On the 2nd of November (11 pm -3 am) Bristol was blessed with another Next Up x UK underground Rap event hosted at Crofter’s Rights. Next Up run the underground rap scene in Bristol, bringing us all our favourite artists in mind-blowing line-ups. These events always attract die-hard fans, creating high-energy and family vibes where it's all about the music and the artists playing. The recent lineup, in order of the night, was: Scruz, Guttr, Kibo, Cmilliano and Namani.
Whoever's the biggest emerging names on the scene at the time, you better know that Next Up and UK Underground Rap have booked them, and this was clearly demonstrated by this line-up. It also wouldn’t be a NU x UKUR event without possibly the coolest event tickets you’ve ever seen, taking the style of collectible Pokecards commissioned by @vypermon.
The night started with Bristol-based DJ/Producer Scruz who played all the underground bangers that we love — a great way to warm up the crowd. The first live act of the night was Bristolian hip-hop rapper, Guttr. He has to be one of the most interesting rap artists to be coming out of the city right now with a polished, dark sound that's sonically impressive. His performance reflected that of his music, giving us esoteric, dark energy which captivated the audience.
Kibo a.k.a Fuego Baby is back on the scene after a break from releasing music, performing tracks from his latest project, ‘FRFR: FUEGO BABY FURTARDO RETURNZ! (SORRY 4 DA LONGNESS)'. He was undeniably missed by his fans as the crowd could not have been happier to have him perform. He was met by an ecstatic reception, with everyone screaming the lyrics and jumping to his tunes. CMilliano, who was next up, also joined Kibo for a tune to which both artists went into the crowd and engaged with the audience's hype.
CMillano is a Kent-based rapper who has taken the rap scene by storm. He was clearly no stranger to performing to crowds of this size, executing his songs with precision, clarity and hype. What was special about this night was seeing the artists from the lineup perform their collaborative songs together. Namani and Cmilliano also played their outrageous single, ‘COMPLACENT’, which was a clear highlight. Judging by the crowd's reaction, Cmilliano and Namani have the scene in a chokehold right now; the world is theirs. The last performance of the night was then, of course, Lewisham-rapper Namani.
Everybody’s energy was so high at this point; the performances had given life to the crowd and no one was showing signs of tiredness. Namani and the crowd reflected each other in their passion and excitement. Stepping out with steeze which carried through his whole performance, Namani knew exactly what he was doing. The night couldn’t have finished on a better note.
These nights thrown by Next Up and UK Underground Rap are unforgettable. The artists and vibes are always immaculate and with so many fans sharing love for the music in one space, it's easy to meet like-minded people.
Keeping up the pace, Next Up and UK Underground Rap are throwing another event on 1st December with another unmissable lineup up, including Reek0, 0H91 x PK, Ninioh - DO NOT LACK!
Words Poppy Warren (@poppy_warren)
Photography Poppy Warren (@poppy_warren)
Video on socials Eve Morris (evexxmorris)
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