NEO-SOULMATES: Manchester X Los Angeles

“Manchester – where the soul is and that’s the truth of the matter” – Abnormal Sleepz

At first glance, it might seem insane to compare Manchester to Los Angeles. To look at - the two cities couldn’t be more different, with Manchester’s reputation as the claustrophobic, drizzly city completely contrasting with LA’s sprawling and scenic metropolis. The City of Angels and the 0161. Scratch beneath surface though and the similarities between the two start to show.

Katbrownsugar

Independence and creativity are cornerstones in the ethos of both, The two share similar elements in their musical DNA, with rebellion at the centre of it all – ask the Gallagher brothers, or Tyler the Creator, or Jim Morrison, or Morrissey, or Dr. Dre, or Mark E Smith or Rage Against the Machine. Both cities have a DIY, experimental, ‘fuck them’ attitude – neither boxed in by a strict musical or genre identity.

Over the past decade, each city has reacted against the dominant hip-hop scenes in their respective countries. Underground movements in Manchester and LA have detached themselves from the ubiquitous soundscapes either side of the Atlantic – drill, afrobeats, trap, mumble – to pursue a futuristic reimagining of more retro sounds.

Whether called neo-soul, or funk, or jazz rap – the two cities have created movements that mirror each other in their love for soulful hip-hop and R&B.

EVABEE (Photo Credit: Ellie Wright)

Los Angeles’ neo-soul and jazz scene is less of a new movement and more a cultural resurgence. Kamasi Washington and Terrace Martin helped craft Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ back in 2015, while Anderson .Paak has taken neo-soul to the mainstream.

With albums coming in the next few weeks from Thundercat and Knxwledge, the scene over in LA has been expanding for several years – establishing itself as one of the most influential movements on the West Coast. As such, artists like Tyler, The Creator – who back in 2010 existed in a completely different space – have incorporated these soulful elements into their latest releases.

In the UK, Manchester is now on the map as a force in mainstream rap music thanks to the breakthrough of artists like Bugzy Malone and Aitch – but underpinning that success is a wave of artists that have given the city its hip-hop identity.

Pioneers in Manchester’s neo-soul movement, such as Children of Zeus and The Mouse Outfit, were undoubtedly influenced by the legacy of American neo-soul – but the resurgence across both cities has been almost simultaneous.

The Mouse Outfit’s debut EP ‘Check Your Pulse’ was released back in 2011, well before neo-soul or contemporary R&B was the influential force it now is.  As a result, that project has a timeless feel – with tracks like ‘Revolution’ sounding as fresh now as when it was released.  

CHIMPO

A new generation has appeared since around 2015 – as the melting pot of neo-soul, hip-hop and contemporary R&B has led to the birth of a creative and vibrant new scene. This isn’t just a couple of rappers using the odd jazz sample - across Manchester a diverse range of rappers, singers and producers have emerged, all sharing the same love for soulful, jazz-infused hip-hop.

Katbrownsugar, [K S R] and EVABEE are just a few of the city’s vocalists channeling the spirit of great neo-soul artists like Erykah Badu and D’Angelo, while simultaneously modernising the sound and adding that indefinable Mancunian soul.

Albums like Abnormal Sleepz’s 2019 debut ‘Kaleidoscope’ are proving that this isn’t just a passing phase but an exciting and growing scene in Manchester. The project is an absolute gem, adding to the stack of exceptional albums produced in the past few years by Manchester MCs.

Manchester has for decades been a musically diverse city, whether that be 80s Madchester - itself influenced by the acid house of the Hacienda - or being at the forefront of Britpop and the alternative rock scene. The city’s cultural inclusivity means that the neo-soul aesthetic has impacted existing Manchester culture, with DnB artists like DRS and Chimpo incorporating more jazzy influences into their production.

The final piece in establishing the Manchester neo-soul scene as a force in UK music may be the breakthrough of a true superstar. LayFullStop and IAMDDB are two of the best placed to do this –both appearing on platforms like COLORS, with the latter racking up over 15,000,000 views.

Los Angeles and Manchester are both cities that embrace and incorporate new styles, making them their own in the process. The fluidity and diversity of influences in both have led them down a similar path, rejecting any sense of genre purity and establishing themselves as creatively vibrant hubs.

Whereas the influence of LA jazz and soul has infiltrated the mainstream, Manchester is waiting in the wings to leave its mark on UK rap. We can’t fucking wait.

We’ve put together a playlist of our favourite LA and Manchester neo-soul, jazz, hip-hop and R&B - give it a listen below.