Some observers say Kanye West was just using British MCs as props – but one MC who was onstage says he and his comrades don’t need US help, and that it’s the Americans who get inspired by British musicNot content with providing a remarkable few minutes of theatre at what has often been the music industry’s most sopirific award ceremony, Kanye West’s performance at last Wednesday’s Brits has thrown up a huge debate about the relative struggles to be heard faced by different types of black music. Debuting his new track All Day, he was backed by a Greek chorus of 40-odd men in black tracksuits and hoodies, two of them holding giant flame-throwers. Among this backing line, keen eyes noticed, were British MCs Skepta, Jammer, Shorty, Krept and Konan, Novelist, Stormzy and Fekky. It was a stage-show which managed, presumably deliberately, to flush out the racists; Kanye was “promoting gang culture”, to a few critics on Twitter – as if anything he has ever done has been as straightforward as that.For many, it was a moment to be celebrated – Kanye brought the whole grime scene to the Brits! was a common response – a triumphant mobbing of the stage by some of the biggest names in a scene that has generally been ignored, humbled or watered down by the British music industry. Two fingers up to the suits, on its biggest, most tepid night out of the year, from musicians like Skepta, Jammer and Krept and Konan, who between them have spent decades releasing music to great acclaim (and, often, substantial sales) on tiny independent labels, or more often, putting it out themselves, direct to the fans. The irony was simple and powerful – there’s no way any of those MCs would be able to secure a place on that stage under their own steam; the sense is that British music is not a meritocracy, and the grass is greener for hip-hop in the US than it is in the UK. The fact that the MCs got their “break” at the invitation of someone as flighty as Kanye doesn’t matter – he recognised their need to be there, and perhaps the “black Atlantic” connection is a stronger bond than black British music’s foothold on its own soil.Kanye Knows The Brits Ain't letting dons in there like that so he kicked off the door for us.Imagine 1 of us saying Yeh I'm bringing 20 dons Continue reading...
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