Back in March this year, the Manchester musician Adio Marchant, aka Bipolar Sunshine, sent out a tweet which read: “It won’t be long before Manchester artists start invading the charts regularly. WORLDWIDE THO. Manchester is gonna come in like Toronto. Doors and gates are being broken down daily trus.”
It was a bold claim – but one which was clearly built upon genuine substance rather than sheer civic pride.
Indeed, Bipolar Sunshine was merely expressing what many have been concluding about Manchester over the past five years – that the city has never had it so good when it comes to the genres of hip-hop, soul and R&B.
From the sleek neo-soul of [KSR] to the beguiling Afro-jazz of IAMDDB to the gothic rap of Just Banco, the current generation of Mancunian urban talent is as vast as it is varied. And yet, for all its fantastic eclecticism, this group of artists, promoters, DJs and creatives clearly feels part of a close-knit community.
A world away from the largely guitar-driven traditions of the so-called ‘Manchester sound’, what makes this latest generation of Mancunian artists so unique is the strong sense of cross-pollination at play.
A band such as Children of Zeus – whose 2018 debut, Travel Light, was one of last year’s stand-out releases – came about when soul singer Tyler Daley crossed paths with beat-maker Konny Kon and both decided to collaborate together.
The Mouse Outfit – who’ve released three critically acclaimed albums over the past six years – have regularly showcased the talents of Manchester’s best MCs such as Black Josh, Dubbul O and LayFullStop.
There are no career-driven egos at play here; just a palpable feeling that Manchester is on to something very, very special – and any achievement would be a shared, collective one.
“There is a good sense of community,” says promoter Santana Guerout, whose Inner City Waves night at live music institution Band On The Wall is a regular port-of-call for Manchester’s best urban music talent.
“So many of the artists I’ve booked for Inner City Waves, they’re all familiar with each other, they collaborate together in the studio, they perform at each other’s gigs. People here are really supportive of each other. The higher-profile artists, they’ll go along and support the newer artists.”
Given the generous amount of music talent Manchester has given the world over the decades, it might seem strange to say the city has been overlooked of late. Even so, there is a feeling – especially given the media’s focus on London as the capital of grime – that the northern city hasn’t been given a deserved spotlight when it comes to the new wave of urban talent.
The hotly-tipped young trap artist Just Banco, who’s been signed up to Dirty Hit Records (home to The 1975, Wolf Alice and Pale Waves) is in firm agreement that Manchester’s vibrant hip-hop talent – until recently – hasn’t been fully heard.
“For a long time, those voices weren’t being heard,” he says. “But now, it feels like it’s a new age for Manchester urban artists. People are finally embracing them.”
Then again, being outside of that London bubble can also have its advantages. Diana Debrito, aka the brilliant IAMDDB, thinks the city’s musical identity has, in some ways, been enhanced by avoiding the buzz and hype of the capital.
“I think when Bugzy (Malone) blew up, it really shed a light on this city,” she argues. “Because we’re outside of London, away from the industry, I think everyone here works harder, it builds you differently ‘cause you don’t expect things to happen overnight. You feel more like an underdog. It gives you an edge.”
The underdog, it seems, has firmly awoken. And from the glorious examples of Manchester urban music we’ve heard these past few years, it clearly has no intention of going back to sleep.
