If you're in the north west and haven't been already there's still time to go to Manchester's Central Reference Library to see an exhibition charting the history of hip hop culture in the city. Using donated artefacts- clothing, tapes, empty paint cans, turntables, record sleeves, trainers, flyers- the Manchester Hip Hop Archive have told the story from the ground up, starting in the early 80s when against a backdrop of Thatcher and post-industrial decline breakdancing, graffiti and rap began to seep from the streets of New York to the pedestrianised precincts of Manchester through to the late 80s and 90s when homegrown talent began to breakthrough on microphone and twin decks and via pirate radio and into the 21st century. The influence of those early records is made clear (pictured above- the Electro series, Kraftwerk, Buffalo Girls), the soundtrack to breakdance crews like Broken Glass and Street Machine spinning on their backs outside the Arndale. The clothing too- Adidas and Nike trainers and tracksuits, goose down jackets, then in the 90s and 2000s Stussy and army trousers, caps and glasses. It also pays tribute to local radio and the importance of Piccadilly 261 and Stu Allen's legendary rap show. This is a lesser known musical history of Manchester than the usual one involving Factory, the Hacienda or The Smiths. It's on until the 28th so there's a few days left, free entry. My brother Zach is one of the key players in the Manchester Hip Hop Archive, the group that have put the whole thing together, and full nod of the baseball cap to him and them for pulling it off so well.
3 comments:
It's an area I know virtually zero about and yet when I saw that display of the Electro album covers I had something of a Proustian rush! Vivid memories of stocking and selling them at the record shop, but to be honest I had an uncomfortable dislike of many of the customers who bought them (there was just a particular crowd of ill-mannered young blokes in that town who were drawn to it) and I find it hard to disassociate! A sudden sinking feeling, what would I have to deal with as I served this next customer impatiently waving the cover over the counter at me?! However, what hits me now all these years later is how striking the cover graphics are and how good they look all together. I'd probably be a lot more open to the content now too.
Good luck to your brother and the Manchester Hip Hop Archive, hope the exhibition goes well
I saw MC Buzz B support the Mondays and a few others circa 1990. I loved the RRA. I remember buying Just Mellow and I'm sure it had a Norman Cook remix long before he went on his remixing bender. I won't get up to see the exhibition, shame.
C- amazing that those record sleeves had that effect on you all these years later. The sleeve design is fantastic, very influential on the rest of the decade, similar to what Neville Brody was doing at The Face etc.
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