THE team behind the Scottish Alternative Music Awards have announced a new annual event at Glasgow’s SWG3, designed to shine a light on the country’s hip-hop and grime scenes.

HANG (Hip-Hop Aimed Networking with Grime) will take place online and in-person on Saturday 31st July and will be free and accessible to all ages and abilities. It aims to empower and inspire members of Scotland’s burgeoning hip-hop and grime communities through performance, workshops and discussion.

Presented by the Scottish Alternative Music Awards (SAMA) in partnership with Creative Scotland, HANG will help artists develop their skills and take their next steps in the industry, and celebrate the diversity of these musical communities.

Key speakers include BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Rap Show host Tiffany Calver, 2020 Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) winner Nova, rising grime MC Ransom FA, and award-winning author and musician Darren McGarvey.

The day will include panel discussions on industry practicalities, such as how to pitch yourself to radio and streaming platforms, monetise your music, and workshops on the core elements of hip hop culture such as breakdancing, spoken word, DJ-ing and graffiti. It will culminate culminate with a showcase of performances from Scottish artists. Upcoming artists will also have a chance to play at the event by submitting their music in June.

Alan Morrison, Head of Music at Creative Scotland explained: “Hip-hop artists have been active in Scotland for as long as hip-hop has been active globally. However, 40 years on, one of the world’s best-selling, most popular genres remains on the periphery of mainstream culture in Scotland despite its diverse and creative strengths. Managed by the SAMA in partnership with Creative Scotland, ‘HANG’ will pull together some of the country’s best-known artists, industry organisations and international partners to interrogate pre-conceptions about the genre and the barriers that restrict access. It’s time to shine a light on those artists whose voices reflect 21st-century Scotland and deserve to be heard by the wider world.”

Richy Muirhead, SAMA producer said: “Hip hop and grime is such a huge and growing genre within the Scottish music scene. With HANG our ambition is to empower artists and those working in music offering expert music panels featuring key members of the industry, and providing new networking opportunities. SAMA are heavily rooted in hip hop with the annual music award, and HANG will also heavily feature Scottish artists with spoken word and music performances. We are very thrilled to be launching a brand new event, and free ticket registration will open next month.”

Full details of the HANG programme and ticket registrations will follow in June.