Mixtape Millionaires: Jae P & Myth, L-Marie, Nafees

Orange Juice, Teenage Fanclub, Mogwai, Belle & Sebastian and Franz Ferdinand: Glasgow has always had a thriving musical culture. The city's dance music culture is just as revolutionary, with labels like Soma and Sativae playing major parts in the emergent scene. Recently there has been a groundswell of urban, R&B and hip-hop artists coming up, ushering in a new era of creativity for Glasgow's hip-hop headz.

Two of the most commercially appealing and talented of the new crop are Jae P and Myth, two Ghana-born rappers who have been performing together for three years with their Haatsville Project crew. "Glasgow as a city has given me a peace that I reckon I wouldn't have if I was in London," says Jae P. "The urban scene in still growing here, and we as the artists are really close together."

"There's definitely an underground scene which needs to be tapped into," agrees Myth. "I've freestyled with a few other Glasgow emcees and the lyrical talent and potency is beyond expression." A soulful blend of vocal harmonies and verbal acrobatics, Jae P and his partner Myth create a sound not unlike classic mid-90s US hip-hop. The fly, jazzy production values on their 'One / Ansa' mixtape recalled prime-era Tribe and early Mos Def, with both rappers having a distinctive, mellow tone to their flows.

Championed by Hip-Hop Connection, 1Xtra and XFM to name a few, Jae P reckons it is Glasgow's urban artists' time to shine: "People aren't too sure about the quality of urban music from Scotland, but if we've got major indie bands climbing the charts why can't we have urban acts doing the same?" London A&Rs certainly do seem suspicious of hip-hop from north of the border. But the duo won't let this stop them: with mixtapes due from Jae P and Myth as solo MCs in the offing, they will pursue the majors until they can't say no.

L-Marie is an R&B / hip-hop singer with a voice like molten platinum. She is without a doubt the Scottish answer to Mary J. Blige. Her mixtapes, the 'Liza Heat' series, have proved wildly successful, again championed by 1Xtra, Kiss FM, Radio 1 and others. L-Marie is optimistic about the Scottish scene: " I think the urban scene in Glasgow is stronger than it has ever been," she says. "Aspiring artists are realising they don't need to have a deal to get started, they can experiment and get their music out there by using their own initiative."

Currently a finalist in the Diesel-U-Music competition, and riding the success of her 3rd volume of the 'Liza Heat' series, L-Marie intends to keep going as long as possible: "My heart lies in live performance, so when I'm on stage, I give my all, I think it shows and people can feel that about me," she says. If you are fortunate enough to catch her at the Urban Explosion gigs at City Nightclub, you can experience her passion for yourself.

Another rising star in the firmament is young rapper Nafees, also making his way by releasing mixtapes and rocking live shows, including the after-show for Snoop Dogg on one occasion. His first mixtape displayed an incisive lyrical bent that belies his young years. Excitingly, he refuses to pigeonhole himself as solely an urban artist: "I like to see myself as a part of a wide music culture from a diverse city," says Nafees. "We have rap, soul, rock, dance, reggae. I've been recording new tracks for my next mixtape, working with musicians from many of these other scenes to make a collage of sounds. Hip-hop is the nucleus."

Although keen to stand side-by-side with L-Marie, Jae P and Myth and other Glasgow urban artists, he sees himself as distinct. Yet he's still humble: "I'm gonna work, commit and hustle, and hopefully I'm gonna get the support of those reading this now," he says. With a new mixtape due in September to follow up on 'Rappin Doesn't Pay The Rent Yet', with your support it could well be time for fortune to smile on Nafees and his peers. To paraphrase M.I.A.'s recent rebel yell - "London - quieten down, we need to make a sound!"