Ahead of their third sold-out date in Brighton in as many months, hip-hop double-act Rizzle Kicks have revealed they took their first steps on the path to fame thanks to musicbased charity AudioActive, in Queen’s Road, Brighton.
Jordan “Rizzle” Stephens and Harley “Sylvester” Alexander-Sule studied together at the Brit School in London before their careers took off.
But hip-hop artist and AudioActive workshop leader Tom Hines says it was at AudioActive the duo picked up advice from local rappers such as Syntax, Enlish and Elemental, which helped them to develop their technique and rhymes.
“Jordan used to work in Red Veg and Jordan’s mum used to come in a lot.
“She knew at the time I was a youth worker. I told her about the rap workshops I ran at AudioActive and that’s how he started coming along.”
The duo are curently on tour in support of new single Traveller’s Chant, which was released earlier this month.
The track is taken from Rizzle Kicks’ debut album, Stereo Typical, on which Hines is credited.
“We were the ones who introduced Jordan to UK hiphop.
When I first met him, he told me that no one would give him any hip-hop instrumentals to rap over, so I gave him loads of beats.
“The public presume that Rizzle Kicks learned everything at Brit School, but that’s a misconception. They actually got their grounding through AudioActive and the workshops.”
Rizzle Kicks are now official patrons of AudioActive and their upcoming shows will help to raise money for the charity’s work supporting aspiring singers, rappers and artists in Brighton and Hove.
The pair will close the year with two nights at the Brighton Centre on December 6 and 7.
Brighton Dome Concert Hall, Church Street, Sunday, April 29
Starts 8pm, SOLD OUT. Call 01273 709709 for returns tickets £19. Call 01323 412000 More from The Guide
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