Hip Hop & Urban Music
By Mette Røgilds | ||
| ||
Culture | ||
Hip hop and urban music has become a major scene in Denmark. A lot has happened since the mid-80s, when there was breakdance on the street corners and the now very popular MC Einar and Rockers By Choice were the leading wild rappers. Today, the urban music scene embraces many different kinds of rappers, singers, toasters and producers – from hip hop, new soul and fusion to crunk, dancehall, R&B and multicultural mix. A kaleidoscope of musical productions now characterises the Danish urban music genre. This has happened because the Danish – and global – music industry, the consumers and the times all demanded an expansion in the scene. ’Danish urban music’ has now become an innovative, lively and colourful genre and culture. Denmark is a small country where the artists tend to network and co-operate, because they all know each other from the scene. This means that there is a solid inner core of artists who work in various combinations to ensure that Danish urban music and hip hop retain their unique impact and qualities. Danish rap language has become popular, as hip hop has gradually become a respected part of the musical culture. At the same time, the growth of globalisation has meant that more and more English-speaking artists have appeared on the scene. |
| |
| ||
Music collectives | ||
Producer and rap collectives have a strong culture which offer many possibilities to artists. In recent years, collegial links have also been forged between Danish and foreign artists, such as in the producer collective and band Nobody Beats The Beats, in which a number of Danish producers, rappers, musicians and foreign artists have come together in a single project focusing on hip hop, soul, jazz and funk. Guru, Grand Pupa, Brand Nubian, Erick Sermon, ADL and TY have amongst others made guest appearances on Nobody Beats The Beats' albums, which are released by Sonny B. Recordings, a label managed by hip hop entrepreneur DJ Typhoon (other releases: Ashtiania & Baltzer). Other artist groups include: Bikstok Røgsystem, Sky Juice Sound System, RubADub, Universal Sound, People's Choice and the Prunes. Most of these are reggae or ragga sound systems, which in their nature are based on collectives. The collectives have become strengthened as the dancehall scene has become a part of the urban music market. |
| |
| ||
Snapshot of the producer landscape | ||
The Danish hip hop and urban music scene encompasses a large number of talents on the producer side. Nobody Beats The Beats is, as previously mentioned, one of the collectives that include a number of recognised producers in the field of hip hop and the cross-over to jazz, electro, funk and soul - other gifted producers: Track 72, DJ Peder (The Prunes and Pelding), DJ Noize, DJ Steen Rock, DJ Scratchmagic, Robin Hannibal & Philip Owusu (Ubiquity), Nick Nack and Context. Several of the producers work with foreign names and labels. In relation to fusions of R&B, clubbing & hip hop, producers such as the Providers, Maximum Risk, Saqib, Picch Shifters and Mintman are among the leading and innovative musicians on the scene. In relation to hip hop, rap & clubbing, the artist group Natill & Static is an English-speaking producer and rap team whose shows have won them much recognition in the industry and abroad, as well as an invitation to take part in Scribble Jam in Ohio, 2003. Madness 4 Real is an older, popular urban music and hip hop producer group who previously comprised 2/3 of the rap group Den Gale Pose with the rapper Jokeren as front man. Madness 4 Real have produced many artists and rappers over the years. At the start of the 1990s the group lived in Los Angeles, where they produced the American rappers Eazy E, Ice Cube and Rakim, since when several more names have been added to the list. The producer Ezi Cut is old school on the Danish hip hop scene. Back in the late 80s he was a popular radio host, and was also a club DJ in Copenhagen for many years. In the mid-90s Ezi Cut moved to Los Angeles, where he established a career as a producer for amongst others Tupac and Kurupt. Back in Denmark, Ezi Cut has produced a couple of albums for Jokeren, and produces for a large number of Danish rap names, including USO. In the near future he will be launching his own label, Drop Dead Music. The producer Phase 5 (owner of Zu-J Records) also belongs to the first generation in Danish hip hop. With a long list of productions, releases and international co-operation behind him, he is much in demand as a producer, and has taken the rappers N.O.B.L.E., Clemens and L:Ron Harald under his wing. For more producer groups, go to www.danskrap.dk ( ’artists’). |
| |
| ||
Management | ||
Soulcamp Entertainment is one of the leading urban music management agencies in the country, and also functions as a record label and publishing company, under the leadership of Thomas Børresen, general manager. Major talents who have emerged from the underground include Jokeren (owner of Flamingo Records), Per V. , L.O.C, USO and Johnson (also known as the trio B.A.N.G.E.R.S.), Johnson & Malone, Johnny Hefty, Gisli, Niarn , Clemens , Al Agami, Ataf , Ufo & Yepha, Bikstok Røgsystem and Outlandish. | | |
| ||
Female requested | ||
R&B singer Karen, who issues recordings on her own Tophund label, has made an impression with Danish-language R&B. Karen has her own radio programme, ‘Karen & Szhirley’, where she presents the latest offerings from the R&B, soul and hip hop front every Saturday evening with her colleague, singer Szhirley. Szhirley has made one album and has provided backing vocals for a wide range of artists, including Outlandish, Den Gale Pose and Miss Mukupa. In the eighties, Karen Mukupa linked up with the female dancehall toaster Natasja (former Lil’ T) in the legendary duo No Name Requested. Natasjas first solo album has just been released, created in London in co-operation with DJ Pharfar and Mad Professor, amongst others. Female Danish hip hop MCs are a niche. The best-known rappers are Mis Marie, MC Angie (a former member of the group Pimp-A-Lot), the rap group Looneyteknix aka KCL and Prinsesse Liv, MC Nina and the rap duo AidaIda, who are signed to Sony BMG. |
| |
| ||
DJs Other leading hip hop/urban DJs include DJ Static from Aarhus, DJ Knud and Uggerløse, DJ Rob Monies, DJ Ezi Cut, DJ Phil, DJ Atilla and DJ Møller (from Rent Mel), DJ Talkback, Dj Scratchmagic, DJ Steen Rock, DJ Typhoon, DJ Carsten, DJ Malachy (RubaDub) and DJ Pharfar (Bikstok). Festivals and events Hip hop can also be experienced at large festivals such as Roskilde Festival, which regularly features major rap stars, and at larger music venues such as Vega, Rust and Voxhall. Management agency and concert organisers Soulkitchen are exponents of both the foreign and Danish scenes, (previously in collabaration with the legendary hip hop company Boulevard Connection). |
| |
| ||
Local DJs, club promoters, rap and producer crews often hold jams at which up and coming names appear. All of these concerts, jams and club events are listed at ’where to go’ sites such as Onpoint.dk – Denmark's largest hip hop event calendar. The country's premier hip hop event is the popular rap competition MC Fight Night, organised by Primo Entertainment. ‘DMC Danish DJ Championships’ is the official Danish championship competition for DJs, and has been held since 1987. The event is held in co-operation with the British organisation DMC, which has branches all over the world. The winner goes on to represent Denmark at the ‘DMC World DJ Championships’. | | |
| ||
Links: November 2005 |
