50 YEARS OF HIP HOP

Beatdown Presents

50 YEARS OF HIP HOP
Past & Present feat:

JUNGLE BROTHERS  + ROAD BLOC (HARRY SHOTTA / KILA KELA / DJ PRIME CUTS), BLACK TWANG, JACK JETSON & ILLINFORMED, WISH MASTER & BILLY WHIZZ

JUNGLE BROTHERS have been around since hip-hop’s Golden Era and are the longest-running Hip Hop group in the world.

Jungle Brothers was formed through the high school friendship of Nathaniel “Afrika Baby Bam” Hall and Michael “Mike Gee.” Small. Mike brought family friend DJ Sammy “B” Burwell into the mix, and the Jungle Brothers were born.

The Jungle Brothers embraced a range of styles — including house music, Afrocentric philosophy, James Brown, and the use of jazz samples.

They continue to adapt creatively to the changing soundscapes of both hip-hop and DJ culture. Afrika Baby Bam and Mike G have been experimenting since they first appeared with DJ Sammy B on the NYC hip-hop scene with the release of the ground-breaking ‘Straight Out The Jungle’ in 1988. Their raw, energetic debut included “I’ll House You” a bona fide international hit.

A prototype for later envelope-pushing crews like the Wu-Tang Clan, the Jungle Brothers were among the first groups to aggregate a like-indeed posse of fellow rappers that became the legendary Native Tongues: De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah, Monie Love and Black Sheep.

Free to sample and manipulate in a more sophisticated setting, the JBs mixed up breaks and beats that recalled the Bronx block parties of their youth, incorporating elements from jazz, soul, and funk classics. The resulting album, Done By The Forces Of Nature, ranks with other masterpieces of the era like the Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique.

After decades later after sweeping hip hop off its feet, Jungle Brothers are still going strong and continue to tour the globe bringing the block party to every stop along the way and from this upcoming show at The Marble Factory you can expect both nostalgic, seminal classics and more contemporary hits.

ROAD BLOC (HARRY SHOTTA / KILLA KELA / PRIME CUTS)

BRISTOL EXCLUSIVE

‘Road Bloc’ brings together the collective talents of three world champions to create the ultimate live experience for lovers of Hip-Hop and Drum ‘N’ Bass. With four times World Champion Prime Cuts bringing his unique turntablism, award-winning MC Harry Shotta spraying his trademark lyricism and the world-renowned Killa Kela providing his incredible Beat Box patterns, this combination will create a powerful impact wherever it goes. The combined skill sets between the three artists ensure no one on the planet will be able to deliver a set quite like ‘Road Bloc’.

BLAK TWANG is world-renowned for his live performances and is also respected for the effectiveness with which he includes South London slang and lexicon, including references to specific South London locales, in his music without being too obvious about it. This has made him a favourite of English hip-hop fans, who have dubbed him “the original Hip-Hop Geezer”.

JACK JETSON hails from Nottingham. Jack is a true wordsmith. His first release was the ‘High Five’ E.P. in 2012, following this he signed to RLD Records. ILLINFORMED is a UK top-tier heavyweight producer with a distinctive production sound with a feature list as long as your arm he worked with Everyone worldwide from Vinnie Paz, Sonny Jimm to Lee Scott Blah Records head honcho and Fliptrix who is also High Focus head honcho.

2019 see the first collaboration of Jack Jetson x Illinformed – Strange Cinema sees these two chemistry fit like a glove and are unmatched.

With illinformed airy dark soundscapes and Jetson’s complex wordplay create magic and euphoria.

In 2023 their latest album Camo God Skin has a lot of drum-less production so you hear musical elements more along with hard-hitting punch lines and metaphors packed with syllables making them a dynamic Duo.

WISH MASTER & BILLY WHIZZ After teaming up in 2019, Wish & Whizz has become one of the most sought-after acts across the country. From St Paul’s Bristol, Wish Master who has been through many incarnations in his career, already made a name for himself with the rough gutter style yet bringing that fresh flavour to his production choices. From Death Wish to Wavy Wish then finally Wish Master, he was already making his mark.

Midlands-raised producer and DJ, Billy Whizz grew up in a household full of blues, dance, music, jazz, heavy metal, and punk rock. Even whilst learning to walk he already had a wide taste in music, notably head-banging to Metallica in a nappy. Starting off playing in bands to then producing his own beats and DJing he certainly made his way around the music scene. The duo was considered an unlikely pairing to some, but now people envy the on-stage energy