Herbal Mafia 20th birthday part 3

For the third episode of our 20th birthday celebrations we're going back to our old skool format... Representing live UK hiphop and boom bap; turntablism, scratching and juggling; and the deepest, darkest basslines out there - from dub to breaks to dnb, jungle and beyond! While still representing fresh original underground music from amazing artists at the top of their game, and who continue to push the boundaries of electronic music; as always! 

Featuring UK Hip Hop's most prolific duo: the legendary VERB T & PITCH 92 of seminal hiphop label HIGH FOCUS RECORDS. Verb T is currently on a European tour of his 17th(!) album - 'To Love A Phantom'. We're extremely honoured to have him passing through!

Also featuring the long awaited return of award winning jungle / drum&bass DJ and producer MRS MAGOO (Hot Cakes / Deep In The Jungle / Jungle Mania / Audio Addict). More info on them all below...

Support from residents and guests:

North South Divide

A UK Hip-Hop duo comprised of veteran MCs M.A.B and Double Deuce. Gearing up for the release of the their self titled E.P, they'll be smashing up the stage with tracks from their upcoming project as well as as some local classics. Expect hard-hitting lyricism and heavy beats that will make your neck crack! M.A.B hails from North London, making his mark in the underground hip-hop circuit, starting in 2007. He has countless solo releases including mixtapes and albums as well as three albums with the group "Three Headed Beast". He has worked a whole host of underground legends such as Ramson Badbonez, Genesis Elijah, Cappo, Datkid and Life; as well as having production credits from the likes of Chester P, Farma G, Wizard, Dilijence and Charlie Mac.

Double Deuce is a hometown veteran in the York music scene, with a slew of releases including many on his own productions including the local classic 'Bevvys & Berrys". Known for his relentless flow and sharp wit on the mic, he has made a name for himself in the UK Hip-Hop and Grime scene over the years. He has supported hiphop luminaries from De La Soul, Jehst and Taskforce to bass heavy masters such as Ray Keith, Rusko, Kromestar; among many more.

DJM - Herbal Mafia's resident turntablist, a supremely gifted DJ with technical skills, blends and routines that will blow your mind! He has reached the UK DMC finals and won numerous scratch battles; as well as being a regular at some of the best events and festivals in the UK and supported some of the hugest names in the scene. This man needs to be seen and heard to be believed!

C-DJ - This tour de force stormed on the scene a few years ago and has quickly made a name for herself! From club residencies around Yorkshire to shows all over the UK and abroad. While also finding the time to study, teach and set up her own high end clothing store and brand: Garba Sutra, as well as bass heavy clubnight Checkmate. She'll be closing the show in her own unique style complete with vocals while mixing!

DJ Tomm - Our newest resident DJ who impresses us everytime he gets on the decks! Awesome selections of the sickest tunes, with tight mixes that never fail to get you up and moving. He recently supported DJ Yoda and left the full capacity crowd begging for more! Arrive early to catch this funk-soul inspired genius at work.

Room 2 hosted by our trusted partners M*A*SH*E*D who always bring the heat, they absolutely destroyed the 2nd room for Mungo's Hifi! Guest DJs to be announced. Powered by our very own Herbal Mafia Hifi for some extra bass!

Early bird tickets only £10; standard advance / before 10pm: £12, and £15 after 10pm.

18+ ID may be required.

Artist biographies:

Verb T

Verb T is a highly respected veteran of the scene with 17 LPs to his name spanning every era of the genre so far. After years of riding the cusp of the UK hip hop wave with all the major movements in independent UK hip hop, including Low Life Records, YNR Productions and now the colossal High Focus Records, Verb T has indeed Remained. He is then, he is now and he remains as hungry as ever, having just dropped his latest album, the incredible: 'To love A Phantom'. He is one of the most prolific hip hop artists in the UK, a member of trailblazing supergroup The Four Owls and has worked with most of the biggest names in UK hip hop, more on that below....

