A music studio on the Shankill Road is opening its doors to more young people with varying abilities in the area, to show them that they “can achieve their creative dreams without having to leave Northern Ireland”.
James Ayo is an east Londoner who runs HotBox Entertainment (HBE) in the Argyle Business Centre in west Belfast.
It provides a platform for young musicians to network, get industry advice, and produce their own songs and music videos.
He said he has seen a huge rise in interest in hip hop amongst young people in Northern Ireland since he moved here six years ago.
The entrepreneur believes it has proven to be an effective therapy for helping people “vent” about issues such as substance abuse, grief and poverty.
HBE Studio’s 30-artist mixtape members from last year, which brought together talents from across Northern Ireland.
Michael Townsley, or T mike, started his rap career after his close friend DD took his own life.
“When DD died, I made a memorial tune for him and it did really well, so I just kept it going after that,” said the 21-year-old. “It’s his five-year anniversary on October 29. He loved music and rap,
“Music is an expression of self. It’s how you’re feeling at that point in time and how that comes across.
Read more
“I feel like for a fella to sit down and tell someone how they’re feeling, or have a cry — it doesn’t work like that for me. I don’t think that will ever change.
“I think for fellas, they need to find something to put that into. Everyone can talk about their mental health, but you just need to find something to channel that into.
“Some people have boxing, some people have football, we have rap and music.”
Durt Burd and Rich Smicks’ Freedom Writers project
Two young rappers who would have frequently used HotBox Studios both recently passed away — Adam Woods or ‘Woodsy’ died in 2022, while Rich Smicks died in July this year.
Both were aged just 21 and from east Belfast, and Rich Smicks made a number of tracks with Durt Burd (23), who is from the west of the city.
James explained that their cross-community project was called ‘Freedom Writers’, and that it not only uplifted them, but also inspired their friends and neighbourhoods.
“Just before Rich passed away, I sat them down and told them that I don’t mind them being angry, but I wanted their anger to be directed at the right things; drug abuse and paramilitary gangs, because they come from those areas and they deal with those things,” James said.
“Sometimes these guys have people in their circles who aren’t involved in good things, but those are their only role models. They can feel trapped, but it’s important for them to see real people doing good things and getting those opportunities themselves to know that they can do that too.”
James, who also runs the ‘Yes U Can’ Academy within the HotBox premises, is facilitating a four-week course next month, funded by the charity Disability Action, for people of all abilities to learn new skills.
“We have about 14 iMac computers going in there and we are going to turn it into a music production classroom. So kids are going to learn about DJing, editing, photography and videography,” he said.
“We want to teach them a lot of things within the creative field because we want to show them that even if you’re not the educational type — because I wasn’t, I was kicked out of primary and secondary school — you can still achieve great stuff right here in Northern Ireland, because I feel a lot of people think they have to move to London or Dublin, but we can do all of that here.”
HBE Studios and Yes U Can Academy’s creative workshops starting in November 2024
HotBox will also be running a two-day hip hop conference in November — the first of its kind in NI — featuring 20 artists from across Northern Ireland and 12 industry professionals.
Panellists will include BBC Radio Ulster’s Gemma Bradley and London rappers Yxng Bane and Fumez the Engineer, alongside other award-winning professionals who are keen to help local talent.
Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody has even endorsed HBE’s new NI Sounds live band show on YouTube.
James said: “After visiting us a few weeks ago, he loved what we were doing and sponsored us to help us buy lots of new equipment and instruments for this.
James Ayo of HotBox Entertainment
“Our live band show is going to be an exciting platform for local performers, just as HBE Studios has been for rap and freestyle in Northern Ireland. This could be a game-changer for the local music scene.”
James said it’s important to help young people meet industry pros who can help increase their confidence and show them other life paths. “I have lot of friends in London in jail or friends who aren’t alive any more,” he continued.
“Even the way people saw them, it makes me feel bad, because I knew them. These people have a lot of love but they had bad scenarios, bad situations, bad environments and no one there to actually help them out the way they needed.”
“We want to help change that here.”