“Why would you even wanna be a rapper?...” Jonzi D

One of the questions asked was do MC’s really make that much money selling music from their car. The question Jonzi D once posed was why anyone would really want to be an MC if they want to be rich. Be an accountant or a lawyer, not an MC. The reason why most people want to be an MC is because they can talk. And through that talk they realise they can say things in rhyme and if enough people heard them speak in rhyme they would pay for their merchandise, which would translate into money. The equation sounds simple enough but the reality is a lonely tiresome journey up Everest with no survival kit.

It was Jay Z’s business sense not MC’ing that made him rich. Mobb Deep, Jeru da Damaja, O.C, Ras Kass are all fantastic MC’s but they can’t compare their finances to people who have more than just verbal wizardry. The reality is spitting will only get anyone so far, a man with a plan is better than a man with a mic. Like Chuck D said ‘it’s not about the skill, but the will.’

GRIME VS HIP HOP: Grime reassessed
In that light, I now give utmost respect to Grime. They’ve done something that British hip hop was not able to do; produce a large dedicated following. Grime’s direct parents are Garage, Jungle and Drum and Bass, and they were embraced by an energetic community that developed their own sound away from British hip hop.A British hip hop MC on the other hand was so passionate about hip hop. Regardless of where you lived, New York was Mecca, they could recite its history, some London rappers even moved to New York just to get close to its essence. They learnt break dance and could be seen at Covent Garden spinning on their backs, battling crews wherever they met. They would spit in American accents, then later find their voices in their gruff London expressions. No matter which generation that came, these British MCs would yearn the respect of their American brothers and sisters.

However, running parallel to our hip hop obsession, another crop of DJ’s began experimenting with music; dabbling their turn tables, using drum and bass beats with reggae rhythms, coming up with a uniquely British sound. Drum and bass migrated to Jungle and a new generation boasted “This is U.K.!” Ask any British hip hopper what he thought of this new sound in the early 90s and he’ll tell you it was s**t, It wasn’t hip hop. I remember no jungle tape could pass through my speakers, I felt I would have betrayed my beloved rap.

However as the jungle community swayed into House and Garage, and eventually to Grime, you had MC’s that had the talent for words and in truth couldn’t give a f**k about New York. They were British UK rappers, different from America with their own story to tell. Yeah sure, Nas did his thing, but Skibadee was the Man. Wu Tang could rock a party, but So Solid Crew could F**k up the venue. So when they started to write their own rhymes, develop their ability to rap. They did so as a result of the foundation laid by General Levy and Shy FX not Eric B, Rakim. It’s because of this, the Grime genre has boosted the hip hop industry in a way that UK hip hop was not able to do. But, although many Grime MCs managed to convert their flow to spit over traditional hip hop rhythms, they did not develop their knowledge of the legacy of hip hop. So a Grime artist is not really as enthralled about a member of the Roots being on the panel. He doesn’t really know them or their impact. With this in mind, one of the most intriguing panels was the one that saw Grime MC and newly converted rapper Bashy, Black Thought Ursula Rucker and Manchester Grime artist Virus Syndicate take the seat. When Syndicate referred to the philly native as an older MC, Black Thought laughed. Syndicate took exception to this. He stopped looked across in a bravado manner and asked Tariq “what you laughing at?” A British Hip hop artists wouldn’t have dreamt of gesturing in the same way. 



MC’S ACT LIKE THEY DON’T KNOW... KRS-ONE
Poets are writers, people who sit down hone and craft the best verbal picture our words would allow. An MC is a different kettle of fish; it’s about the expression, the passion the delivery, the love of the artform. A spoken word artist is somewhere in between. When you see Tariq you see a man that wouldn’t know what else to do in life but MC, so he makes sure he sharpens his tools on a daily. In Birmingham, before the conference started they showed a freestyle film in the cafeteria. Tariq sat on his own, when the film began, the opening scene was a younger Black Thought in a hat and white t-shirt with his roots crew freestyling. ?est love gave the topic and he spat until a new topic was given. Tariq today looked pretty much the same, (A little flashier perhaps.) He smiled and chuckled almost out of embarrassment. But that is a daily workout for him. I once heard that Lil Wayne was the best rapper alive. Biggest load of bollocks this millennium. With Black Thought still breathing, you can’t even put G after Lil Wayne just in case it’s mistaken for good.


          


The performances in both Birmingham and Manchester were a sight to behold. Black Thought spat his whole set over hip hop classics, Lord Finesses had the line of the night “I treat you like Stevie wonder, I can’t see a N***A beating me.” But Bashy proved himself among greats and peers that he is a credible Hip Hop MC. He and Breis represented for the UK fraternity and more than held their own. I had heard, met and spent time with Bashy, respected Black Boys, without knowing too much about him as an MC, apart from young girls were going wild over him. What I like about him is that he knows he has a lot to learn. Coming from Girme, he is new to hip hop. And he embraces every piece of knowledge he can about this genre. In an endearing gesture of public respect, when his set was announced after Black Thought and Lord Finesse he said the Americans should’ve gone last, because they are legends in the game. He more than proved himself not just as a performer but MC, a true Master of the Ceremony. He jockeyed on the stage for a while, traditional Drum and Bass style and called the audience to gather in front of him. Then, he truly tore up the set, preaching, speaking and rapping. Lord Finesse was impressed; as was Bashy with Breis he was the quintessential MC who swayed the audience from side to side, even Black Thought had to give him his props. 




MY MIC SOUNDS NICE...
There is a point in any field where you experience bliss. The point in time that seems so perfect, you wish God could press pause for you to feel that feeling forever. The weekend was full of those moments. I met people who were new people, but we all got on so well we subconsciously knew we were tapping into something more spiritual. The Black British men had represented in such a way that the Philly sisters said they are gonna write a remix to Estelle’s American Boy for the African British contingent. 


          

I. like the rest of us didn’t want this weekend to end. At 1.30am we took the coach back from Manchester to Birmingham. Most of us didn’t sleep. It felt I was apart of something special, and years to come this experience will be documented and archived. The coach ride where world famous DJ and producer Rich Medina and DJ Spooky rode with UK greats Ty & Bries, who got to know new talented Birmingham MCs LCB and Decifer, who connected with South African pioneer actress and poet Napo, right next to Congolese poet and actor Omekongo who rode alongside Black Lilly event organiser Maori, who mingled with Italian journalist and writer Giuseppi, who laughed with African European event organisers Sasha and Barbara who talked with African hip hop radio broadcaster Thomas who knew the father of Canadian sensation Zaki, who performs with Tanika and DJ L’Oqenz, who rapped their favourite songs all night long with, Lord Finesse, Jonzi D and the mental marathon man Black Thought. And of course a little poet named Tuggs.t.a.r from a poetry collective called Best Kept Secret.



When we got back to the hotel, no one wanted to let the vibe die. Most of us stayed up till 5.30am, an hour before the Americans were to leave the hotel. We were entertained by Rich Medina who talked of his experiences with Jill, Lauryn and conniving business partners. The time drew near, and we knew that this journey had ended. Whether it was the beginning or end, it was an honour to be apart of it. Big up Punch.... MCs for life?... MOS DEF!!!!