Local Bands

When a lot of people think of hip hop, they think of guns, drugs, gangs, sexist videos and blatant self-promotion. The 21st century mainstream version of hip hop is distinguished by conspicuous consumerism and vacuous 'I'm a playa' type lyrics, but it doesn't have to be that way.

UK hip hop struggled for years with an identity crisis, criticised for aping American sounds, looks and attitudes, it has evolved into something quite apart from its transatlantic cousin, and Leeds is at the forefront of what's going on today on the scene.

Two young men determined to create a vibrant scene in the city are Adam Young and Chris Dyson, co-founders of the website leedshiphopscene.co.uk; we asked Adam all about the site, promoting gigs in the city and the current rude health of the scene:

Adam Young

"First off, I started with a MySpace page as a logical step to bringing together people on the scene, not just in Leeds, but the whole county. Right across West Yorkshire in Dewsbury, Huddersfield, Halifax and other places there are creative people into hip hop who want to make something happen.

Chris came on board and we decided to develop the website to broaden out the possibilities. Although the site is run by us, we have numerous contributors who pen articles, band profiles, reviews etc.; we'll write about you if you're an established act or just getting started with a couple of turntables in your bedroom!

Yorkshire is a hotbed of talent, and Leeds for me, is the birthplace of real UK hip hop - Lowlife Records and outfits like Breaking The Illusion set the pace and allowed different accents to be heard on hip hop tracks.

The sound of hip hop is constantly changing as DJs chase up more and more unusual samples and beats, although some of the original funk beats are regaining popularity. However it's not just about music; to me hip hop is a culture - clothes, language, graffiti, breakdancing and now skateboarding all goes into what makes up hip hop.

People make the mistake of lumping us in with other genres like grime, but I think hip hop has always had a more postive outlook - we look for creativity and intelligence, not the clichés of the MTV brand of hip hop.

As well as the website, we get involved in gig promotion as well. It's a hard slog to keep things going. There's no substitute for hard work when it comes to getting punters through the door. We have a monthly night at The Primrose in Meanwood called Diff'rent Strokes (last Wednesday of the month). Even if it's acts from outside the area, local talent will be given the chance to support them and get some real performing experience.

We can't offer huge amounts to play, but most people are just happy for the opportunity to show what they can do. New Bohemia at the Faversham has been a great help in showcasing talent as well, but it can be difficult convincing venues to give us a weekend night to draw in the punters.

Acts like Don't Talk To Strangers and Northern Hostility (all 26 of them!!) have proved especially popular on a scene where young kids can mix easily with older hip hop heads (it's important to pass on knowledge!) and there's just as likely to be a big group of girls as boys in hoodies and baggy jeans!"  

The fruits of all this labour can be heard on a compilation CD called "Leeds By Example" on Knocked Off Records, which was released in 2006 and the success of this compilation will hopefully see a second volume released in the not-too-distant future.