Photo: Alex Wong
THE SKINNY
Pass the Mic Ahead of HANG, Scotland’s first-ever hip-hop and grime music conference, we speak to Khaleda Noon from Intercultural Youth Scotland and Sami Omar from Up2Standard Interview: Rachel Bowles Music
Sami Omar
H
ANG (Hip-hop Aimed Networking with Grime) is Scotland’s first-ever grime and hip-hop music conference launching this summer with a one day, can’t miss interdisciplinary line-up of panels, workshops and live music. Featuring the likes of BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Tiffany Calver, 2020 SAY Award-winner Nova, and Aberdeen grime artist Ransom FA to name but a few, HANG brings together talent, labels and industry experts from across the UK for a free, all-ages event designed for aspiring artists and fans alike. To celebrate its inauguration, The Skinny catches up with two of HANG’s finest guests – award-winning Khaleda Noon, executive director and founder of non-profit Intercultural Youth Scotland (IYS), and pioneering Sami Omar, the man behind Scotland’s premier grime platform Up2Standard. (The following has been edited for length and clarity.)
The Skinny: Hi guys! Can you introduce yourselves, please? Sami Omar: I’m Sami, founder of Up2Standard. Growing up, I had a big passion for music but we had nowhere to go and record at a professional level. It pushed me to set up our
affiliate studios in 2014. As our network grew, we felt there was another gap in the market in terms of infrastructure. We needed a platform for our own community in Scotland, hence the birth of Up2Standard. We bridge the gap between the artists’ product and the consumer. Khaleda Noon: I’m Khaleda Noon, executive director of IYS, Scotland’s leading charity for young black people, young people of colour and those with intersectional characteristics. We use hip-hop and grime and any sort of youth work as a vehicle to make sure that young people reach a positive destination.
— 41 — Khaleda Noon
TS: What would you say to aspiring youths who want to get involved in the music industry? SO: I would say do not fear the system. That’s why we are here. You do not need the companies, the monopoly, the ones that are controlling the organisations, [Khaleda and I] are here to do our due diligence to support you. Embrace yourself, embrace your talent. As much as we all come together, we are also individuals, we’ve got our own sound, our own history to bring into this, to add to the table. KN: What I’d say to aspiring artists is to collaborate, know your community, reach out to other communities and work together. Use your time wisely with people who share the same dedication; learn where the music and cultural art forms started. To truly appreciate something you need to grasp where it all began. Resist the divide and conquer approaches. Let’s not let inequality and lack of opportunity divide us; let’s unite because when you do, you will lead the way and hold the key to influence change in Scotland’s music scene.
HANG’s daytime programme takes place online from 11am8pm, 31 Jul; HANG’s live evening showcase with performances from Nova, Bemz, India Ros3 and mISTAh bOhzE takes place from 8:15-10pm at SWG3, Glasgow, 31 Jul More info can be found at officialsama.com/hang Sami Omar will feature on the Platforms, Promotion and Pitching panel, online from 3-4pm; Khaleda Noon will feature on the Hip-hop’s Multifaceted Role in Communities panel, online from 5-6pm instagram.com/up2stndrd interculturalyouthscotland.org
July 2021 — Feature
Photo: Khadija Moustafa
TS: What is HANG and what do you hope to achieve? SO: HANG is the first conference/network building event to highlight the hip-hop and grime scene in Scotland. We hope to break the barriers of the music industry, which is so monopolised, by allowing organisations led by people of colour, people that are on the ground, to really connect with the scene as a whole and have seats at decision-making tables. KN: It’s a great thing that HANG’s happening; truly bringing together Scotland’s skilled influencers and networks. It’s fantastic that SAMA [Scottish Alternative Music Awards] has the willingness to connect communities; bringing together those who already benefit from a system that’s designed to serve them and those who are furthest away from a culture and art form that belongs to them. It’s important that HANG have included speakers and panellists like myself and Sami, as engagement must be informed by an understanding of how intersectionality affects everyday life. It’s always #FundingSoWhite and that has to change. It’s time to pass the mic. SO: [On the Platforms, Promotion and Pitching panel] I’ll be speaking about the importance of a platform to bring exposure, and highlighting all the talent that Scotland is brewing at the moment – providing that bridge for content to be well delivered and really appreciated. KN: [The Hip-hop and its Multifaceted Role in Communities panel] is a great opportunity for me to present Intercultural Youth Scotland’s practice as we consider the intersecting power structures experienced by young, black, POC artists and adapt accordingly with the avoidance of further exclusion and equity as the main goal.
TS: What artists are you the most excited about? SO: There’s Nova, Bemz, AiiTee, just some of the artists Up2Standard works closely with. India Ros3 representing Dundee… we’re representing Scotland from every corner under one roof. KN: AiiTee is an absolute star in the making! Please look out for her, she’s a gifted songwriter, singer and musician. She’s also super gorgeous and extremely kind. And, of course, our girl Nova who supported the beginning of IYS in 2018.
