Major Hip Hop event returns to Wolverhampton for 'first time in a generation' with date confirmed

The first ever Midlands Old School Hip Hop Jam is being headlined by East Coast rap group Lords of the Underground, whose hits included Chief Rocka and Tic Toc.

Supporting the Lords at The Hangar, on Wednesday, March 13, will be West Coast Legend Tash of Tha Alkaholiks and fellow Americans Antlive The Boombap King and John Jiggs.

Representing the UK will be Blak Twang and alternative lyricist, Lulla HF and on the decks will be Shortee Blitz and Wolverhampton's own Hip Hop Ambassador, Frikshun, will also be DJing.

Frikshun, also known as Tony Brown, has organised the event, after returning home to settle down after performing across the world.

The 48-year-old told the Express & Star: "We reckon this is the biggest hip hop event in Wolverhampton since 2002 when Busta Rhymes played the Wulfren Hall.

"The city was at the centre of the UK hip hop scene for years but then it all stopped, the police and venues did not want urban acts performing.

"It killed the scene dead, and big UK and US hip hop acts just stopped coming to Wolverhampton. Now, is the time to right that wrong."

Hip hop is not just music, its three elements are rapping, break dancing and graffiti, and Wolverhampton was renowned for producing some of the best dancers and artists in the country. Goldie and Temper both started off in the city's graffiti scene.

The DJ, whose career highlights include a residency in New York and Amsterdam, added: "The Midlands Old School Hip Hop Jam is for lovers of old school 90s rap, so the audience will be 35 over, some probably will be granddads so there will be no hint of trouble."

However, despite the mature clientèle Frikshun, who grew up in Whitmore Reans, has still had problems staging the event under his promotions company Phiah Media.

He said: "A venue in Bilston was all for the booking until they realised it was hip hop and then cancelled straight away. But I'd already agreed to bring the Lords to Wolverhampton so thank God the Hangar stepped in.

"So because of the size of the Hangar we have made the event bigger, bringing other stars to make the night to remember, there will be break dancers and graffiti artists there too."

Frikshun, who went to St Peter's Schoo, made contact with an American artist agent in Dublin and their relationship could see further big names appearing in Wolverhampton.

He said: "We were at the after party of the Wu Tang Clan in Dublin and I got chatting to an agent and told him Wolverhampton is ready again to welcome hip hop and urban artists back to the city.

"We have been in touch ever since and he has offered a few names but the time was not right but as soon as he said The Lords of the Underground are touring the UK for the first time in decades I knew this was the perfect starting point.

"And when Tash from The Alkoholiks told us he was in the UK at the same time we knew we had something special in the making."

For more information and tickets to the Midlands Old School Hip Hop Jam visit https://www.tickettailor.com/events/phiahevents/1139398 or follow Frikshun on Instagram.