I’m Not From London hosted the launch for ‘The Long Year’ EP by the Local Healers and Louis Cypher at the Old Bus Depot on 23 March.
As the night went on, the venue became busier as the crowd eagerly stood around for the long-awaited launch.
Accompanying the headliners throughout the night were special guests such as Slippy Skills, Alex Mighten, Motormouf, Omari Marsalis, Jedyer and DJ Adam Pickering, A.K.A. Sounddhism.
The Old Bus Depot is a new and exciting hub to discover artists from Nottingham and the UK, which was certainly the case with the EP launch, which featured local artists and those all the way from London.
Each artist performed their original material as we got to know them individually through their music.
Kicking off the night, Nottingham Trent University’s own Jedyer started off with a bang.
His silky-smooth lo-fi bars moved onto the fast-flowing Slippy Skills and the freestyling Alex Mighten, with the night really having something to offer for everyone.
As this was an intimate gig, the performers could interact with the crowd which definitely kept the audience entertained.
When ten o’clock came around, everyone was eagerly anticipating the headliners, Local Healers and Louis Cypher, and it is fair to say they did not disappoint.
The Local Healers are made up of Nay Loco and Ty Healy, who are well known within the hip-hop community.
The Long Year, their latest release with Louis Cypher, tells the experience of being in a three-part, drawn-out lockdown that was supposed to last just a few weeks.
A personal favourite song of mine from their new EP is ‘10 MACS’.
When they performed this song, they got the crowd to sing along as the melody proved to be very catchy, specifically the chorus.
This idea of the Covid-19 pandemic and dealing with multiple lockdowns was a recurring theme throughout the gig.
The Local Healers had a thoroughly enjoyable set from start to finish while engaging with the audience the whole time.
The Old Bus Depot created a welcoming atmosphere for all ages over 18 and provided everyone with a fun Friday night out.
From the opening support through to the main event, every artist was on point and offered a unique twist on the UK hip-hop genre.
All images courtesy of Shannon Samecki.