MCR Feature: Club Night/ DJ/ Emcee
Our featured Manchester emcee this month is DRS Click here to access Archive Gallery photographs
As a fresh emcee DRS toured the world with mc Conrad & LTJ Bukem (Good Looking Records) on the Logical Progression tours. Returning to Manchester he became resident-mc at no less than 3 ground-breaking nights: Sub Tub (a skateboarders heaven with hip-hop, D'n'B & a vert-ramp!) @ UMIST; Eyes Down (an eclectic mix of broken beats & obscure selections) @ Dry Bar & BOTW; and finally Soul:ution (quality liquid Drum'n'Bass from Soul:R Records + Marcus Intalex & Calibre in residency) @ BOTW (Manchester) and Fabric (London)
Along the way he met future partner-in-rhyme mc Strategy who invited him down to his 106FM pirate-radio show alongside other fellow ex-Microdisiac Konny Kon and it was not too long before Broke'n'English was born!!
The next few years were spent as opening act for a long list of visiting hip-hop luminairies from both sides of the Pond: the Beatnuts, Cut Master Swift, De La Soul, Furious Five, GhostFace Killah, Harry Love, Jehst, Jeru the Damaja, Jurrassic 5, MIA, Mobb Deep, Public Enemy, Q Bert, Rahzel, Rodney P & Skitz, Sian Supa Crew, Skinnyman, Souls of Mischief, Supernatural, Taskforce and Xibit!!
Their debut release Nothing Will Come Of It EP (Estate Records 2003) was followed by 1-track appearance 'History' on Suspect Files Vol.2. The Estate Agents EP (Estate Records 2004) and 'Squeeze' (Estate Records 2005) followed, before releasing the 'Terms & Conditions' mixtape (which was voted Best Mixtape of 2006 by BBC1xtra listeners!) and 'Tryin' (Fat City 2006), a track which was voted 2nd Best Track of 2006 (BBC1xtra again) and remixed by Calibre.
The Broke'n'English debut LP 'Subject2Status' (Fat City 2007) spawned 10" release 'Take It Low' remixed by Domu. Since then the boys have been busy: 'Listen Up' with Mr Scruff (Ninja Tune); Branching out into their own 'Netto Fabulous' clothing range; And now hosting a monthly night @ Mint Lounge 'Ballin On A Budget' Blaow!
Meanwhile DRS has also clocked up many studio-recordings in his own right. Hosting the first Soul:ution Vol.1 CD (Soul:R 2003) with Marcus Intalex; Calibre LP SECOND SON featured CD track 'Time Out' (signature 2005); Knowledge Magazine 85 Cover CD with Alley Cat (Oct 2006); 'Hustlin' with Calibre (signature 2007); 'Mirage' 'City Life' and 'The Eleventh Hour' with Mist:i:cal (Soul:R 2007); 'Be There' 'Slums' 'You Used To Listen' with Calibre (signature 2008); and 'Broken Glass' a collaboration with Alix Perez on the Lynx & Kemo LP (Soul:R 2009).
This year, as well as the 2nd Broke'n'English album, sees DRS drop his solo material: 'Grown Man Biznizz' CD (Estate Records 2010) already out there and his own D'n'B LP released on Soul:R real soon!!
