Will UK Hip Hop Ever Blow Up? article 0072 added 20.01.04 words Nikesh technical: QED UK Hip-hop is nearing implosion, before it’s even made it on to the battlefield. And its not due to the hardcore artists, DJs, writers, journalists and label heads who all work hard, on top of their full-time jobs, to maintain some sort of creative output for the “love” or for the creative challenge. The problem with the imminent death of UK Hip-hop lies with its fans. Whether through our apathy and negativity or our complete lack of confidence and belief in the scene, we are making it extremely hard for struggling UK artists to break through and work on a tempo that suits everyone. We are all as fans blighted by the same contradiction. It goes a little something like this: “I’m sick of bands like Big Brovaz blowing up and Dizzee Rascal winning awards and shit. Where’s the support for Klashnekoff? Where’s the love for Jehst, he’s been doing this for time.” Followed by “Oh god, I can’t believe Ty got an interview in Time Out. If he blows up, jeez, people best recognise that I was there first. From the beginning. I’ve been a fan for years and ages. Let’s keep this our little secret eh?” We are so protective of our scene that we can’t decide whether we want to keep our much-loved UK artists underground and with us and on our side and our best-kept secret, or we want them to be kicking Busted off the roster for CD:UK. This kind of unvocalised internal confusion causes conflicts that reflect badly on the scene and on the artist’s inability to keep plugging away, without any real record sales or promotion or marketing. The media will only ever pick on people they know will be huge, they are all about exclusives and about populism, about lowest common denominators… we cannot even take them into account. We need to support our scene from the grassroots up. Without us, there is no scene for the artists and without the artists, we’ll be back to buying 50 Cent records. To me, this demonstrates a complete lack of confidence in the scene. For UK hip-hop to operate, free of restraints and restrictions, it must operate on the support of its fans, yet we make it jump through hoops, question the integrity of every artist, deride every beat and accent as derivative of American styles and refuse to allow UK hip-hop to develop and nurture its own identity. This lack of confidence reflects badly on artists because it makes major record labels feel that they cannot invest in anyone, as there’s no guarantee of returns. The record industry works on a very simple premise: Profit = good, bankruptcy = bad. This is aside from all the inner-machine evil back-handed shadiness that goes on. We all know it goes on, but the simple fact of the matter is, if a label feels an artists can make them rich, by Jove, he’s theirs. Trawling through Internet forum after Internet forum, reading essay after essay, I get the same phrases thrown in my face: “What is wrong with UKHH?”, “Why won’t UKHH go mainstream?”, “Can UKHH go mainstream” and a personal favourite, “Ten Things Wrong with UKHH.” These fan-threads add nothing positive to the scene, and instead push it back further and further each time a person is able to diss a scene without impunity, accountability or even the impetus to offer a constructive solution. People want to represent from their bedrooms, but if it comes to actually repping a club or buy the twelve, or even not backbiting on a random Internet message board, we can’t help ourselves can we? Do something positive, add to the scene. Because at the moment, the scene would fall dead if not for the internet… this music needs to be transported into clubs, into shops into headphones and into hearts. Because without our confidence, the scene has nowhere to go, because no one will support it. Being constructive isn’t as hard as people reckon. All it does is give us accountability as a fan, and if anything, improves the scene for our benefit. It’s the difference between saying “That shit’s wack yo” and “It’s alright but you sound too much like blah-blah, try this…” It’s not that hard. Apathy and negativity aren’t Anticon’s latest signings. They are the scene’s worst enemies. Apathy is the difference between going to your local Hip-hop nights and showing support, building numbers and thus ensuring the night lasting. Or staying at home, writing on the internet about how Westwood’s gay. Negativity is the difference between saying “Ten Reasons Why UKHH is shit” and saying “Ten Reasons Why UKHH Has Potential.” The scene has potential and some of the most hardcore fans are excellent contributors of opinions and supporters to the scene. Then there are those, whose UKHH collections begin and end with “Run Come Save Me.” Educate, confidently. Spread the word. I’m not preaching, I’m ranting, there’s a huge difference. And if I am preaching, I only hope it’s to the converted. Of course, there are other issues at stake, holding the scene back from blowing up worldwide and these involve: volume of output, too American sounding, not enough product, not enough money, promotion or consistency… but you got to start from the ground up and we as fans are the people on the ground. Without our guidance, support, respect and money, there’s nothing to evolve and mould and shape and turn tables with. Be a fan, choose life, feel confident and embrace the future. OK, rant off. Now go buy my EP!!!!!!! Love and respect, - Nikesh Shukla

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