Verbs is an artist with a unique style and lyrical outlook embracing classic 90's U.S hip hop as well as experimenting with new styles with his own production. Noted influences include artists such as Slick Rick, Al Green, De La Soul, and Jimi Hendrix. Verb T's music has covered topics of social awareness, paranoia, drug addiction and self improvement.

In the late 90s an underage Verbs frequented open mic nights across London while also recording his first demo songs with friend and producer Harry Love. After his debut single (Ill Behaviour, Ape Man Records 1999) and numerous appearances on mix tapes by DJs such as MK (Roots Manuva/Kiss FM) Verbs started gaining a reputation for his story raps and humorous skits which showcase a deep and slightly twisted sense of humour. In 2002 Verb T had his first release on the UK's best known and, arguably at the time, most credible hip hop label Low Life Records again with Harry Love ('Showbitchness' 2002, Low Life Records). Happy with Verbs' drive and work ethic Low Life owner Braintax invited Verb T to start recording a full length project with rapper Kashmere with whom Verbs had just started touring.

The result was the critically acclaimed 'Backhand Slap Talk' album (Lowlife 2002) which took Verb t and Kashmere (along with producer/DJ Ghost) touring all across the UK as well as dates in France, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Holland, Greece, Switzerland and the USA. After performing at hip hop Kemp in 2006 Verb T began featuring on albums and mixtapes in both the UK and US independent scene appearing in albums alongside acts such as Sway, Jehst, Ed O.G, Royce Da 59, Task Force, and many more. 2006 was also the year Verb T and Harry Love finally released their long overdue album 'Bring It Back To Basics' on Silent Soundz records, regarded by many as a classic album.

Verb T would follow that in 2007 with the 'Broken Window' album produced by The Last Skeptik. 'Broken Window' was again released by Silent Soundz and described by hip hop Connection magazine as "an illuminating snapshot of an artist gliding effortlessly towards that next level" and Metro newspaper as "proof that the voice of hip hop is ever evolving and expanding". In 2008 Verb T released 'Verbs With A Vengeance' which was the first album to showcase his production. Verb T's latest album 'Serious Games' was released in 2010 on YNR Productions and was partly produced by Verb T himself. Verbs' Production skills were also showcased on the two EP's 'Self Ish' and 'Self Less' released digitally on his Bandcamp page and all major digital outlets.

In 2011 Verb T formed a group with artists Fliptrix, Leaf Dog and BVA MC, known as The Four Owls. Their debut album 'Natures Greatest Mystery' & follow up 'Natural Order' have seen The Owls touring solidly in the UK & Europe. 2012 also saw the release of Verb T's High Focus debut 'Morning Process' which was received with critical acclaim and leaving fans hungry for more. 2013 shall see the release of his 7th studio album 'I Remain'. After having worked with all the top producers in the UK rap scene over the course of his long career, this time around Verb T is showing his full potential as an artist, coming full circle to handling his own production. Verb T later went on to collaborate with Illinformed on 2015's critically acclaimed 'The Man With The Foggy Eyes', followed by 'Good Evening' LP, a collaborative project with up and coming producer Pitch 92 which was released late 2017.

Verb T put out his third album with The Four Owls, in which he worked with world class names such as DJ Premier, Masta Killa, Kool G Rap, R.A. The Rugged Man, and Roc Marciano, he also completed a trilogy of albums with Illinformed in the shape of "The Land Of The Foggy Skies:" (2020) and "Stranded In Foggy Times" (2021).

More recently, Verb T has been teaming up with Canadian producer Vic Grimes. First with 'The Tower Where The Phantom Lives' (2023). And now after three decades of musical escapades as both a solo artist and 1/4 of The Four Owls, he returns with his most ambitious offering to date in the shape of 'To Love A Phantom'. Reunited with Vic Grimes, the duo leave the traditional 'rapper + producer' stereotypes at the door on an insanely adventurous LP; Vic Grimes expertly soundtracking Verb T's low fantasy across 26-tracks steeped in suspense and intrigue.

