On first hearing about the soon-to-be phenomenon that is Hip Hop Karaoke, I felt for a split second like the person who first decided to spread butter on bread probably did- "Why the hell didn't I think of that before?" Unfortunately, this simple idea had never crossed my mind. For me, karaoke had always been about my aunties having one too many and belting out I Will Survive after Christmas Lunch. Old Boy Entertainment, however, took a thought outside the box and last week planted the seed of Hip Hop Karaoke in Soho, London, hoping that it will flower into a great oak tree of entertainment. I have no doubt it will.
Defying any suggestion that hip-hop is a man's game, first to bravely take the mic was a young lady with her own take on Eminem's Lose it, breaking the ice for all the guys, some of which, had obviously been obsessively rehearsing for some weeks. Punters could choose from over 100 hip hop classics from the old school to the new-school, A Tribe Called Quest to Dizzee Rascal and everything in between. Obviously not every average Joe can quite keep up with the rap stylings of Twista or Edan, but they tried their best, and I can't deny it was absolutely hilarious watching them do so.
Highlights of the evening included a male/female duet of Jay-Z's 99 Problems, Jazzy Jeff's Summertime and Ice Cube's It Was a Good Day, all getting the audience so fired up it almost seemed as if they were watching not just mere imitations, but genuine one-off UK performances from the legendary rappers themselves. The emceeing, however, didn't always seem to justify this audience reaction, perhaps because lines like ...What you gonna do when Big Poppa comes for you, Start runnin, nigga I bust my gun in... don't quite have the same ring when sung by a geeky middle-class white boys. I spent much of the night thinking, Biggie Smalls would be turning in his grave. The hilarity came to a final climax with the Old Boy Karaoke creators drunkenly dribbling their way through Mike Jones' Still Tippin' and the announcement of the winning performances, rewarding talent, moves, style, and above all, enthusiasm.
Hip Hop Karaoke combines two things which I value most highly in the world - Hip hop, and public humiliation. What more could you want from a night out? The next one is at The Sun and Thirteen Cantons in Soho on the 1st September. Get practising.
Hip Hop Karaoke combines two things which I value most highly in the world - Hip hop, and public humiliation!
Related Links:
Hip Hop Karaoke 
On first hearing about the soon-to-be phenomenon that is Hip Hop Karaoke, I felt for a split second like the person who first decided to spread butter on bread probably did- "Why the hell didn't I think of that before?" Unfortunately, this simple idea had never crossed my mind. For me, karaoke had always been about my aunties having one too many and belting out I Will Survive after Christmas Lunch. Old Boy Entertainment, however, took a thought outside the box and last week planted the seed of Hip Hop Karaoke in Soho, London, hoping that it will flower into a great oak tree of entertainment. I have no doubt it will.
Defying any suggestion that hip-hop is a man's game, first to bravely take the mic was a young lady with her own take on Eminem's Lose it, breaking the ice for all the guys, some of which, had obviously been obsessively rehearsing for some weeks. Punters could choose from over 100 hip hop classics from the old school to the new-school, A Tribe Called Quest to Dizzee Rascal and everything in between. Obviously not every average Joe can quite keep up with the rap stylings of Twista or Edan, but they tried their best, and I can't deny it was absolutely hilarious watching them do so. 
Highlights of the evening included a male/female duet of Jay-Z's 99 Problems, Jazzy Jeff's Summertime and Ice Cube's It Was a Good Day, all getting the audience so fired up it almost seemed as if they were watching not just mere imitations, but genuine one-off UK performances from the legendary rappers themselves. The emceeing, however, didn't always seem to justify this audience reaction, perhaps because lines like ...What you gonna do when Big Poppa comes for you, Start runnin, nigga I bust my gun in... don't quite have the same ring when sung by a geeky middle-class white boys. I spent much of the night thinking, Biggie Smalls would be turning in his grave. The hilarity came to a final climax with the Old Boy Karaoke creators drunkenly dribbling their way through Mike Jones' Still Tippin' and the announcement of the winning performances, rewarding talent, moves, style, and above all, enthusiasm.
