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A HIP HOP mentoring project has been announced by Axis Ballymun, which will see emerging MCs working with some of Ireland’s rising stars.
Hip-hop artist Lethal Dialect (Paul Alwright) and Dean Scurry of Workin Class Records have both come on board to work with Axis for the project, which is part of Playground, a major arts mentoring initiative funded by the Arts Council.
This latest phase – the third of four – is called Craft and Art – from in the Street to Industry, and will see Lethal Dialect and Scurry giving a mixture of music advice, face to face meetings, business advice and critique to the successful applicants.
Workin’ Class Records recently had a residency at Axis and Lethal Dialect is completing his latest album, 1988, in its music studios.
(DOONWAVE/YouTube)
Mentoring
This mentoring scheme will take place over a number of weeks, beginning in March. Rather than being an introduction to the craft, it is an opportunity for hip-hop artists/performers who are at the beginning of, or at a change point in their careers, to work with one of Ireland’s foremost hip-hop artists; to ask the questions they’ve always wanted to ask, build confidence and be mentored.
Lethal Dialect has released two albums, LD50 part 1 and part 2, and in 2011 became a featured artist on the second season of RTÉ series Love/Hate. He has shared the stage with acts such as Maverick Sabre, Ghostpoet, Action Bronson and The Rubberbandits and is working on the soundtrack for Irish feature-length film ‘Cardboard Gangsters’, in which he is also starring.
(Cardboard Gangsters/YouTube)
“When Dean said it to me, I was saying to him I didn’t really feel like I was in the position I needed to be in to mentor anyone else,” Alwright told TheJournal.ie. “I’m sort of on the come-up myself. But he told me, you’re a lot further down the line than a lot of people involved in the music thing. He said what you’ve learned on the road so far would be invaluable info for them.”
And so Alwright decided to take part.
Lots of the younger heads are getting involved but they’re not really seeing it as a profession, more so as a hobby. That was one thing with me, why I took it so serious. I sort of treated it like a job.”
He sees it as a “blessing” to be in the position to be able to advise others with their career. “When I was coming up there was no one like that, there was no one else doing it,” he said. “I didn’t have someone mentoring me. I had to do it myself.”
You’ve to balance doing it because you love it and doing it because you want a career out of it as well.
Alwright recognises that hip hop is growing in popularity, both in terms of Irish young people getting involved, but also within the music industry here. “As well as that I think because of the climate as well, there’s not really anything else for young fellas or young girls to do.”
To have someone like Axis in the community is a gift because they are really out there to expand the younger crowd getting into the community and support them. Mark O’Brien understands the struggle. It’s great to be able to give back to the community.
Lethal Dialect
Axis’s relationship with local hip-hop began around a number of years ago, culminating in a major way six years ago with the Hip-Nós project, which fused hip-hop and sean nós singing and toured many different countries.
With the latest project, Director Mark O’Brien explains: “We really wanted to do something for hip-hop. We wanted to frame it not just coming in and learning to rap, we were really interested in what Paul himself wanted to do.”
The aim was to show exactly what it takes to move forward with a career as an MC or in hip-hop. “It’s great that this is happening, but how does one drive this on and let people hear this great work but also let the artists push themselves?”
Lethal Dialect is one of the hardest working people I’ve met. You can see it both in his work but also in his career.
There has been a huge amount of work not just in Dublin, but in the hip-hop world in Ireland over last 10 years to give it its own voice, says O’Brien.
He sees a new voice emerging, and pays close attention to what the MCs are saying.
Take all the beats off it and the lyrics, the words are incredible.
Applicants are asked to send links to online video and music, a CV and an email outlining expression of interest. Applications are open until March 14 and expression of interests should be emailed to axisurban@gmail.com.
Organisers are looking for artists who are over 18 and serious about progressing in the music industry as professional hip-hop artists.
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The winter vomiting bug (norovirus) had been around for some time now. What I cannot understand is Joe public visiting hospitals despite requests not to. Next of kin of course must visit. I’ve seen so much recently of aquatinted people and neighbors …. we can only stop infection by following requests of medical experts.
You get people going to A&E that really don’t need to be there.. the minor injuries clinic will sort you out for things like sprains, stitches, and minor fractures. A&E should be for medical emergencies like serious fractures, head injuries, spinal injuries, cardiac and respiratory problems. If you go to A&E with the sniffles or a minor injury, you are part of the problem in the Irish Health Service. If it’s serious enough, you’ll be referred from your GP or the minor injury clinic or the swift care clinics. They may even get you a spin in an ambulance.
@David: It’s not always practical. Minor injury clinics don’t operate 24/7. The one in Smithfield for example is 8-6 excluding weekends and bank holidays.
Go to the equivalent of SouthDoc then. Get your referral letter, if required, it’ll save you money as you won’t pay the A&E fee, provide reassurance and free up space in the A&E. Most doctors can put a few stitches in… it comes down to common sense. There are an awful lot of hypochondriacs in Ireland.
@David: The problem with crowding is the numbers who require admission and patient flow which is at a standstill. It’s all well and good telling people to first go to their GP, but high acuity patients need to go directly to an A&E. Minor injury units need to operate 24/7. GP’s should have direct access to diagnostics which again should be open 7/7. Triage should also be able to redirect inappropriate attendees back to GP’s.
Another thing that’s strange is people turning up to A&E with not medical issues. Do they not realise theres a out of hours doctor facility Care Doc or South Doc that are more than capable another thing I don’t get is people queuing at a doctor surgery coz they’ve a cough or cold.
Their GPs are still on holiday. If they attend Southdoc they must pay for the service. By going to the CUH they produce their medical card and get it for free and then ring their local radio station complaining about having to wait 8 hours in A&E.
Southdoc don’t charge if the patient has a medical card.
People who require a certificate for work because they have a heavy cold will have to get it from someone. I don’t see the issue with them queuing too get it from their doctor.
Anthony
Most doctors were open 28-30 December plus the car doc deals with any problems put of hours.
Charge everyone the a an e charge. If it is a real emergency you will get admitted and therefore no charge for a and e. Other than that see a GP and let them refer you to a and e if deemed necessary. Medical card holders can see out of hours doc for free but many go straight to a and e as that is free too.
Get well soon, all of ye.
To avoid €100 fee you need a gp letter or a medical card. Seems strange.Ambulance cases or gp referrals only.
Gosh! sick people over the Christmas / winter period, that’s something we’ve never seen before
no mention of the skeleton crews running the hospital last week…
yes yes I know someone will say that Hospital staff are entitled to holidays too, of course they are but not all at the same time
Have seen first hand the volume of patients presenting to an A&e in Cork over the Christmas period. It’s not a case of Skelton staff, in fact there were staff including doctors drafted in from other areas of the hospital to assist with the influx of patients. The doctors and nurses I have met were nothing short of excellent and have given the very best of care to all in the A&E.
No one should be allowed into hospital with the flu unless they’ve been vaccinated. Ditto other preventable diseases. Anyone pissed should be heavily fined.
Awful awful hospital. And shite doctors who will discharge patients without even interacting with them and telling them what’s wrong. Great nurses though.
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