Scotland’s first ever grime and hip hop music conference is to take place in Glasgow this July.

Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) 2020 winner Nova, BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Rap Show host Tiffany Calver, rising star Ransom FA and award-winning author/artist Darren McGarvey are among the key speakers set for the inaugural HANG (Hip-Hop Aimed Networking with Grime).

The free, all-ages event, will take online and live at Glasgow’s SWG3 on Saturday 31st July, its aim to inspire and empower members of Scotland’s hip hop and grime communities.

Presented by the Scottish Alternative Music Awards (SAMA) in partnership with Creative Scotland, HANG’s educational and cultural mission will support artists in making their next steps in the industry, as well as celebrating the diversity of the country’s hip hop and grime communities.

Alan Morrison, Head of Music at Creative Scotland, said: “Hip-hop artists have been active in Scotland for as long as hip-hop has been active globally. However, 40 years on, one of the world’s best-selling, most popular genres remains on the periphery of mainstream culture in Scotland despite its diverse and creative strengths.

“Managed by the SAMA in partnership with Creative Scotland, ‘HANG’ will pull together some of the country’s best-known artists, industry organisations and international partners to interrogate pre-conceptions about the genre and the barriers that restrict access.

“It’s time to shine a light on those artists whose voices reflect 21st-century Scotland and deserve to be heard by the wider world.”

Registration opens next month to attend HANG, which will culminate with a showcase of performances from Scottish artists, while upcoming artists will also have a chance to play at the event by submitting their music in June.

The one-day event features panel discussions on practicalities, such as how to pitch yourself to radio and streaming platforms, monetising your music, and workshops on the core elements of hip hop culture such as breakdancing, spoken word, DJ-ing and graffiti.

Calver will discuss her career from blogger and promoter, to becoming the first female host of BBC Radio 1Xtra’s The Rap Show in an evening conversation event with BBC Introducing in Scotland presenter Shereen Cutkelvin.

Richy Muirhead, SAMA producer said: “Hip hop and grime is such a huge and growing genre within the Scottish music scene. With HANG our ambition is to empower artists and those working in music offering expert music panels featuring key members of the industry, and providing new networking opportunities.

“SAMA are heavily rooted in hip hop with the annual music award, and HANG will also heavily feature Scottish artists with spoken word and music performances. We are very thrilled to be launching a brand new event, and free ticket registration will open next month.”

Full details of the HANG programme and ticket registrations will follow in June.

More at officialsama.com/hang, or follow SAMA online via @officialSAMA.