The distinct sound of Culture Clash is set to grace the country once again in 2016, this time with three dates across the land. In what is a first, Bristol, Manchester and London will all receive their own clash, tailored to the artists and sounds from their city. Showcasing a variety of sounds to large crowds has always been the theme of the event, and this year is no different, with 30,000 revellers set to enjoy the final night. With the main event set to take the stage at London’s ExCel arena in June, it’s time to really embrace Culture Clash as the iconic and dynamic production that it is.
Having begun in 2013, it has hosted some of the world’s biggest artists, alongside some of the underdogs. Last time we saw London Grime crew Boy Better Know face off against A$AP Rocky’s A$AP mob, Rebel Sound (David Rodigan, Shy FX, Chase & Status, MC Rage and more) and Jamaican collective Stone Love. Despite it being just the solitary night, it undoubtedly played a hugely important role in the current merging of US hip-hop and British home-grown Grime. So how exactly did one night contribute so substantially to the huge, worldwide growth of such a local genre?
The ego that comes with established rappers is different to that which comes with Grime MC’s. A$AP Rocky has made it, he’s global. Once such a height of fame is gained, we don’t see these artists as normal people any more. The New York artist came from the cracks of Harlem and worked his way up to a global superstar, yet before Culture Clash, although A$AP Bari featured on Skepta’s “It Ain’t Safe”, while Skepta appeared on Flatbush Zombies’ track “Redeye to Paris”, Grime had barely scratched that high surface in other parts of the world. Our MC’s still live in their tiny hometowns, and are still hugely in touch with their fans on a street level. Everyone in North London has seen JME around somewhere, yet A$AP’s fame is unattainable and unreachable. Culture Clash showed The Mob that these talented, yet still normal guys from small parts of London were a force to be reckoned with. They aren’t millionaires with mass fans all over the world yet, but they forced A$AP Mob to listen to them, and showed that they could face up to the self-proclaimed Lords themselves. A co-sign from such an icon in the scene couldn’t help but start a snowball of attention.
A$AP’s endorsement was a strong link between BBK and Drake, one of last year’s most important plots for Grime. Drake took a particular interest in Skepta, and a highlight of their joining was the 6 God bringing Skepta out at Wireless festival 2015. The Toronto rapper is arguably a bigger artist than A$AP, and Drake awakened a whole new wave of fans for Grime. Skepta started doing shows in America – one of the most notable being that in the Museum of Modern Art in New York – and became recognised all over the world for his music. But none of this would have happened without influences and situations like Culture Clash.
The event helped opened America’s eyes to a group of people who had pioneered their own genre just over a decade ago, and had made it from bedrooms and pirate radio stations to Earl’s Court – a group of people unheard of that were believed to have the ability to rival A$AP. Culture Clash was pivotal in changing the perception of urban music here because it gave a global voice to those which were nowhere near reaching it before. It’s not only a joining of genres and cultures, it’s a joining of minds. It’s a joining of areas of the world where things are very different to each other, and it’s these well established scenes that contribute to lyrics that sound even better pitted against each other. They join together to form a spectacle that impacts people in a way that no platform other than Red Bull has been able to produce.
The introduction of live streaming has also been a huge help in changing perceptions of the culture, simply because it allowed the event to be broadcast to wider audiences so even those without tickets or in other countries could experience the event. Not only does the live broadcast help the scene to reach the furthest points of the globe, it also helps to create, encourage and maintain social interaction – a key factor for generating interest in the 21st century. Platforms such as Twitter have been rammed with engagements during previous events, further increasing possibilities. Don’t be surprised to see a man from Kenya clock in or a lady from Kazakhstan randomly click on the live stream.
With all of this in mind, Culture Clash yet again sets itself up for a sick event. It will be interesting to see how Bristol and Manchester adapt to London’s legacy, while the main event at London’s ExCel arena will undoubtedly get pulses racing. Names and acts will be flying around the stratosphere for a while to come, and it will definitely be one to remember. The capacity to expand is most definitely there, and with Red Bull backing it, don’t be surprised to see more massive impacts and a spread of the experience across the UK and possibly further.
Get more info about this year’s clash here.
Written by Marisa Lee and Jaik Bramley-Fenton.