The lament published a few weeks ago in this hostel on the contraction of nightlife (And received a painful attack a few days later with The closing of the block club) – painted a disturbing picture regarding the future of entertainment culture and dance floors, in the only real city we have to offer – Tel Aviv.
But – as someone who has been active in the field for about 25 years – I could not help but notice, and not for the first time, the exclusive reference in the article to the field of EDM (electronic music if you insist). There is no dispute – the giant clubs like the block or the artist are the flag bearers of the scene, the showcase for all of us – and, as the article shows, they are in trouble. But their captains also cherish the days of the underground, and parties that happened back then, on the fringes of the radar. Let me tell you – even today there are still happy and lively clubbing scenes, and there are definitely still disorganized squares in the city. You’ll have to forgive me, but I don’t hold back from saying it this way: there are more clubs.
It is not so pleasant to see a closed block, but it is not the only one. The Block Club (photo: from the Facebook page blockclubtlv)
For example – Hello! There is such a thing, hip-hop parties. and even hip-hop clubs. Even without diving too deeply into the history of music, it is worth mentioning: if before techno there was house, then before house there was hip-hop. The DJ and party culture owes its very existence to the pioneers of the first street parties in the Bronx, in the Seventies, which in turn were based on the Jamaican dub culture. From there grew the disco and the hip-hop that we know to this day in its many shades. And only then, the EDM.
The black scene arrived very unfashionably late to Tel Aviv somewhere in the early nineties – for reasons of sparse local pigmentation. In other words, we are white. But alongside the flourishing of electronic parties, desperate groove enthusiasts were also looking for an answer – and it was finally given to them in the form of a series of small but mythical clubs. If it’s the Sweto that dedicated itself to reggae and dancehall, if it’s the House on 26 (later changed its name to Azimuth) that offered contemporary American hip-hop parties with the pioneer DJ Dory Trister, or if not far from there, in somewhat more mesmerizing hip-hop parties at Allenby 58 with DJ Yi Amir Perry. Towards the end of the nineties, and with the rise of hip-hop to the status of the most beloved genre in the world (including its initial mediation in Hebrew through artists such as Shebek S and Subliminal), this scene simply exploded.
Every place that could afford it opened a “hip-hop plaza”, and in Tel Aviv, other legendary lines joined the celebration, among them the celebrated parties of Soliko Cru, and the original Hishgoz evenings at Dynamo Dvash. I – as a (relatively) young DJ – found myself playing in clubs all over the country and even producing a major hip-hop line on Fridays in Tel Aviv. This line became the first hip-hop-net club in Israel – the G Spot, which I opened in July 2000, the only one of those that actually exists to this day. But leave the homeland lesson.
Cut to 2022, and we in Zion hold a magnificent hip-hop scene. Rappers who grew up in clubs like G Spot, dominate the annual charts (Tuna, Ravid Plotnik), and their successors – a new and kicking generation of young and diverse artists – finds in this style a free way of expression that suits the millennial vibe. Not to mention that many of the international stars of this generation are essentially hip-hop stars – Kanye, Kendrick, Cardi B, and one day we’ll also love those that don’t start with K.
DJ Shim Black. Nir Mammon, photo: Public Relations
And what about parties and dance floors? oh Not unlike the electronic scene, much of hip-hop is intended first and foremost – for the broad. This is how the genre began, and this is how it continues today, because where microphones are burned, dance floors will also be burned. A hip-hop party can completely contain a rapper’s freestyle, in a way that is welded to the DJ’s set, and rappers for their part have since the dawn of creation performed with a DJ as an integral part of the performance (which is considered a serious foul, let’s say, if you’re a rocker). There is also an impressive interdisciplinary migration from the position of DJ or music producer, to the position of rapper and back, God forbid – see Uri Shohat’s article.
Tel Aviv’s hip-hop club scene gave a platform, not to mention a springboard, to the careers of many of our hip-hop stars who rubbed shoulders and gained an audience in the clubs. It is customary to define hip-hop not only as music, but also as a way of life, and many who adopted this way, were happy to receive it in their entertainment and not only through headphones at home or at a concert by their favorite MC. Basically, many of the hip-hop fans, (at least until the next generation where musical genres have almost no meaning anymore), dug into the niche and refused to consume any other kind of soundtrack to their lives.
Long story short: in 2022 there is a bustling hip-hop party scene in Tel Aviv, and it is even on a constant upward trend. As for myself, I represent Atlanta, the continuation club of the G Spot that we opened in 2017. Every weekend between 1,500 and 2,000 people pass through our doors who only consume hip-hop in its various shades – from old-school nineties (my preference) through trap and contemporary hip-hop hits, to Vacha R&B to afrobeat and HK drill – the new kings of the expansion.
In fact, Atlanta is experiencing such a wonderful time that soon (very) we will announce the expansion of the club and its renovation with a considerable investment. But we’re really not alone, quite a few hip-hop lines are held in various clubs in the city – for example, in the tourist-killed Serenity, the pumping stone of the harbor, or in the renewed Uzan, or in the underground Garrin. And if you check the well-established and well-respected mini-clubs in the city, such as the Radio, the Holi, or the Drama – there is a high probability that you will find Atlanta’s residents there, including Jussap, Kabukis, or Mofi, playing only black beats.
Tel Aviv’s hip-hop parties are lively, full and sexier than ever. And they have some other advantages. For example, the diversity: we are happy and even proud to be the most inclusive and colorful genre, for the multitude of meanings of this word. When the vast majority of your cultural heroes are black and come from the fringes of society, anyone should feel comfortable on the sidelines of a hip-hop party, no matter where they came from. It certainly contributes to the relaxed atmosphere and even to the musical diversity. For example, afrobeat has become super popular recently thanks to the presence of dancers of African origin at the parties, and for example Saturdays in Atlanta are led by DJ Dargham, a super talented African Israeli.
It is also impossible to ignore the success of the genre in the field of performances. Leave Nechi or Tuna, who these days are selling Shoni or Caesarea with a sneeze, it’s not just them: the all-star show of “All the Cash” filled Eliyahu’s hands to the brim; Shebek S. are going to fill Ampi Live Park; Subliminal surprised last night with a sweet and impressive back-to-the-origins show that attracted about a thousand nostalgic hip-hop fans to Barbie; and it was just announced that Michael Suisa’s upcoming launch show is sold out.
No wonder, therefore, that artists from abroad also join the celebration: while we await the announcements of huge names from the field who are going to come here, it is worth mentioning that the Beer Sheva Forum was recently filled twice to overflowing with hip-hop fans – at the performances of the nostalgic Patman Scoop, and of the superstar Taiga. Batel Spring, about two months ago, the trap star NLE Choppa filled Reading twice, and we in Atlanta are celebrating Rosh Hashanah with a five-year anniversary party at Hangar 11 with a performance by the biggest UK superstar Darryl Russ Millions, along with other big local names. – Don’t panic. Tel Aviv hip-hop, in the way of hip-hop, brazenly comes to offer an alternative. See you in the squares, YO.
The “Atlanta” club will celebrate 5 years on Tuesday, 9/24, at a special rave in Hangar 11 with a performance by Russ Millions, Dodo Farouk, surprise guests and a selection of DJs from Atlanta: Uri Shohat, Juicesup, Kabukis, Moshik, Sofrim and Dragham. For purchase tickets