MY EVENING OF HIP-HOP KARAOKE

Hip-hop is an art form founded on the notion of "keeping it real", a mixture of authenticity and posturing. It values honour and street cred. Karaoke, on the other hand, often requires an absence of dignity. It depends on people who are willing to throw themselves around on stage, however drunkenly, for the amusement of others. But some are combining the two.

The Social, a bar in Oxford Circus, has hosted a fortnightly hip-hop karaoke night for years. Run by a group of DJs and MCs, the event has steadily grown in popularity, crowding the bar now pretty much every time.

Being white and slightly nerdy, I had always felt disqualified from hip-hop. The prospect of performing it seemed especially intimidating. But after arriving at the narrow and slightly industrial-looking bar, I found a familiar atmosphere. As with any karaoke event, people are invited to sing, refuse to do so, have a few drinks and then eventually sign up. We all then hope our name is never called. We also know, secretly, that we will rock.

There are some differences. The crowd is professionally and racially diverse, which is rare for London. Rob Dewey, the night’s founder and host DJ, sees this as crucial to its success. “The crowd is the thing I’m most proud of," he says. "It’s one of the most cosmopolitan crowds around. We have one of everybody, from city boys to people who don’t know anything about hip-hop to 19-year-old regulars who are MCs.” The evening's master of ceremonies personified the event's contradictions. A 30-something Asian north-Londoner in a cravat, MC Mark is at once deadly serious and cheerfully profane. The effect is infectious, and by the end of the competition the crowd is a sweaty mass of head-boppers.

And then there's the music. Rather than the usual offerings of Dexy’s Midnight Runner and Bonnie Tyler, the songs are all rap--aggressive, modern, American rap, mostly. Wu-Tang Clan, Jay-Z and Lauren Hill feature heavily. Tracks are listed with a difficulty rating, from "easy" Ice Cube songs to such legendary challenges as Outkast’s "B.O.B." and Busta Rhymes’ "Gimme Some More"; the latter was accomplished only once, by an off-duty children’s TV presenter.

Karaoke tends to draw a dark deep line in the sand between the cans and the can-nots. Hip-hop karaoke does not make this distinction. As long as you can hear, read and speak, the playing field is pretty much level. This is an evening built on enthusiasm, not embarrassment. Whatever the song, performers delivered with unexpected gusto and concentration, a world away from the drunken warbling usually associated with karaoke. They are rewarded by an audience that bops and sings along as if it were a real concert.

And then my name was called. I had drummed up the courage to attempt "Witness (1 Hope)" by Roots Manuva. After making my way through a doggedly confused version, I left the stage red-faced but triumphant, with a vision of myself in the closing scenes of the Eminem film "8 Mile". I had tried my best, something I could never have said about a usual karaoke night.

~ ED CUMMING

Picture credit: zodwindsong (via Flickr)