A Time Before Drill
Nottingham-based artist Joe Buhdha shares his insight into Hip Hop culture and impact in the Midlands
"I grew up surrounded by Black music culture. I lived on the same street as the legendary V Rocket soundsystem. The next street over was the infamous Hyson Green Flats, which presented the same socially engineered problems as the South Bronx."
Channel One Sound SystemNotting Hill Carnival
"Like our parents, we listened to the music of our ethnic origins; Reggae, Calypso, Hi-Life, Afrobeat, Ska etc. Then we got Black American music, Soul, Rock, Jazz, Blues, Boogie Funk, Disco etc. Black American music and culture would capture many of us."
Joe Buhdha Graffiti (2023-01-01) by Photo credit Can't Stop Won't StopPOWER UP
"We would adapt, mimic, embrace into our own style and create our own Black music scene that laid foundations for the global Black British music scene. Circa 1983, Hip Hop started to impact Black communities around the country. All over the Midlands we had breaking crews..."
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"...DJs and rappers. In my home town of Nottingham, we had our own version of the famous New York venue, Roxy. Rock City had Saturday afternoon Jams which were initially a kid's disco set up by the local pop radio station. That soon changed as Hip Hop took over the globe."
Joe Buhdha (2023-01-01) by Photo credit Can't Stop Won't StopPOWER UP
"Crews from all over the country came to battle or to watch."
" These included Live to Break and London Allstars (London), Wolverhampton B – Boys (featuring Goldie, Bubbles), Nottingham’s Rock City Crew and Assassinators..."
Watch... Assassinators Hit the Button Pt. 1
Derek B ticket (2023-01-01) by Flyer photo asset courtesy of Can't Stop Won't StopPOWER UP
"...and Broken Glass Street Machine featuring Jason Orange from Manchester to name but a few. At these events, New York’s finest from the era would come and perform to a crowd, hungry to see these stars. We would imitate the styles of RUN DMC, Whodini, Cold Chillin Crew, BDP..."
"...Kurtis Blow and many others that touched our shores. Over the years breaking slightly faded away but in the late 80s DJ and Rap/MC crews started popping up across the Midlands - drawing inspiration from homegrown talent such as London Posse, Derek B, Cookie Crew and Hijack."
Hip Hop Jam and Chaplins Flyer (2023-01-01) by Asset courtesy of Can't Stop Won't StopPOWER UP
"Young Hip Hop promoters sprung up all over the country creating their own parties. Across the Midlands, some of the notable venues include Hyson Green Boys Club and Spyders (Nottingham), Spectrum and Starlight 2001 (Leicester) and Chaplins (Derby)."
"The first group to release a record from my city...
"...was K.I.D (R.I.P) and Carruthers, followed by my group MC's Logik (Joe Buhdha) Subsonic Two and Live and Direct (3.6 Philly)."
"The scene back then echoes the current Rap/ Hip Hop scene that we see today across the UK."
Watch the official 2016 trailer to the film 'NG83: When We Were B Boys'
Joe Buhdha Records (2023-01-01) by Photo credit Can't Stop Won't StopPOWER UP
"Although the sound might have changed slightly...
"...the essence of DIY and where it comes from in terms of disenfranchised young people are exactly the same."
"It’s now the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop and the 40th since we grabbed the baton in the UK and ran with it in various Hip Hop/Rap directions."
Written by Joe Buhdha
Photos provided by Joe Buhdha - Credit Can't Stop Won't Stop
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