Bearded Recommends… Boom Bap Festival

Although Norwich and Ipswich don't lend themselves quite as obviously to hip hop as Staten Island and the boogie down Bronx, if last years Boom Bap Festival was anything to go by, they seem to be hot on the heels. With a legendary headline performance from Ghostface Killah, 2014 marked a real elevation and progression from prior years at the festival, held in Mildenhall in the heart of Suffolk, and this year’s line-up is the most broad, impressive and exciting yet.

With Odd Future's Earl Sweatshirt, exciting New York trio Ratking and the legendary Foreign Beggars headlining, Boom Bap 2015 is the perfect summer destination for any hip hop fan. With a selection of American artists, including Your Old Droog and Jeru The Damaja, as well as an abundance of acts from the UK. Pretty much the entire High Focus roster is on the bill, as well as Split Prophets, Cappo, Jack Jetson, Cult Mountain - there really are too many to mention. With the recent addition of Skepta, who is surely set for global superstardom this year, 2015 is set to be a huge one for the East Anglian festival. As well as a fine selection of hip hop artists both from overseas and from our homegrown soil, Boom Bap's line-up also includes top reggae, soul, funk and dance acts. Fatima, who released her acclaimed Yellow Memories album last summer, is joined by the Eglo Records Band, and London producer Flako will also be tearing down the stage with his hypnotic, frantic and excellently executed beats.

The activities available at Boom Bap stretch beyond purely music however. Graffiti culture stands strong, and the festival pays homage to this. A host of the scene's top producers will showcase their skills in beat battles, and budding MC's will get a chance to impress at a 16 man open mic competition. Along with this, a tent for hip-hop cinema is an exciting addition for 2015, the best of British streetwear companies will be selling their garms in the clothing market and a record fair is bound to attract diggers and fans alike, with a chance to get your hands on signed classics and rarities.

With a limited run of only 2000 tickets, and they're already on their way to selling out, Boom Bap Festival is a surefire banger of a summer weekend. The 5th to the 7th of June are the dates to mark on your calendar, and the three day festival is held in the Suffolk countryside at Mildenhall Stadium. The £70 early bird tickets and all VIP tickets have sold out already, leaving only the £90 standard weekend ticket still available for purchase, which is an absolute bargain considering the talent on the line-up. I'm packing already, see you in Suffolk.

www.boombapfestival.co.uk