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Hometown: Bristol, UK
Label: Crudely Cut Records, Tough Touch Productions
Website: toughtouch.bandcamp.com
Genre: Hip Hop
Social Conscience, or ‘Soash’ is a Hip Hop/Spoken Word artist born in Exeter – Devon and now based in Bristol. MC with Tough Touch Productions and also with live Hip Hop band, DeCyphers.
Throughout the last decade, Soash has featured on numerous mix-tapes, compilations, street DVD’s and has performed and hosted at Hip Hop shows and festivals across the U.K including main stage spots at St Pauls Carnival, Up Fest (Europe's largest Graffiti and Street Art Festival), Bris Fest, Rave on Avon, Shambala, Ashton Court (RIP), Valley Fest, Gear fest, Womad, (to name a few) and has opened up shows for both International and UK Hip Hop acts such as: Ill Bill (La Coka Nostra), RA the Rugged Man, Anti-Pop Consortium, Taskforce, Jehst, Blak Twang, Rodney P, Mystro and shared the stage with artists such as: The Mouse Outfit, First Degree Burns, DJ Cheeba, Blackgrass, Eva Lazarus, MC Kelz.
Coming up, Social entered and won many battles across the South West, winning a regional battle the very first time he stepped on a stage. He has had lyrics published in poetry anthologies and also occasionally performs spoken word sets, coming runner-up in the Bristol Open House Poetry Slam in 2010.
Previous release with Tough Touch, ‘The Big Band Theory’ saw Social being interviewed and ‘My Baby’ featured on DJ Target's BBC 1Xtra 100% Home-grown show, supported by a Podcast, BBC Radio 6, BBC Bristol, Ujima FM, Passion, Unity FM, BCFM, Vibraphonic FM, as well as receiving positive reviews from respected publications: Blues & Soul, Vice Magazine, Venue Magazine and local press.
Social was also featured on the BBC2 Politics show – for his part in the ‘Increase the Peace’ project, with Bristol legend MC Kelz, which was also supported by BBC radio. He featured on Tough Touch/Dusty Heads track ‘Tomorrow’ which accompanied footage of Bristol skaters, and was the front-mounted DVD for December 2009′s edition of Sidewalk magazine – with over 60,000+ copies distributed throughout the UK and Europe.
In 2015, Tough Touch collaborated with Weston Hip Hop group, Techtonic Plates on project 'Winding Down' and Social contributed verses to all 10 tracks on the release.
Livewise, Social has been performing across the UK with Hip Hop band DeCyphers and Goose (with whom he hosts a monthly residency) and also as a host and organiser for Bristol Art collective, Scribble 'N Scratch, as well as shows with Tough Touch cohort Kali Mist.
In October 2016, he joined bcfm radio as a co-host of the Hip Hop Boom Time show, alongside DJ Spungold, which airs monthly on 93.2FM.
He is currently working on several studio projects with Kali Mist and Goose.
For more information, please get in touch.
Discography:
Tough Touch Releases:
The Big Band Theory (2010) (CD/Digital)
Winding Down (with Techtonic Plates) (2015) (Digital)
Featured on Releases:
Sounds of the Southwest - Various (CD)
Baggamics 2 - Souljah Clique (CD)
The Rise of the City vol.1 - Balance (CD)
Increase the Peace - Souljah Clique/Kelz (CD)
Eardrums Sampler - Eardrums/Kaboodle (CD)
Ancient Scriptures - Sausa (CD)
The Rise of the City vol.2 - Balance & Pabs (CD)
The Script - C-Froo (CD)
Trigganometry - Trigga Ryder (CD)
Mongrel Melodies vol. 1 - Chris Lucas (Video/Digital)
Crudely Cut Mixtape vol. 1 (Digital)
El J - The Consciousness (Digital)
Crudely Cut Mixtape vol. 2 (Digital)
Mongrel Melodies vol. 2 - Chris Lucas (Digital)
Triple Distilled - Trigga Ryder and Frankie Benjamins (CD/Digital)
From then til Now - Dope Fiends (Digital)
An Air of Complacency - Deadbeat Elite (Digital)
Guy Fawkes - The Crazy Ones (Video)
Living Poets Society - G00se (Digital)
“Interview on Political Hip Hop:
“I guess [political hip-hop has some presence in the mainstream] – you get people that don’t really follow a particular scene or genre, but a track might speak to them because of its message or content. [But] lots of rappers fall into the trap of making clichéd music, which has been done a million times before.
“It’s positive, successful artists having a message, but I don’t think ‘political’ hip-hop is a massively popular sub-genre. ..The last mainstream group to be successful on a strictly political tip was probably Public Enemy… a long time ago! Artists like Immortal Technique are successful, but I wouldn’t say they’re mainstream.””
The Bristol Cable
"South West locals, Techtonic Plates and Tough Touch team up for their latest video ‘Winding Down’. As always, a solid gold track from these dudes, obviously. Beacon like Brecon!"
hiphoplifeandtimes
"...this track Winding Down, produced by Matchstick, brings a really nice vibe. One’s to watch for sure."
Broken Culture
“Sampling one part 1940’s style jazz with two parts rap doesn’t happen very often and when it does happen it’s usually terrible. Top marks then for Big Band Theory which tastefully does what most fail to do.”
Adam Irving - Blues & Soul Magazine
“Tough Touch are an example of how underground artists can come out with something fresh and appealing without sounding like the rest of the UK Hip Hop scene or resorting to the kind of thing that litters the radio waves nowadays.”
Certified Banger - Certified Banger - The Number One Blog Spot for UK Hip Hop
“Featured on 100% Homegrown Show - BBC1Xtra - Unsigned Talent (14/03/10)”
100% Homegrown Show BBC1Xtra
"The Big Band Theory is a seriously heavyweight hip hop record! Fusing big band sounds with incredibly well
constructed vocals parts, its surely set to be one of the records that helps to re-establish Bristol as the
Hip Hop capital of the UK."
DJ Cheeba (Solid Steel/Detectives of Perspective)
“Featured artist - March 2010”
Reverbnation.com
“'Soash' is an MC's MC, complex in rhyme schemes, original in subject matter, freestyle skills and devastating punchlines”
M32 Connections - M32 Connections
“On the main stage at Grosvenor Green there were plenty of acts to keep people happy until the small hours of Sunday morning, including Tough Touch, Funkesteins, Planetman and reggae ambassador Earl 16 and his band The Soothsayers.”
Evening Post - www.thisisbristol.co.uk
“Social's music has a bouyant summer sounding playfulness to it, you can dance to it, but if you listen you'll take a lot more from the experience”
411 - 411 Show
“Rooted in the classic 90s sound but have a modern edge that makes them fresh for '09, you suckers!”
Certified Banger - Certified Banger Blogspot
“Respect to Social!”
True - Out of Hand Magazine
“Social Conscience, Trigga and Wyzeleigh duke it out on the majestic Chat Bout!”
The Venue
“This boy can rap!”
Nia - Passion Radio Bristol
“Featured artist - April 2009”
Reverbnation.com
