Children of Zeus: nostalgic hip hop straight outta Manchester
I have had a soft spot for these guys for a long time. Children of Zeus have a timeless and familiar charisma that makes you feel like they have a legacy far longer than their time. This was the vibe that engulfed their show at Birthdays in Dalston on the hot summer night of July, 1st where they were equipped with a beautiful female DJ who added some wonderful, strong female energy to their set. The Manchester hip hop duo relaxed into the popular London venue immediately, making the audience feel comfortable as if they were friends doing a show in their back yard.
One half of the pair, Tyler Daley's vocal dropped jaws with his perfectly soulful tone that so many rappers try and fail to create as eloquently as he does. He captures the sound of 90's RnB and derives it between the pairs' perfectly formed bars for an immaculate accumulation of sounds. Fitting perfectly into the other half of the duo, Konny Kon has a flow that is up there with some of those, top American legends; except with a Mancunian accent! Bars that are that credible are important for the growth of the Manchester/UK music scene and these underdogs play a lead in said growth.
Something that is evident and just straight-forward enjoyable to watch is their connection on stage. They vibe off each other like brothers, which creates a family vibe throughout the crowd. Whilst there is an element of that consistent Manchester sound that we know and love, the old school vibe pulls them together to create something that could be understood globally, not just in the Manchester bubble/UK rap bubble. In my eyes these guys are one of the best hip-hop acts to come out of Manchester and I woul go as far as saying, even the UK.
I am always pushing Manchester music and respect all the artists that are proud of their manny roots and I respect these guys so much for their commitment to their craft. From their track Coming Home To You they say, "get a warm feeling in my belly, every time I see manny on the road sign".
They test the crowd, asking "You got some soul, London right?" We do now.
If you're in London you can replicate the utter joy I experienced watching them live at the Jazz Cafe on the 19th of Feb, or several festivals this Summer such as Field Day, Soundwave, Boomtown, Dimensions and Outlook; plenty of opportunity to catch the vibe!
Check out CoZ here:
