UKHipHopFestivals

I am a man on a mission and I need your help...

I have set up a Facebook group for all those who agree that it is now time for us to host a major hip hop festival right here in the UK. My aim is to gather as many people together in one group to show event organisers that there is a massive demand out there for this to happen.

After seeing Jay-Z's outstanding performance at Glastonbury 2008, it made me wonder, why do we not have a hip hop equivalent of Glastonbury here in the UK? When it was announced that Jay-Z would be headlining at Glastonbury, so many critics were quick off the mark to be moaning about a hip hop superstar and legend performing at a major rock festival. I think it’s fair to say that following his performance, Jay-Z proved all of his critics wrong and absolutely nailed it on the night. He completely worked up the crowd and showed that the hip hop / rock crossover can work.

So why is it that we don’t have a major hip hop festival here in the UK? There are such a large number of people within this country that absolutely love hip hop, rnb, rap, dancehall, grime, drum and bass, reggaeton etc. Surely, it is now time for us people who love urban music to have something major to look forward to each year.

Imagine seeing the likes of Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil' Wayne, Usher, Young Jeezy, T.I., G-Unit, T-Pain, Busta Rhymes, P. Diddy, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Flo-Rida, Rick Ross, Akon, Nas, Lil' Jon, Ying Yang Twins, Sean Paul, Talib Kweli, Clipse, The-Dream, Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Lloyd, Ne-Yo, Ray-J, Raheem DeVaughn, Mariah Carey, Keyshia Cole, Rihanna, Fergie, Ciara, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Ashanti, Dizzee Rascal, Kano, Sway, Lethal Bizzle, Wiley, Estelle, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, Elephant Man, Collie Budz, Babycham, Bounty Killa, Beenie Man, Sizzla, Kardinall Offishall, Daddy Yankee and Pitbull… the list goes on.

You only have to look at the success and popularity of the Hot 97 Summer Jam held each year around the US, the annual Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival and the 2008 BET Awards. Events like these attract tremendous audiences and I think it’s now time that fans in the UK should have the opportunity to see all their favourite artists in one location over the course of 2 or 3 days.

Obviously 1Xtra Live and the Notting Hill Carnival are already big events in the UK, but it would be nice to have one massive festival for us hip hop fans to look forward to each year. The likes of MTV Base, Kiss and 1Xtra could all work together for this occasion to make one hell of a weekend!

In order for this to work, we need to raise the demand for such a festival and I feel this is the perfect way to achieve that. If you, like myself, feel that we are missing out on the opportunity to see the biggest names in hip hop, please join this group and help make the right people aware of the fact that we want a hip hop festival here in the UK come 2009. This is long overdue!

Once I have enough people in the group and am able to generate up enough interest, I can then then go to the right people, with evidence, to discuss how great a demand there is for a large-scale hip hop event / festival here in the UK. If you too, like many of the others already in the group would love to see your favourite artists in one of the biggest hip hop festivals ever to be staged, it would be greatly appreciated if you could come and join the group and support in the mission to make this happen. In the meantime, I will do my bit to spread the word and will continue to update this group with new music videos, recommended new tracks, related events across the UK and much more.

If you would like to join the group, please visit We Need Hip Hop Festivals in the UK | Facebook or click on the following link We Need Hip Hop Festivals in the UK

Peace out!

Joe.

susie

wow this is a great post:) I want a hip hop festival in Norway too. I remember last year wen Ludacris,Chamillionaire,papoose Dipset and the clips was here all the critics in Norway and USA(yeah really!) said that they didnt belong on a rock festival even though that festival wanted to be more then just rock! They all proved the critics wrong:)
and Jay z headlined this year bottom line we need more hip hop festivals all around the world,Im tired of just seeing Rock Festivals

UKHipHopFestivals

Thanks Susie, I appreciate your comments. I am surprised to hear that the same kinda problem is existent in Norway as it is hear in the UK. I personally believe that at this moment in time, hip hop is bigger than rock. Hip hop is far from dead, it's reaching a new level. All the major players in hip hop at present, the likes of Lil' Wayne, Jay-Z, Nas, Kanye, T.I., Young Jeezy and LL have all stepped up there game as of recent and it certainly shows. This is the perfect time for the fans to jump on this bandwagon and start demanding for more festivals worldwide.

Right now in the UK, we have a huge problem with knife crime. Its getting out of control. People are getting stabbed and killed on the streets everyday. London is the worst affected area, although similar problems are being experienced all across the UK. I was speaking to a guy today and he is trying to organise a festival to raise awareness about the issues with knife and gun crime in the country. This kind of crime is a huge problem, not just hear but around the world and crime levels of this kind, most certainly don't seem to be deteriorating. When he told me, I thought it was an absolutely fantastic idea. Imagine, a series of hip hop festivals all taking place around various cities in hundreds of different countries all at the same time with an aim in mind of raising awareness about how we can all help to tackle the issue of problems with gun and knife crime.

It's something which will appeal to everybody but at the same time will help raise awareness about such a hugely overlooked, and often ignored issue. It could be done on a similar scale to Live Aid, but with the artists performing predominantly being from an urban background.

I'd seriously be interested to hear what everybody thinks about this idea, so give me your feedback, it'd be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

susie

I totally agree with you... and hip hop is in its primetime (dont know if that was right lol) right now... at least over here. this would be a way to use hip hop for something good

Wesey

i agree with you dude, we need something going on in London, or wherever... Would be sick... But be aware of the type of people going too and the problem of violence, especially as it is at the minute uno what im sayin?

But great idea!

PhillyOG

thanks for this