‘hip-hop maestros are
returning to the roots
of the art-form’
there for the good music and cheap beer.
Birmingham’s blossoming as a hip-hop hub
is primarily the result of a shifting attitude.
Whereas previously there were more artists
(many have since jumped ship in favour of
grime, a more lucrative market), each place
themselves over the success of the scene:
“There were a lot of heads but no one was
pushing it [the scene] to become noticeable;
it lacked any force behind it,” laments
Bamz. When the limelight did shine on an
individual, they pursued it selfishly and
abandoned those around them—Moorish
Delta 7 being the notable exception, proving
there was another way. The current crop
are aware of this, and the extent to which
their success is dependent on the health of
Birmingham hip-hop as a whole. This has a
positive knock-on effect, as knowing artists
are going to support them, promoters have
been able to host sustainable nights that
keep both themselves and the Birmingham
hip-hop scene in business.
As a genre of music, Brummy hip-hop has
also tried to find its own identity. Rejecting
the recent trend towards electrified tracks
and hollow lyrics, it has looked back: back
into a time when hip-hop carried a message
people could relate to and prided itself on
original and inspiring beats. Much of recent
American and British hip-hop has lost its
way with cheap gimmicks and unrealistic
content: “Who can relate to platinum guns
and diamond bullets?” asks Bamz. “50 Cent’s
a gangster pop artist.” However, there are
US MCs and producers who do inspire such
as the late Jay Dilla, Madlib and Talib Kweli.
It is these artists that most of Birmingham’s
hip-hoppers aspire to, making conscious
hip-hop that captures a situation without
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glorifying negative aspects. As the scene
grows, so does the number of people it can
influence; but although wanting to change
attitudes through the power bestowed in
all artists, Bambino is aware of being “a
musical Jehovah’s Witness.”
Hip-hop has attempted to refine its image
and leave the violent side to grime, but there
is still a dark underbelly that Bamz believes
is damaging the scene. Too many gangs
and artists are not producing music with
the scene in mind, and instead just making
it for themselves. Hip-hop is being wielded
as a weapon between gangs and gang
members, using tracks to spit violent threats
and unmentionable acts. As true or untrue
as the lyrics may be, kids listen to them,
and the ultimate repercussions on anybody
involved in hip-hop are negative. Too many
naysayers are already trying to ban hiphop
on the grounds of offensive lyrics and
incitement of violence, so this minority of
artists — “younger heads without a wider
consciousness of the scene” — are only
providing further ammunition and stopping
hip-hop becoming ‘popular music.’ The
responsibility that accompanies power must
be recognised, if only for financial reasons:
hip-hop is people’s livelihood as well as
their love, and selfish actions rob not only
the individuals but all those around them.
For those with a desire to see the scene
prosper, the road ahead is at least a little
clearer: dependency between artists and the
scene calls for a continued collective effort,
but the other vital act to be collectively
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