Capitol 1212 in the Capital

Capitol 1212 are one of the latest hip-hop crews to come out of Edinburgh, and they're determined to boost the Scottish scene. Using sampling and live instrumentation, the Edinburgh-based producers and DJs, Fly-T and Professa Fresh, are looking to make changes to the perception of Scottish hip-hop created in Scotland, and hopefully spark interest further afield.

Both have set up their own clubs nights, Pangea and Vapors, which continue today, and the two have since collaborated with many artists, from rising Scottish talent to their childhood idols. "Grandmaster Caz and Donald D are both guys I've listened to and watched in films since I was really young, so it's great to work with them and have them on our EP," says Fly-T. "Most people I've met or performed alongside have been cool, although there've been a few exceptions where people have been egotistical twats!" Although having worked with personal scene icons, the boys stick close to their roots and keep things down-to-earth. "Thing is, after meeting a lot of my heroes who are all platinum selling artists etc, the way I view people as musical heroes has changed. To me someone like Edinburgh-based MC Profisee is a real inspiration. He is as skilled as any well known American artist and is consistently working hard on his music, but he is also working a 9-5 day job and raising a family. That takes a lot of passion and talent."

Capitol 1212 has some hints for the kind of Scottish hip-hop you should be checking out, starting with those appearing on their new Raw and Disorder EP, due May on Kool Kat Records, Profisee and Mikey Krummins. The EP also sees Grandmaster Caz and Bronx rapper Donald D stepping up to deliver their pioneering vibe. Other tips for the top include "dope beat makers such as Jay Large, Whys, Dema, Hudson, and Del AKA Soul Condor. Watch out for them," says Fly-T.

Although from different parts of Scotland, the boys banded together over a love of hip-hop, but both principally like different genres of music: Professa Fresh, a Glasgow "punk through and through", discovered the wonders of hip-hop and DJing through observing the skills of DJ Shadow, Z-Trip and Qbert. A founding member of Cot Death, a band mashing and merging the contrasting genres of old-school punk and drum 'n' bass, he admits to his love of punk influencing his DJ sets. At a polar opposite, Fly-T grew up listening to soul, bopping to James Brown and Marvin Gaye in primary school, before progressing onto dancehall and hip-hop. It's the latter which has obviously made a profound impact on their lives. "It's a pretty big influence. It's a lifestyle, ain't it?" questions Fly-T. "From my hip-hop workshops at Royal Edinburgh Hospital to getting married in New York [at a hip-hop themed wedding no less! - ed]... It wasn't as much of a hip-hop wedding as I would have liked it to be, but my wife Andi was pretty understanding in letting me put Run DMC toys on the cake and digging for records around New York in between arranging stuff for the day. Plus, DJ Paul Nice played at the reception which was cool, though he didn't just play hip-hop, he also cut up and did doubles of Culture Club! That was fun."

Their roles as DJs allow the pair to hear a lot more talent than most. "I think the music scene in Scotland is pretty damn good," states Professa Fresh. "I'm never bored by the talent and creativity I see. My night Pangea books almost exclusively artists based in Scotland because there is more than enough talent to span years of great nights. People should always look closer to home for their music. However, there's a lot of it out there, you just gotta get digging."