. He grew up on the Six Acres Estate next to Andover Estate...
recorded a song called 'Soul Buscuits' for the album 'Choosers Can't Be Beggars' by Nasty P who was also the main figure behind the night club.
Glasgow
GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
Hip Hop crews such as II Tone Committee
II Tone Committee
II Tone Committee a.k.a Tones of Twice, composed of Mista Bohze, Defy, Sace and DJ Krashslaughta and emerged from the Glasgow Hip Hop scene of the late 80’s-History:...
Krack Free Media (Kryptic & D.J.Science), Steg G
Steg G
Steven Gilfoyle better known by his stage name Steg G, is a Scottish hip hop producer, radio DJ and record executive...
& the Freestyle Master, Eastborn
Eastborn
Richard "Riz" Harcus , , is a rapper and Community Worker, originally from Edinburgh but currently based in Glasgow...
, Major Threat, Shadowpeople and The Being built reputations as quality groups. Groups like Gail Force Crew (GFC) whose roots are based in Hip Hop are still releasing new material and performing at show's have stepped it up another level by using live instruments bring a different vibe to the growing Scottish Hip Hop scene.Also the amount of talented producers from Glasgow has increased recently including, Konchis (The Being MC's , Scatabrainz (The Being MC's), BilL Breaks (The Being MC's) , Boydy from (Deadly Combo) and Steve Scant from (scant Squad) using various samples and scratching to emulate the sounds of hip hop. Other Glasgow or outside Glasgow (renfrew etc.) MC's also include : Gasp, Konchis & Physiks, Bigg Taj, Big Div, Mog, Phantom (TheTakeOver), Del (Deadly Combo) , Doonhamer, Louie, Butterscotch and many more such as Nity Gritz (Shadowpeople), Wee D (Shadowpeople) & Kayce One (Shadowpeople).
In recent years Scotland, and the city of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in particular, has been the home of aqua crunk. Aqua crunk step, or Glitch hop as it is sometimes known, is the latest offshoot in the continouly evolving world of hip hop. Notable pioneers of this musical development are Rustie, Towny James and Hudson Mohawke
Hudson Mohawke
Hudson Mohawke, also known as Hudson Mo or HudMo, is an electronic music producer/DJ from Glasgow, Scotland, affiliated with the LuckyMe collective. He is signed to Warp Records and released his debut album on Warp, called Butter in October 2009...
of the Luckyme collective. Another Scottish act, Capitol 1212-2 djs/producers aka Fly-T and Professa Fresh, have released records across Europe, America and Asia. They have built up a following with collaborations with international artists such as ED OG, Jungle Brothers, and Grandmaster Caz.
Outer Glasgow artists such as "RighteousDee" who has teamed up with many underground US artists, "Immune", Gangland Authentic &"Bar&Snow" have also been garnering attention for themselves in recent years.
Aberdeen
AberdeenAberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
Hip Hop artists such as Granite Emcees, Ekizel, Cheeens and SHY & DRS are just a few of the acts that bring light to the City of Aberdeen in Scottish Hip Hop music culture.
The Aberdeen Hip Hop scene is very different to others in Scotland. Due to lack of club and DJ Support from the City. Most of the Acts have made way for themselves by video marketing and Album/ep Production. The first group to make noise this way was Granite Emcees in 2005. Although very rough in their approach, they were the one act to open many doors for more successful artists in the City. Most notably "The Emcees" who also released a video in the same way in 2006. This group put together by Local producer Ekizel seen two of currently the more successful Scottish groups/acts of the year 2009, they are SHY & DRS and Cheeens.
SHY & DRS being picked up by Awe RECORDS and releasing their self-funded 20 track DEMO "Behind Closed Doors" in January 2009 (including a single release and two music videos) and Cheeens releasing his debut EP "My Miind in Rhyme" (including release of his single/video "For So Long) in September 2009. Both these releases featured Production from Aberdeens most well known producer Ekizel producing most of both releases and all video tracks. Ekizel working with the likes of Loki, Mic assassin, Syanide, Eastborn
Eastborn
Richard "Riz" Harcus , , is a rapper and Community Worker, originally from Edinburgh but currently based in Glasgow...
profit as well as Putting Cheeens, SHY & DRS, Granite emcees and more into the forefront of Aberdeens Hip hop music scene opened many doors and cemented Aberdeens place in the Scottish Hip Hop music scene.
Successful DJs from the City like DJ A La Fu have brough different sides and angles into the Aberdeen Music scene with big name feature tracks and Live shows at his nights in Club Snafu make him one of the Best loved DJs in his field.
Inverness
InvernessInverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
is perhaps the most overlooked area of Scottish Hip Hop though acts such as Spit-Dis and T-E-C were prominent in the Highlands & Islands. Spit-Dis consists of Brude (Glass Cage), John-Boi (Focus on the Day), KD (Life is a Game) and Sherbit (Hip-Hop). The members of T-E-C, Mgoff and Paul Scotti are perhaps most recognised for their tracks "Don't Doubt The Flow", "These Parts" and "The Movement". In an area disproportionately dominated by traditional Highland music and Rock bands, these groups are particularly influential in the local and national scene in a way which was previously unassociated with artists from this area.