Under the Radar: Oakzy B

Oakzy B

Glasgow rapper Oakzy B will be one of the acts to look out for at the forthcoming Pitch hip-hop showcase event in Glasgow, write Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon

While some mothers listen to classical music while pregnant, Oakzy B’s arrival into this world was primed with the sound of Tupac Shakur and classic hip-hop. So it should come as no surprise that by the age of six he was already penning his own rap lyrics, a skill which was further honed by listening to grime on pirate radio stations in London, where he spent his early years.

A move to Glasgow’s Calton neighbourhood in his teens, saw him embrace makina (a modern take on happy hardcore), and along with his schoolmate and regular collaborator MC Tiny, he began putting out tracks on Soundcloud, going on to garner millions of streams.

In parallel, he has also developed a catalogue of grime tracks, leading to a finalist finish on the BBC’s Rap Game and some respectable radio attention. He continues in this musical vein with the release of his self-scripted short film, Scheme Politics, inspired by and filmed in Calton, although fans of his makina output can also look forward to a fresh mix tape in time for Christmas.

Oakzy B plays St Luke’s in Glasgow on 19 August as part of the Pitch showcase event. Visit www.soundcloud.com/oakzy18

Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon run music industry seminar and social night Born To Be Wide, www.borntobewide.co.uk Find them on Twitter @olafwide and @newfoundsound

The Musicians’ Union represents over thirty-three thousand musicians working in all sectors of the music business. As well as negotiating on behalf of its members with all the major employers in the industry, the MU offers a range of services for self-employed professional and student musicians of all ages. The Union helps musicians in the live arena, recording and broadcasting, the orchestral sector, in education, and as music writers and composers. For more information, please visit www.theMU.org