Undali / Nu-Mark Foundation, Newcastle. Hip hop is sick and Nu-Mark has the cure. When Jurassic 5 arrived on the scene back in ’98, their sun-kissed funk samples and lyrical positivity were the perfect antidote to the mainstream’s pimped-out monotony. Seven years on, with the likes of Fiddy threatening to drag rap from the street to the gutter, the man behind the beats behind J5 is here to take it back to the block parties that spawned it. And the Friday night Foundation crowd is ready to party. DJ Moodie of support act Underground Alliance only has to drop Roots Manuva’s ‘Witness’ to fill the dance floor with hip hop heads, students cut loose for the summer and boshers a week too early for Promise. But tonight, scratching up a bagful of bangers just isn’t going to cut it- the Orange Evolution revellers came for a show. Fortunately Moodie isn’t rolling solo, and fellow Alliance members Skrein and PremC stepped up to rhyme over his chunky beats. OK, so they’re no where as good as they think they are (‘Main Act’? Please!), but their hands-in-the-air party vibe and some inspired wordplay (‘on your ho’s like Thundercats’) get the crowd suitably rowdy for the night’s real star. Nu-Mark’s set is a master class in hip hop; where it’s at, where it came from and where it’s going. Not that anyone on the dance floor is standing around taking notes. Everyone’s getting down- to a block party blend of funk, old-school rap, electro, and even salsa. Close your eyes and tune out the crazed Geordie roars, and you could be in the Bronx, circa 1978- until Nu-Mark drops something starkly modern from a future hero like British MC Kalashnikov. But this is more than a hip hop history lesson- it is also a showcase for the kind of skills that render other DJs obsolete. Nu-Mark has evolved turntablism beyond the need for records altogether- and creates infectious beats just by tapping his fingers on the decks, or using a nursery’s worth of Fisher Price toys. But, for this self-confessed vinyl junkie, it’s all about the wax- and all his obsessive crate digging has obviously paid off. The 50-mile smiles on everyone’s face as they boogie down to a jazz-funk version of Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ say it all: this party has been well and truly rocked. - James Glazebrook © ukhh.com 1999 - 2005