Jingle Bell Hop - Xmas Hip-Hop Nites
Hip-hop MCs making like squirrels and stockpiling breaks and beats for the winter
| 07 Dec 2007
It's December, yo, and you know what that means – Santa's laying down some serious work with his elf posse, getting ready to sneak down your chimneys and empty his bulging sacks into your carefully-hung stockings, like some housebreaking, foot-fetishising hobo with sherry breath. In Edinburgh, hip-hop MCs are following Profisee's lead: making like squirrels, and stockpiling breaks and beats for the winter, getting down to some serious studio time. However, there are still a few spots to hit over the festive period, to get a dose of boom-bap to go with your egg-nog.
First up, go catch some trip-hop, dubstep and hip-hop action with DJ P-Haze and friends at Robotales (The Green Room, 5 Dec, £tbc). Biggest draw of the month has got to be Scratch, who bring underground heroes J-Zone & DJ Sheep, AKA XxxTra Chee$e, to drive out those winter blues with a heavy dose of turntablism, raucous comedy, and every kind of break from Miami bass to disco, G-funk to soul. They're joined by Edinburgh's own turntable maestros, Richie Rufftone and Blag1 (The Bongo Club, 7 Dec, £7 adv.)
Next we have Sileni, Edinburgh's own artcore rap adventurers, who bring their newly-expanded 'big band' to the Hive on 9 Dec (£tbc). Expect the trademark dark Sileni sound to be augmented and transformed. Keep a lookout for Sileni supporting Underling at their as-yet-unconfirmed Album Launch Party, which, by the way, will be massif. Continuing the underground theme, the former Left Bank, now GRV, welcomes Sola Perplexus' vocal team-up, Double Helix, for their first live set at Wonky Wallpaper, an experimental/audio-visual night, where they will showcase their mix of subterranean dubstep, hip-hop and headfuck electronics. With plays on Radio 1 and a joint EP out with Scream Club, this one's been a while coming (GRV, 12 Dec, £tbc).
Shutting down Edinburgh for the festive season are the ever-interesting Obscene crew – their Christmas special will feature hip-hop, crazy mashup weirdness, some Baile Funk and B-more alongside the usual d'n'b shenanigans (Club Ego, 22 Dec, £cheap). And if you want hip-hop for Hogmanay, get your ass to Headspin (The Bongo Club, 31 Dec, 10pm-5am, £12).
Over on the west coast, I'm not hearing any rumblings about specific gigs popping off, but then maybe I just don't have my ear to the ground. My advice? Head to one of Glasgow's many regular hip-hop jams and ask someone there what's cracking. You could start at Killer Kitsch (The Buff Club, Tuesdays, £3/4), move on to Freakmoves (The Art School, Thursdays, £3/£4) and finish up at Party Groove (Miso, Saturdays, Free). With acts like Snafu, Dema & Nice, and Boom Monk Ben serving up the breaks, you'll soon be more in the loop than your humble correspondent. Peace y'all – keep it Jeezy.
First up, go catch some trip-hop, dubstep and hip-hop action with DJ P-Haze and friends at Robotales (The Green Room, 5 Dec, £tbc). Biggest draw of the month has got to be Scratch, who bring underground heroes J-Zone & DJ Sheep, AKA XxxTra Chee$e, to drive out those winter blues with a heavy dose of turntablism, raucous comedy, and every kind of break from Miami bass to disco, G-funk to soul. They're joined by Edinburgh's own turntable maestros, Richie Rufftone and Blag1 (The Bongo Club, 7 Dec, £7 adv.)
Next we have Sileni, Edinburgh's own artcore rap adventurers, who bring their newly-expanded 'big band' to the Hive on 9 Dec (£tbc). Expect the trademark dark Sileni sound to be augmented and transformed. Keep a lookout for Sileni supporting Underling at their as-yet-unconfirmed Album Launch Party, which, by the way, will be massif. Continuing the underground theme, the former Left Bank, now GRV, welcomes Sola Perplexus' vocal team-up, Double Helix, for their first live set at Wonky Wallpaper, an experimental/audio-visual night, where they will showcase their mix of subterranean dubstep, hip-hop and headfuck electronics. With plays on Radio 1 and a joint EP out with Scream Club, this one's been a while coming (GRV, 12 Dec, £tbc).
Shutting down Edinburgh for the festive season are the ever-interesting Obscene crew – their Christmas special will feature hip-hop, crazy mashup weirdness, some Baile Funk and B-more alongside the usual d'n'b shenanigans (Club Ego, 22 Dec, £cheap). And if you want hip-hop for Hogmanay, get your ass to Headspin (The Bongo Club, 31 Dec, 10pm-5am, £12).
Over on the west coast, I'm not hearing any rumblings about specific gigs popping off, but then maybe I just don't have my ear to the ground. My advice? Head to one of Glasgow's many regular hip-hop jams and ask someone there what's cracking. You could start at Killer Kitsch (The Buff Club, Tuesdays, £3/4), move on to Freakmoves (The Art School, Thursdays, £3/£4) and finish up at Party Groove (Miso, Saturdays, Free). With acts like Snafu, Dema & Nice, and Boom Monk Ben serving up the breaks, you'll soon be more in the loop than your humble correspondent. Peace y'all – keep it Jeezy.