Hiphop & Rap in Bristol

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Bristol's Hiphop Scene

Bristol’s Hiphop Explosion in 2022?

Hip-hop is big in Bristol in 2022, but it’s never really gone away. Acts like the High Breed bring meaning back to hip-hop in the Bristol underground scene, which some Bristol rap artists have cited as limiting on their chance of success (as compared to their London hip-hop rivals). The shadow of Bristol trip-hop still looms large, with Massive Attack and Tricky being the defining moment for some (and anything else that doesn’t conform to this is swept aside). Hip-hop nights in Bristol set to redefine this, nights booking international hip-hop artists like Next Up and Raise the Bar (who combine hip-hop and spoken word).

It is often said that graffiti is the written expression of hiphop and a key element in hiphop cuture, however the huge quantity of graffiti and comparatively small amount of hiphop in Bristol suggests otherwise... While Bristol is certainly a key stopover for big rap and hiphop tours with artists like De La Soul and Wu Tang Clan playing Bristol's big venues, smaller hiphop events are less prominent.

Although not exclusively hiphop venues it's worth checking the listings for The LAB club, Mr Wolfs and The Croft. Metropolis has emerged as reliable hiphop venue with past guests including Ugly Duckling, Peanut Butter Wolf and Arrested Development. The Contraband Sessions held at The Golden Lion on Gloucester Road every Wednesday can be a good place to find free, Bristolian hiphop gigs.

Buy tickets for hiphop events in Bristol

Our recent hiphop recommendations

Sell out warning! A blessing from the Bronx, Mike’s dream-infested rap collages haunt the world - beaming chopped ambiance, broken-jazz memories and introspective baritone flow to lost phones, sleepless nights and aching souls. Sentimental and otherworldly, Mike’s seat in the future towers of hip-hop is secure. Unswervable FFO: Quelle Chris, Earl Sweatshirt, billy woods, Madvillain, Navy Blue, Knxwledge. MIKE at The Trinity Centre.

Sell out warning! Unsettling, experimental rap for fans of Danny Brown, Ghostmane and Odd Future. Gasmask donning Gao is setting fire to small minded hiphop circles with lyrical murder, melancholy and half-imagined extraterrestrial police-states Gao the Arsonist at Exchange.

Mind-boggling, exquisitely chaotic, ska-inflected neo-industrial - you ain’t heard nothing like it! Vernon Jane are loaded with heavy desert rock riffs and astonishingly raw vocals from frontwoman Emily Jane O’Connor, who howls, wails and croons like Joplin or Ditto with added jazz panache. Big find FFO: Skating Polly, Gossip, Sheer Mag. Vernon Jane at Moor Beer Co.

Free entry! The Old E’s beloved Community Jam Collective get a SERIOUS upgrade, running riot in Ashton Court with a whole room of live electronic gear for your noodling delight + the best of local bands playing psych blues, tortured genius pop and everything in between. This could be the start of something truly beautiful….. MANSION ÉCLECTIQUE at Ashton Court.

What our editors say

“Kruder & Dorfmeister is an Austrian duo, known for their trip hop/downtempo remixes of pop, hip hop and drum and bass songs. This year, they’re celebrating the 25th anniversary, of iconic album ‘The K&D Sessions’, a defining soundtrack of the late ’90s.”
From: The K&D Sessions

“To listen to Sevenyearwaitinglist's releases will only give you a hint of what their live set has in store. Yes, you'll be treated to intense bursts of chaotic cyber-grind, but you'll get them weaved together with snatches of pop bangers, hip hop anthems, and whatever else they feel like screaming their way through.”
From: Saturday Only

“The trio are known best for their explosive, yet silky sound permeating jazz, R&B, hip hop and more; evidenced through their extensive collection of online recordings, reels and now a fully-fledged debut album.”
From: Moses Yoofee Trio

“Shaped through a love for hip hop, britpop, psych and cinema; PleasureInc. is the genre-fluid musical brainchild of brothers Jonny Silver and Kenny Pleasures. The duo and their band of goons are out to confuse you into a good time. It’s Talking-Heads-make-love-to-Beastie-Boys-core. Considered as it is loose.. hard as it is playful… intensely blasé, always.”
From: Pleasure Inc

“REDH3RRING - Live electronica extraordinaire, Joseff Daley, utilises an array of didgital interfaces and musical instruments to create a visual and immersive hip hop and dance music induced experience. There will be textural movement and soundscapes that fold into a crescendo of sound.”
From: MANSION ÉCLECTIQUE