UK hip-hop has always been dominated by London accents but, says Stephen Kelly, regional accents are finally making themselves heard
While the accent of a BBC newsreader is now as likely to be geordie as home counties, British rap's dominant cadence is that of young black London: Dizzee, Tinie, Giggs et al broadcasting the same glottal stops from Rinse FM to Radio 1. Even those MCing outside the M25 have picked up the venacular: young Mancunian Envy sounds as much like she comes from Tower Hamlets as from Harpurhey.
In terms of chart success, regional rapping has been limited to Goldie Lookin Chain and the slight Brummie twang in Mike Skinner's voice. If you needed proof of record companies not taking the regions seriously, there's the story of Silibil 'N Brains, the Glaswegian duo who were waved away from UK record company offices like a mouldy stonner kebab until they pretended to be American, signed a deal and unleashed a web of lies worthy of Peep Show's Jez.
But the emergence of grime as the dominant sound of modern Britain has given kids from inner-cities outside London licence to rhyme in their own voices. Take Liverpool's Bang On! Born from the same urban deprivation that hip-hop has always cannibalised into unique, socially conscious art, his new single Hands High has his Toxteth tongue spitting venom with not only an unrelenting realism, but a distinct lyrical identity. Smart, ferocious and with an ear for bowel-shattering beats, he is by far the best thing that's happened to Liverpool rap since John Barnes on World In Motion.
Promising, but even making it within your own city takes hard work. Take Stig Of The Dump: the big-boned, laddish MC has battled on the streets of Newcastle with style and wit for eight years to attain the status of local hero. Manchester, however ? less fragmented into myriad sub-genres ? is currently fertile territory.
"Manchester's understated and by others, Manchester's underrated," spit Shifty And Wrigley on 2009's Manchester, tough words from the two frontrunners of the city's scene, whose rhymes are strong enough to banish memories of the Kersal Massive (bit.ly/kersalmassive), even if their YouTube vids recorded outside what looks like the Moston branch of Asda don't exactly scream Next Big Thing.
But our favourite new rapper unafraid to use her roots is Birmingham's Lady Leshurr, a jaw-flooring force of nature who's been snapped up by EMI Publishing. You can see why: her MySpace demos, while only bones now, are screaming out for flesh. And when they get it, songs such as the breathless U Know Me ought to destroy dancefloors quicker than you can say "by 'eck you yampie bairn".
As Britain's youth sees its education decimated and prospects limited, you can expect to hear some furious new regional rap sounds. It'd take a nation of 60 million to hold them back.
Hands High by Bang On! is out now
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