Club 2 Hot - The next generation
The kids are more up to date than any adults I know.
| 13 Oct 2006
No matter what anyone says, if you're in your mid teens and it's Saturday night, the last thing you want to do is sit watching Michael Parkinson with your folks, and listen to endless conversations about ASDA bills and pile cream. Thankfully, there's something altogether different for Edinburgh's teenagers to do and it doesn't involve alcohol, street corners or mind-altering substances.
Club 2 Hot, an under 18's Hip Hop, R&B and Dancehall night at Club Ego, has been running for two years, and five times Scottish DMC champion Ritchie Ruftone recently took control. The Skinny caught up with Ruftone who was keen to dispel the myth that under 18's nights are a place for kids to stumble into after a skinful of Alco-pops and strong white cider. "None of them are pissed," states Ruftone, "The crowd are all there to jump about and have a good time." A strong working relationship with the Police and breath tests at the door makes sure that the old ideas are now out of the window.
"We try and put on different events for the kids every Saturday rather than just a club night because a lot of club nights are just go along, listen to a DJ, and get drunk, and they can't do that." Recent events for Club 2 Hot have included the UK Dance Championships sponsored by Moam (Haribo), and the club has even seen big American guests such as 50 Cent's DJ, Whoo Kid, and Eminem's DJ, Green Lantern.
Ruftone, along with DJ Dizzle, DJ Prospect and MC Flow are the night's residents and play to 300-600 kids every week. But what about the music? "The kids are more up to date than any adults I know," says Ruftone. "They keep me in check and I spend 24 hours a day on the Internet looking for new releases - and I work in a record shop." It would seem that even the Scottish scene's current luminaries have something to learn from the newest recruits. So what position do these kids hold in the grand scheme of things? "Loads of the kids I know are breakdancers and young MC's and all that kind of stuff, so in about five years they will be the next generation of the Scottish Hip Hop scene."
Club 2 Hot runs every Saturday between 6:30pm and 9:30pm at Club Ego on Picardy Place and it is likely that the club will continue to be highly influential in defining the Edinburgh scene's future.
Club 2 Hot, an under 18's Hip Hop, R&B and Dancehall night at Club Ego, has been running for two years, and five times Scottish DMC champion Ritchie Ruftone recently took control. The Skinny caught up with Ruftone who was keen to dispel the myth that under 18's nights are a place for kids to stumble into after a skinful of Alco-pops and strong white cider. "None of them are pissed," states Ruftone, "The crowd are all there to jump about and have a good time." A strong working relationship with the Police and breath tests at the door makes sure that the old ideas are now out of the window.
"We try and put on different events for the kids every Saturday rather than just a club night because a lot of club nights are just go along, listen to a DJ, and get drunk, and they can't do that." Recent events for Club 2 Hot have included the UK Dance Championships sponsored by Moam (Haribo), and the club has even seen big American guests such as 50 Cent's DJ, Whoo Kid, and Eminem's DJ, Green Lantern.
Ruftone, along with DJ Dizzle, DJ Prospect and MC Flow are the night's residents and play to 300-600 kids every week. But what about the music? "The kids are more up to date than any adults I know," says Ruftone. "They keep me in check and I spend 24 hours a day on the Internet looking for new releases - and I work in a record shop." It would seem that even the Scottish scene's current luminaries have something to learn from the newest recruits. So what position do these kids hold in the grand scheme of things? "Loads of the kids I know are breakdancers and young MC's and all that kind of stuff, so in about five years they will be the next generation of the Scottish Hip Hop scene."
Club 2 Hot runs every Saturday between 6:30pm and 9:30pm at Club Ego on Picardy Place and it is likely that the club will continue to be highly influential in defining the Edinburgh scene's future.
Next night Saturday 7 October 2006 with DJ Bunty & MC Flow.
http://www.club2hot.com