Hiphop & Rap in Bristol

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Bristol's Hiphop Scene

Bristol’s Hiphop Explosion in 2022?

Hip-hop is big in Bristol in 2022, but it’s never really gone away. Acts like the High Breed bring meaning back to hip-hop in the Bristol underground scene, which some Bristol rap artists have cited as limiting on their chance of success (as compared to their London hip-hop rivals). The shadow of Bristol trip-hop still looms large, with Massive Attack and Tricky being the defining moment for some (and anything else that doesn’t conform to this is swept aside). Hip-hop nights in Bristol set to redefine this, nights booking international hip-hop artists like Next Up and Raise the Bar (who combine hip-hop and spoken word).

It is often said that graffiti is the written expression of hiphop and a key element in hiphop cuture, however the huge quantity of graffiti and comparatively small amount of hiphop in Bristol suggests otherwise... While Bristol is certainly a key stopover for big rap and hiphop tours with artists like De La Soul and Wu Tang Clan playing Bristol's big venues, smaller hiphop events are less prominent.

Although not exclusively hiphop venues it's worth checking the listings for The LAB club, Mr Wolfs and The Croft. Metropolis has emerged as reliable hiphop venue with past guests including Ugly Duckling, Peanut Butter Wolf and Arrested Development. The Contraband Sessions held at The Golden Lion on Gloucester Road every Wednesday can be a good place to find free, Bristolian hiphop gigs.

Buy tickets for hiphop events in Bristol

Our recent hiphop recommendations

Qu Junktions double feature hitting the Brew! Glasgwegian art school avant-gardists Still House Plants meld free jazz, R&B and post-rock to make gorgeously fractured Don Caballero/Life Without Buildings style experimental pop; b2b with one-of-a-kind alt-rap subversion from Mica Levi collaborator & CURL Collective MC Brother May. Double headline show with Still House Plants' experimental, pop-adjacent indie & Brother May's charismatic, lively rap performance

Experimental electronic noise heads rejoice. FITNESSS’ Bristol debut gives us the gift of bone-rattling transcendence via raw, fractured abrasive noise. In support: Scorpio Red co-founder Ans M weaves fluttering cicada-filled ethereal dronescapes + ATC trio YOKEL x D.Ham x Franco Franco bring the livewire industrial-rap mischief. Huge FFO: Evicshen, Space Afrika, S280F, Kavari, clipping. Snog bring FITNESSS to Bristol for a wild, choirreographed performance of body horror electronics via prosthetic wires & veins

Sell out warning! Low-slung, lo-fi, Low End Theory meets Earl Sweatshirt, introspective backpack-rap wunderkid Mike is a must see. NYC rapper, songwriter and record producer known for his introspective rhymes over muffled, soul-seasoned samples

UK debut of Haitian-Canadian superstar Vox Sambou and his electrifying fusion of vodou rhythms, Afrobeat, hip-hop and the global spirit of resistance. Recommended FFO: Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Blitz the Ambassador. Exceptional Creole Afrobeat, Hip Hop & Jazz from Haiti/Canada

What our editors say

“Considered by many to be the birthplace of samba music in São Paulo, the vibrant Bixiga neighbourhood fed their collective imaginations as the band created their own individual and sure-handed take on the 70’s cosmopolitan music of Ghana and Nigeria, the rhythms of African-Brazilian religious terreiros, hip hop, space jazz, malinkê, cumbia, carimbó and blaxploitation soundtracks. It was a musical vision that blurred the line between past and future and embraced a complex menu of grooves and global sounds.”
From: Bixiga 70

“R.A.P. Ferreira fka milo aka scallops hotel is an mc, producer and theorist working in the Black arts tradition commonly categorized as rap. Having founded the label ruby yacht in 2015 and since releasing all of his music through this channel, Ferreira has earned a sizable following within independent hip hop by rigorous, constant touring and an elevated, explorational style of performance. He is known for an uncompromised, utopic flow that speaks directly to the root of the listener.”
From: R.A.P. Ferreira + AJ Suede + G's

“Consisting of hip hop duo Vast Aire and Double A.B accompanied by DJ Cip-One, Harlem, New York-based rap outfit Cannibal Ox initially made waves with their 2001 debut The Cold Vein, which received critical acclaim for its pivotal role as a major turning point in hip-hop production, as well as the duo’s outstanding vocal performances and lyrical prowess.”
From: The Cold Vein European Tour

“Dirty Cash are a multi-genre cocktail 6 piece band from Bristol with elements of swing, hip hop & electro to get you moving! After a sell out Summer Bash last June at Louisiana they're back for more with tonnes of new tunes and some great support acts. Check them out: https://linktr.ee/dirtycashbriz”
From: Dirty Cash + Dub Catalyst + CJ Sparse

“Since his arrival onto the underground hip hop scene, 20 year old Danny Chaska has been bringing a fresh new sound onto the scene with his distinctive jazz-filled instrumentals and laid-back rapping style. This can be heard throughout his debut project, ‘Vicetown’ which was created along with fellow collaborator and friend, Hal Shallo, reflecting both Hal and Danny’s upbringing in Oxford, exploring the vices they encountered along the way. Despite this being their first album, the project contains some of Danny’s most popular work to date with songs such as ‘Madrid’”
From: Danny Chaska + Support