Words by music enthusiast and resident DJ, Jia @heysenses

I’ve always had a strong love for music. I used to play the piano, guitar and violin, with the piano being the only instrument I kept on. Then when I discovered the art of deejaying I fell in love with music all over again – it gave me a way to reinterpret music in a way I hadn’t experienced before.

My earliest memories of hip-hop were all introduced through close friends. Travis Scott and Kanye were some of the first artists I was introduced to, which sparked for this established but forever evolving genre. One of my earliest memories of hip-hop was the first time I attended Wireless Festival in 2016 and got to see Young Thug perform. His performance was held in the Pepsi Max Tent, a stage which was contained within a massive canvas tent that certainly could not handle the thousands of attendees waiting to see Young Thug.

His performance was delayed due to rowdy fans climbing the support beams of the tent as well as general overcrowding, until he eventually came out just to calm down the crowd who was beginning to become agitated due to the wait. Any attendee would agree with me that this is certainly one of the most iconic moments in Wireless festival’s history; his performance was certainly a factor in the decision to abandon the tent for future instalments of the festival.

2016 was a year where music would become a big part of my life, while attending house parties or events as a teenager. ‘Alright’ and ‘m.A.A.d city’ amongst other songs were consistently played at these outings. Kendrick’s music brings back great memories of my teenage years.

Kendrick’s lyricism and ability to create great music is something that has always appealed to me. When he releases new albums, there is always a new theme and ideas being explored meaning his music is never stale due to his ability to develop and grow as an artist. Often artists rise in popularity creating a certain type of sound or about certain topics. This becomes stale and boring and is especially common in the hip-hop community.

Whilst it is not something big artists necessarily are compelled to address, doing so allows them to use their platform and reach in a positive manner, bringing awareness to such taboo topics, such as homophobia, toxic masculinity, relationship issues, all addressed in his album.

For instance, on ‘We Cry Together’, Kendrick explores abusive and toxic relationship issues, in a heavily explicit but interesting song, which is made up of a back-and-forth dialogue between himself and Taylour Paige. It explores the dynamic of a couple fuelled with verbal abuse. It can also be viewed as how the hip-hop community is expressing their anger towards Kendrick for being absent for the last 5 years, especially through the difficult years experienced due to COVID-19.

Speaking about such topics opens the door for conversations to be had, making it far more likely for change and progress to be made.

Music is often an escape and a comfort source for many; people see Kendrick as a saviour, who was missing during this period.

The Big Steppers Tour is my first-time seeing Kendrick perform live and he certainly did not disappoint. Kendrick utilised all possible avenues to making a live performance amazing, by having a heavy emphasis on the art direction. This is something I believe is an area that the UK hip-hop scene could improve on; we should be striving to have live performances that indulge fans in musical euphoria through components aside from the music itself. Artists who are willing to take a lower cut from performances to pay for stage props, dancers, and additional elements are going to be able to create far more memorable experiences.

Artists that focus on creating immersive experiences provide fans with the best memories of their performance. Kendrick did this perfectly, using interludes, dancers, lightning, props, live instruments etc. All contribute towards transporting the audience to an imaginary world inspired by the artist and their music. The stage consisted of a main centre stage, and two smaller stages further into the stadium connected by bridges. This large space was utilised excellently, with the dancers often following Kendrick across the stages, dancing around Kendrick during his performances, or accenting the performance through their own performance on the main stage.

The production also included a rising stage with a removable box, which was used to perform several songs, such as ‘Mirror’, ‘Silent Hill’ and ‘Alright’, allowing Kendrick to tower above everyone whilst he performed. It almost symbolised his position in hip-hop, being one of the best in the game. The use of props such as the ventriloquist dummy, the projections of Kendrick and Taylour Paige for ‘We Cry Together’ add to making the production so exquisite.

As part of the tour, Kendrick brought along Tanna Leone, an Los Angeles born rapped signed to Kendrick and Dave Free’s record label PG Lang. Despite being an opening act, Tanna had a large crowd to perform to, and brought along great energy to match it.

Kendrick also brought along Baby Keem, a cousin who they share a number of songs with. Baby Keem performed a number of his hits, including from his 2019 Die For My B**** and his latest album The Melodic Blue. This is my third time seeing him perform this year, and he continues to bring great performances and energy, something the audience heavily reciprocated.

Along with art direction, as a performer Kendrick delivered without fail. His setlist included a large majority of his songs from his new album, as well as previous classics from his vast discography. Hearing the audience sing his classics, like Money Trees, Alright and LOVE was an ecstatic feeling that would be difficult to reciprocate.

Kendrick certainly delivered on his promise that the Big Steppers Tour was the ‘greatest show on earth’.

Before I started DJing, I had always been one for playing music at big groups, particularly house parties and outings with friends when I was younger. Later in life, I got to see DJ 279 perform, and it really intrigued me further. I then went on Amazon to buy my first controller, which began to open this world of possibilities. During college, I would practise during my lunch, before classes, free periods and sometimes during classes where I could get away with it.

When I began to learn how to DJ, I would play a large range of genres, such as House, Jazz and Drum & Bass, all in the name of exploring different techniques and improving. It also helped that I was surrounded by so many great DJs, even from secondary school where a member of staff there regularly DJ’d for my secondary school’s proms. Fast forward a couple years, I’ve managed to work with amazing brands, such as Nike, London Youth Games, Boxpark and Offspring.

Living in London, you meet people very easily when out and about. I’ve managed to meet many great and talented DJs as well as artists through work, outings and other random encounters.

Such connections are vital as a DJ, because as with many creative ventures, your network is your net worth.

The London music scene is in a great place currently. The underground scene is rising in popularity with many artists gaining far more traction than they would have in the past. It’s something I want to work to see grow, and hopefully do so through radio, as the underground scene presence on mainstream media is scarce but is something that would certainly be welcomed.

Additionally, I hope to create unforgettable experiences at clubs and events, as often these outings can be stagnant and unmemorable; higher standards should be expected. Perhaps creating my own event or club night would be the next step, to expand the buzz for alternative hip-hop, the underground scene and to play music other than mainstream hip-hop.

Check out more from Jia on Instagram @heysenses