BBC talk to the Welsh Grime Scene

By Jane Oriel

This week I invited my old friend and colleague Jane Oriel, a face on the south Wales grime and hip hop scene, to pen some words about Urban Edge at The Big Splash, a great event happening this Saturday, 14 July, in Newport. Here are her thoughts about the scene and the event:

South Wales has an underground rap and grime scene full of raw unsculpted talent, and for artists who want to get noticed at the next level, being in Newport this Saturday is compulsory.

 

Last year BBC Radio 1Xtra‘s Charlie Sloth went round the likes of Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester to check out Northern undiscovered rap talent for a 1Xtra TV documentary called It’s Grime Up North.

This weekend he’ll make a programme all about Wales’ grime and hip hop. There are no guarantees you’ll get your face on TV, but if you ‘spit’, and you believe in yourself, you need to show yourself.

There’s a live outdoor show in the afternoon, and the club aftershow in the night is a must too.

Since Charlie’s last visit here, it’s true to say that the Midlands have been encroaching on London’s monopoly. Nottingham’s Beatgeeks, with two Brum crews – Stay Fresh and Invasion – have released a near-unbroken sequence of beats, tracks and features. And Birmingham’s Lady Leshurr shines ever brighter by the week, while continuing to maintain her grime credentials.

I invited Leshurr and producer Z Dot to a recording session in Newport last year to work with some local artists, and she’ll maintain the ongoing relationship with Wales by joining Charlie Sloth on stage at the Big Splash on Saturday.

The Urban Edge Stage outside by the Leisure Centre (but with wet weather contingency plans in place) will showcase Welsh talent, too, with live performances from Dee Shae, Antizzle and the rest of his Flow Dem crew, as well as Tiny Skitz and Eaton.

Read the rest on the BBC Website