Hip hop heroes at the Cellar

Cambridge is mainly known for its famous university, an inordinate amount of cyclists, a terrible football team, a river made for punting, a folk festival and being the home of Stephen Hawking, Clive James and Jeffrey Archer. It is not, one must admit, the first place one would look for producers of dancefloor-hardened beats. It is nevertheless, the city that gave birth to The Nextmen, also known as Brad Baloo and Dom Search. In 2000, The Nextmen released their debut album Amongst The Madness on the revered 75 Ark imprint. Originally intended to be an instrumentals album, their label began sending the beats out to rappers in the States and before they knew it, The Nextmen were hip hop producers, working with Public Enemy, Blackalicious, The Pharcyde and Morcheeba. Get Over I, their 2003 sophomore album, confirmed their position as one of the UK's brightest beatmakers. The changes in Nextmen direction grew out of their DJ sets, as they found the space to integrate the outer reaches of their record collections. Dance enthusiasts should make their way to The Nextmen's show in The Cellar this Friday. Tickets €10. Doors 10pm.