From the moment I entered Rough Trade and began making my way upstairs to the bar, you could sense a passion about Can’t Stop Won’t Stop’s annual display of local hip hop talent that promised something special. Keeping the atmosphere chilled for the first couple of hours, DJs Joe and Nads kept the crowd in a positive mood through a mix of tracks ranging from the soulful production of the late nineties to Kanye West’s Chipmunk breaks of the mid noughties. It kept the crowd feeling vibrant, and provided a wonderful backing to a growing social vibe.
As the night went on the torch was then passed onto the live acts and emcees, which started out with the beats of Early Bird. Performing live on a drum machine, he captivated the crowd with the force of his trap-influenced beats and set the tone for the remainder of the night. Shortly after he was joined on stage by local talent Ella Knight, and although she only performed two songs, she managed to demonstrate her fantastic vocal range, drawing a huge applause form the crowd who were left shouting for more.
Finally closing for the live acts were local emcees JC Gold, Kamar and KC Da Rookee, together known as LTMT (Let the Music Talk) who survived a technical issue at the start with ease to finish with a number of high octane tracks. Although they were only on stage for a brief period of time, the velocity of their performances meant that everyone who witnessed it won’t be forgetting them any time soon.
All in all, this night had everything that a hip hop night should be about; positive vibes, raw talent and a strong sense of community. More nights like this should continue to cement Can’t Stop Won’t Stop’s place as a cornerstone of the Nottingham hip hop scene.
Can’t Stop Won’t Stop was at Rough Trade on Friday 8 January 2016.
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