upfront
Info:
williamastonhall.com
The Fly Fidelity Podcast pick their favourite Welsh hip-hop releases
Both halves of the team behind the Hip Hop Cymru Wales Podcast – Fly Fidelity founder Luke Bailey and executive pro- ducer Dale Lewis, aka Wolfgang Von Van- derghast – pick six of the best from down the years…
(@thepodfather_ on Twitter) Luke Astroid Boys
Lemfreck
hop heritage into the dubstep scene, whilst oth- er groups such as Darkhouse Family, Until The Ribbon Breaks, Afro Cluster and Astroid Boys wore their hip-hop influences on their sleeve but had arguably taken the music elsewhere. Still, there were still plenty of purists making great music: some gathered together briefly un- der the name Red Dragon Gang, whilst nights such as The Hold Up and Starving Artists en- sured there was still live hip-hop in the clubs.
Although outside of Wales, most people’s ex- posure to Welsh hip-hop during the 2000s was limited to Goldie Lookin Chain, within the country it was something of a golden age for the scene. After Best Shot, Dregz had formed a new crew called Potato Skinz, one of the few groups to have kept pushing through the quiet mid 90s period. Along with two other members at the time, Ruffstylz and yours truly, we start- ed the Higher Learning nights which brought together the dozens of different groups (far too many to mention here) now active across the country, whilst in Swansea, the Space Base night and the Monkey Bar made sure hip-hop was still being represented strongly there.
North Wales saw a new influx of Welsh lan- guage rappers on labels like Dockrad and Ank- stmusik. Crews such as the Uprock Addicts in Cardiff and H20 in Newbridge brought new life to the breakin’ scene, eventually giving birth to massive events such as the Welsh Open B-Boy Championships in Newport and Break- in’ The Bay – an all-elements jam at the Wales Millennium Centre organised by Dregz, break- in’ activist Slammo, Rmer from Cruel Vapours and Liara from street dance crew Jukebox Col- lective.
The late 2000s saw people pushing the bound- aries more. Monkey and Stagga (another sad loss, having died in 2020) brought their hip-
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Now with at least 40 years of Wales-specific hip-hop history, the scene is more diverse and perhaps more exciting than ever. Graffiti is going strong, with shops such as Oner Signs and HSG becoming essential spaces for writ- ers both old and new. Although there are fewer breakin’ crews, some individual dancers are achieving incredible things, with classes all over the country. Musically speaking, there are still incredible releases on newer labels Wing- er and Bard Picasso. Ladies Of Rage have helped to balance the male-dominated world, and hip-hop’s influence can be heard on many young rappers who are ready to blow: Mace The Great, Luke RV, Lemfreck, Deyah, Juice Menace, Skylrk, Magugu and bilingual north Walian Sage Todz to name but a few. And there are plenty more waiting in the wings, backed up by youth organisations such as Lab7, Minis- try Of Life, Sound Progression, Urban Circle, Radio Platfform and New Era.
There are also established veterans finding a new lease of life. Pep Le Pew member Mr Phormula has recently released new music with two high profile Americans, Akil The MC of Jurassic 5 and Guilty Simpson. 4Dee has released three strong albums in two years and Dregz, Johnny B and DJ Jaffa have joined with ex Potato Skinz member Evil C to form a new supergroup called Xenith.
Whilst hip-hop has become heavily commer- cialised across the world, here in Wales I still see creativity and community as being at the heart. It’s been here in Wales for a long time, and we should all celebrate its incredible his- tory, and support its exciting future by being a part of everything that is happening around us right now.
Kaptin Barrett is Hip-hop Coordinator at Museum Wales and sometime DJ, lecturer and adviser.
Info:
kaptinbarrett.com Grandmaster Flash + Guests,
Willam Aston Hall, Wrexham, Sat 22 July. Tickets: from £25.
Humurak D Gritty – Rags To Rags (SFDB, 2005)
Headcase Ladz – Get A Life (Zebra Traffic, 2005)
Ralph Rip Shit – The Best Name (Asso- ciated Minds, 2006)
Junior Disprol – Def II (Plague, 2022)
Honourable mention: DW Smith – Journey To Jotunheim (Bard Picasso, 2021)
(@wolfgangvonraps on Instagram) Dale
Metabeats – Caviar Crackle (Associated Minds, 2013)
Secondson – & His Orchestra (SFDB, 2004)
Squid Ninjaz – Revenge Of The Blow- fish (self-released, 2009)
Joe Dirt – Barrydockalypse (self-re- leased, 2017)
Mudmowth – The Circus In The Ceme- tery EP (Associated Minds, 2008)
Blue City – Into The Void (Bard Picasso, 2021)
Honourable mention: Clarity – Way Of The Dragon (SFDB, 2006)
The Fly Fidelity Podcast is available wher- ever you get your podcasts. Season two of the Hip Hop Cymru Wales Podcast (HHCW) is also available now on Fly Fi- delity Media, with special guests across its five episodes including 4Dee, B-Boy Me- lee and Slammo. Find them on Twitter (@ FlyFidelity) or Instagram (@FlyFidelity- podcast).
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