Hit The North 2017: The music festival that took Newcastle by storm
Hit The North, Newcastle’s first ever inner-city music festival was praised as being a major success over bank-holiday weekend, as it saw more than 80 exciting bands play across 15 venues in the city. The multi-venue event saw hundreds of people travelling to the city to get a glimpse of some of the hottest acts […]
Dreamland: How Mic Righteous Epitomises the D.I.Y Spirit of North East Hip-Hop
Prior to the release of ‘Survivor’, I wouldn’t have necessarily considered myself a fan of Mic Righteous. He’s always been an artist on my radar, but only on the very edge of it. His ‘Fire In The Booth’ and various other freestyles were enough to cement my respect, but never left me wanting for more. […]
Interview: Spark FM’s Young Sceptic
Young Sceptic (aka Rob Leatham) has been running The Hip-Hop Show on Spark FM since 2014 and has also started to host a monthly live rap night at Sunderland’s Independent music-venue. In this interview with Mark Tyers he talks about meeting Tim Westwood and some of his other music idols, life with Dyslexia and some […]
Ballad Of The Princess – Leddie MC takes stock of her career to date
Leddie MC is one the North East’s best rappers and producers and one half of Middlesbrough duo L&S. Fresh from her first gig in 18 months, Mark Tyers talks with Leddie about supporting The Game and Chester P, career lows, getting engaged, her solo EP and L&S’s next album. MT: So how did last […]
Racism, ‘Realness’ and Rap: Interview with Sunderland’s New North East
Mark Tyers talks 21st century racism, “realness” and all things Grime and Hip-Hop with Wearside’s very own independent movement of rap artists, New North East (NNE), ahead of their first headline gig at Sunderland’s Independent on April 29. MT: A lot has happened since you supported Absorb in Independent last October – tell us a […]
Sunderland duo writes award-winning song on the refugee crisis
Sunderland duo win International Songwriters Challenge
Fresh off their victory in an international song-writing challenge, Mark Tyers caught up with Thorney Close rapper Adam Penman and Town End Farm based singer-songwriter Rob Burlinson to ask them how the refugee-crisis inspired Safe came to be and what they’ll do to celebrate. Mark Tyers: The Indi.com original song-writing challenge is always entered by […]
Durham’s Lord of the Mic
Mark Tyers talks to ABSORB – the only North East artist that made it onto the MOBO Awards 2015 ‘One’s to watch’ list. Up-and-coming grime, dub-step and Drum-n-bass rapper Ben Traviss aka ABSORB has had his tracks played on Radio 1Xtra and many other radio stations over the last few years. He’s also brought his […]
New North East: “We’re not wanna-be gangsters”
Mark Tyers talks to Sunderland Hip-hop crew New North East about NWA and gangster rap, the North East hip-hop scene and their upcoming gig at Independent on the 23rd October. It’s early on a Friday night and Sunderland hip-hop crew New North East are hanging out in McDonalds, laughing and carrying-on over burgers and chips. Most hip-hop […]
Interview: Plecdrum.Inc “That’s what we want everyone to know, we don’t hold back”
Mark Tyers interviews one of the North East’s most original, up-and-coming acts ahead of their May 29 headline gig at Independent, Sunderland– Plecdrum.Inc are an unsigned 5-piece band which stand-out thanks to an ambitious coupling of searingly-honest song-writing with a visceral blend of hip-hop, rock, dub-step and drum-n-bass. It’s midday and muted sunshine is beaming into […]
Static Brings the North East’s top MCs to World HQ
In terms of gigs, the Hip Hop and Grime divisions of the North East’s music scene are rarely seen on the bill of events in the area, much less headlining them. Coming May 9 to World HQ, in Newcastle, Static is providing the stage for a showcase of some of the region’s most respected rappers. […]