http://www.beatculture.net

For those that know and those that don’t – I do some occasional writing for AllHipHop.com. Big up the team in NYC. For those ‘hip-hop’ heads that don’t know (and if you don’t know then something is wrong), AllHipHop.com is one of the biggest hip-hop websites globally and attracts millions of users a month and that is not an exaggeration – it is a fucking massive website.

The concept for the UK week came about by the team and I talking earlier in the year about interviewing some big UK emcees. At the time Tinie was blowing up big here and had just won the Brit Award for Best Male and Skepta and Giggs were both making moves in the States via DJ Whoo Kid.

It made sense to tell part of the story – or at least my opinion on it. My whole take in a very simplified form, is that it was the reggae soundboys such as Smiley (R.I.P), The Ragga Twins and Navigator that inspired/or gave the platform for the ‘rave’ generation of emcees such as Dizzee and Wiley. But it was London Posse, Demon Boyz etc. that gave the platform for the traditional UK hip-hop emcees such as Estelle, Sway, Pro Green etc. I ended up interviewing Wretch 32, Durrty Goodz, Sway, Giggs, Chantelle Fiddy and Austin Daboh (formerly of BBC 1xtra) and formed the main piece around the artists, their views on the scene, my view on how it has evolved and gained some valuable input and insight from Chantelle and Austin.

Below are the links to the individual pieces which I wrote and the main piece (which is in an edited form, at some point in the future I will upload the ‘uncut version’).

A UK Revolution – intro piece
The Influence Of Reggae On UK rap

Wretch 32 interview – April 2011

Giggs interview – March 2011

Durrty Goodz interview – March 2011

Sway interview – April 2011

As it was part of a bigger ‘UK week’ the team in NY conducted interviews with man of the moment Pro Green and songstress/rapper/MC – Estelle. See both of them below.

Professor Green interview – November 2011

Estelle interview – November 2011

Although, it was very very difficult to coordinate all of this work, I am very proud that we managed to pull it together, even if it has taken a while to go up.

Again massive shout to AHH for allowing me to write for them. Hopefully more from me on there soon!

Jamie BC