SCOTLAND is set to host its first ever grime and hip-hop conference this summer, with big names lined up to speak on the next steps for the industry.
BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Tiffany Calver, Scottish Album of the Year Award winner Nova and award-winning author and artist Darren McGarvey are among the key speakers to join the event, which will take place online and live at Glasgow’s SWG3 in July.
HANG (Hip-Hop Aimed Networking with Grime) is being put together by the Scottish Alternative Music Awards (SAMA) and Creative Scotland, and aims to celebrate the diversity of Scotland’s hip-hop and grime communities.
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Alan Morrison, head of music at Creative Scotland, said hip-hop has been created in Scotland for decades.
“However, 40 years on, one of the world’s best-selling, most popular genres remains on the periphery of mainstream culture in Scotland despite its diverse and creative strengths,” he said.
“Managed by the SAMA in partnership with Creative Scotland, ‘HANG’ will pull together some of the country’s best-known artists, industry organisations and international partners to interrogate pre-conceptions about the genre and the barriers that restrict access.
“It’s time to shine a light on those artists whose voices reflect 21st-century Scotland and deserve to be heard by the wider world.”
SAMA producer Richy Muirhead added that hip-hop and grime are a “huge and growing” part of Scotland’s musical offering.
“With HANG our ambition is to empower artists and those working in music offering expert music panels featuring key members of the industry, and providing new networking opportunities,” he said.
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The one-day event on July 31 will see panel discussions on practical advice – like how to pitch to radio stations and streaming platforms and monetise your music. Meanwhile workshops on breakdancing, spoken word, DJing and graffiti will be held.
Full details on the upcoming event will be published in June.
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