Picking up where the previous album left off, 'To love A Phantom' sees the duo expand upon their collective love for the language of cinema; each track expertly blurring the everyday with the supernatural; spectres and spirits swirling around our protagonist as he exits the tower and extends his arc...

A deeply emotive, visceral and visual listen, the plot thickens with the help of a supporting cast of featured artists from across the UK underground, each adding their own distinctive flair to the wider narrative. A truly unique universe of sight and sound, 'To Love A Phantom' is a shining example of Verb T & Vic Grimes at the height of their collective powers. And a sign that Verb T is definitely Remaining for some time to come!

Pitch 92

Born in Dublin in 1992, Pitch grew up in Germany & Switzerland, where the sounds of Madlib & Dilla fired up his neurons. Under the encouragement of friends ASM, he began experimenting with an MPC at the ripe old age of 12. He relocated to the UK in the late noughties, where he was quickly engulfed into the Manchester hip hop scene, becoming a longtime member of The Mouse Outfit, touring across Europe and featuring heavily on their first two albums.

Since going solo in 2017, he's released full hip hop & soul album projects with Iyamah, Jerome Thomas (Melting Pot), Verb T (High Focus), Confucius MC (HHV), Illaman (Potent Funk) and MC DRS (Space Cadet), as well as two solo albums ('Intervals' & '3rd Culture') and production work for artists such as Kofi Stone, Jayahadadream, Ocean Wisdom, Jehst, Foreign Beggars, The Four Owls and First Word family, Ruby Wood and Tyler Daley (Children of Zeus), to name just a few.

 

When Pitch 92 first teamed up with Verb T, not only did the pair deliver one of the most solid Hip Hop albums at the tail end of 2017 with 'Good Evening'; but they went on to provide the score for Romesh Ranganthan's Sky One Smash TV show 'The Reluctant Landlord', thrusting their signature sound into prime time TV territory.

 

Mrs Magoo

 

The Junglist's junglist. A true representative of the jungle and dnb scene, she has become a veteran flying the flag for the foundations of the scene as well as showcasing it's cutting edge.

Growing up on the central belt of Scotland, Mrs Magoo's musical tastes were shaped by all kinds of genres, including hip hop, rock and - influenced by her dad's tape pack collection - happy hardcore. So, when she discovered the multi-cultural, old-made-new-again ethos of jungle, combined with the bass-weight and rave-hyping energy, it ticked all the boxes. So, as is her way, she threw herself into the music with unrestrained enthusiasm.

Learning to deejay, then to produce, Mrs Magoo has already chalked up many major career milestones, but her passion for the music means she's never rested on past glories and taken her eye off what's next. She's toured internationally multiple times, she's scored prestige bookings like Glastonbury and Boomtown, and is always in the conversation when it comes to Best Female DJ or Best Jungle DJ (of any gender) awards. In a scene that's historically been dominated by men, Mrs Magoo has become an inspirational trailblazer for other young women to follow.

No wonder legends of the game are queuing up to co-sign her. She's had releases on elite contemporary jungle labels like Deep in the Jungle and Audio Addict, with many more to come. She's played for all the biggest jungle-focused promoters in the country as well as all the most prestigious DnB radio stations and streams. She's regularly rolled out back to back with pioneers like Kenny Ken and Nicky Blackmarket. And what's driven it all is pure unbridled love for the music and the ambition to be the best possible version of herself as an artist.

As she said in a 2019 interview with UKF, "I get so much joy out of mixing and finding those magic combinations. I don't know why people wouldn't practice? I have to practice. I want to know that I can bring something special to my gigs. I wouldn't feel right not practicing and being my best!"

If you want to see a real dedicated junglist at work, someone motivated by pure passion for the music, and who can tear the roof off a dance at a moment's notice, get to know about Mrs Magoo. And if you've seen her play here before you know she is going to absolutely shell it!