From youth clubs to headlining Parklife: How Manchester helped pioneer hip hop

Manchester’s musical prowess is legendary - and that’s a fact the city is all too aware of.

From celebrating post-punk icons, to indie legends, it seems like Manchester wears its heroes on its sleeve. However, there is one music scene which Mancs have pioneered - but have been all-too-overlooked.

That scene is hip hop, which has gone from humble beginnings in Baguley youth clubs to headlining some of the world’s biggest festivals. This weekend, a new event in the heart of the city seeks to change hip hop’s standing within Manchester.

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Street Heat 2 is a free event this weekend (April 29 and 30), to be held at the Old Naval Yard in Ancoats. It’s designed to show off the best in hip hop music, street arts, fashion, sneakers, street food and drink.

That’s important, explains Sefton Mottley, a community leader in Moss Side and Hulme. He’s an expert in the early days of Mancunian hip hop, being a teenager when it came to the fore.

“Initially, in the early stages of hip hop, it came through on TV,” the 51-year-old tells the Manchester Evening News. “We had a couple of music videos like Malcom McLaren and Geoffrey Daniels, who did the moonwalk on Top of the Pops — that had everybody enticed. It was mainly break dancing and body-popping that came through.

“It came into Manchester via youth clubs. We had DJ Johnny J in Abraham Moss, he went around Manchester doing under-18 events playing that kind of electro and soul music. In Wythenshawe you had Owen D playing Baguley Hall.

“You had Playboys playing Proctors in Hulme, and Leaky Fresh played at Longsight youth club. You also had Greg Wilson.

“He was dropping electro in Legends, a club on Princess Street -