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The London Hip-Hop Battle
•
Rolling
Stones Toronto SARS Concert
•
London
City, Pub & Bar Guide
By Lauren Niggl
Live Music and event venue
and pub review 1 08-Jan-04
• The Venue: The OH! Bar; 111 Camden High St.
• The Event: MC Hip Hop Battle; Every first Thursday of
the Month; 9-2am
• Admission £5
• The Production/Promoters: The Lyric Pad Info: 07958 208
978. E-mail: lyricpad@yahoo.co.uk
The OH! Bar (The Venue):
Has a set opening every evening Mon Sun to include hip-
hop, reggae, dance and anything banging. Every Friday and Saturday night
there is a dance club from 9-2am. The OH! Bar poses for a comfy place
to relax and have a pint and socialize during the daytime. The OH! Bar
has a fully stocked bar, is roomy with a capacity of 160. Couches line
the roomy interior of the bar. It has a majestic look to it with high
rising purple lights illuminating from the ceiling. There are also small
floor statues scattered about and the woodcarvings on the hand railings
give the bar an elegant feel.
The Lyric Pad presents MC Hip Hop Battle Part 4:
The Event
• The Host: Rogermuffin (Zulu Nation)
• ToeJam: (Zulu Nation)
• Wuese (Lyric Pad)
• Penfold (Itch 105.15)
• Mr. Thing (Extended Players)
• Battle Set Winner of the Battle: Skinny (has a new
mix tape appearing this month in the UK)
The Review
I got off the Camden town tube and ventured a short walk
before arriving at a corner, which housed the Oh! Bar, an intimate live
music and event venue in the evenings and a relaxing pub in the daytime.
A generous line followed the small entrance way into the bar.
It cost £5 to enter the Hip Hop Battle that night and
after squeezing in through the narrow entrance way I was opened up into
an intimate venue with a generous dance floor, which attracted a large
mixed crowd. Separate signs which read Funky, Fresh, and Chill and hung
over the bar warmly welcomed me. Couches aligned the dance floor to
give the place a warm and comfortable feel.
It was not until 11:30 pm until the battle started. In
the mean time, DJ Itch, Londonıs Hip Hop station 105.15, spun rap and
hip hop music.
The music that played consisted of 75% American Hip Hop
artists, including Tupac, Biggie Smalls, Nelly and Ludicris. MCıs could
enter at the door. Any MCıs were welcome and some of the ones who participated
that night seemed to have battled each other in the past. By the start
of the battle the place was full.
There were 12 competitors that entered. Each 2-person
battle consisted of 4, 30-second segments of instrumental and 2, 40
seconds of Acapulco evenly distributed between the two battlers.
The rules were no touching and a handshake afterwards.
Battles progressed until Skinny, a white rapper took the championship.
He has a mix tape coming out next month. The battle drew a diverse type
of crowd and drew a lot positive energy from the crowd.
I would say that this battle proved that London embraces
an east coast style of rapping and influences.
Laugen Niggl is a Cal State-Fullerton student who is
in London this winter and spring. She is reporting on the London and
European music scene for PubClub.com. She can be reached at lauren@kira-ent.com
. Her web site is: www.kira-ent.com/
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