Welcome to Breaktothebeat.com

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The break to the beat website was set up and established by pioneering Hip Hop practitioner Kraze One with the aim of documenting Hip Hop culture that evolved in and around his home city of Milton Keynes, UK during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. The website covers all elements of Hip Hop Culture (Emceeing, Deejaying, Breaking, Graffiti Art) and attempts to honour, document and educate visitors on the achievements of practitioners with a connection to Milton Keynes during this period.

Since the establishment of Breaktothebeat.com the team have hosted a series of community exhibitions, block parties and academic conferences aimed at raising the profile of local Hip Hop culture within its global context. BTTB have collaborated with local organisations such as The Open University, Living Archive Milton Keynes, MK Gallery, Woughton Parish Council, Black Sheep Collective and have partnered with numerous local music venues to host Hip Hop cultural related events. The below links contain some examples.

The website is separated in to dated categories and each section contains a list of the artists, crews, projects and releases related to these specific periods. Clicking on an artist name or interview will display the information that we currently hold. For details on our current projects  and events or to get in touch. please visit our Instagram account @breaktothebeat.mk or our Facebook page Break To The Beat.Com. Thanks for visiting Breaktothebeat.

MK HIP HOP CULTURE PART 1 (Artists established during the 1980’s)

In 2024 DJ Kraze One recorded a podcast to showcase some of the examples of Hip Hop music that have been made available by artists with a connection to Milton Keynes during the 1980s. Some of the recordings are taken from cassette demos submitted by local artists for the archive project. The idea was to provide a sonic experience of what recordings of Hip Hop music in Milton Keynes sounded like during this period. To listen to the podcast please follow this link to our Break to the beat mix cloud site: Milton Keynes Hip Hop History Part 1 (Mix cloud).

MK HIP HOP CULTURE PART 2 (Artists established between 1990 – 1995)

 

Wolverton Square Block Party

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On Saturday 19th August 2023 Break To The Beat and The Black Sheep Collective collaborated to organise Milton Keynes first Block Party Event. The Wolverton Square Block Party took place both outside on the square in central Wolverton and inside the Bar Bar Black Sheep café that at the time was located opposite the square.

The Wolverton Square Block Party coincided with global Hip Hop Culture turning 50 years old and was organised as a way for local practitioners and fans of the culture to come together and celebrate it various elements and fundamental principles of Peace, Love, Unity and Having fun while showcasing these to members of the wider community.

Kraze One’s vision for the event was to bring together a selection of DJs to curate a musical foundation for practitioners of other cultural elements such as Breaking and Emceeing to express themselves. To accompany the musical and dance elements of Hip Hop culture Graffiti and Street artists were also creating live art. Continue reading →

BTTB001 TRUE ELEMENT EP

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“Take a look around” was the debut recording project by Milton Keynes based Hip Hop collective True Element. The recordings that form part of this release were created between 1996 and 1997 and were recorded at  Audiolab studios Buckingham using an analogue reel to reel tape recorder. At the time of their creation the recordings were mastered to DAT which have helped preserve their “classic” 90s Hip Hop sound typical of the era.  “Take a look around”  was originally released as a cassette single and limited-edition CD that contained several bonus tracks.

True Element “Take a look around” official music video

In 2026 using the original DAT masters Break to the beat released the “Take a look around” EP (BTTB001) as originally intended on 12” Vinyl record. The EP contains four recordings (Take a look around (Vocal), Take a look around (Instrumental), Detonate the funk (Vocal), Straight from the sector (Vocal)) all of which are true representations of how UK Hip Hop, specifically Hip Hop created by Milton Keynes natives sounded during this era. The vinyl EP was created using the original artwork and also contains linier notes with lyrics, pictures and memorabilia.

True Element “Take a look around” EP vinyl covers and linear notes

The “Take a look around” EP was written and produced by Kraze One and features performances by rapper Mr Lusta, DJ Maniphest and graphic designer Matt Meech. A full detailed description along with bonus audio content can be viewed, listened to and downloaded from DJ Kraze One’s Bandcamp page. While stocks last vinyl copies of the EP can be purchased from either the Bandcamp page or by using the Merchandise tab located on the top toolbar of Breaktothebeat.com. Continue reading →

The Atom

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During the early 1990s rapper The Atom formed Hip Hop collective Death Before Dishonour (DBD) with Jack The Ripper, The Omen, The Hi-way man, Paraffin MC, and DJ Roughcut who helped facilitate the groups early demo recordings. In 1992 The Atom featured as a vocalist on a recording by DJ 2’E’Z  entitled “Hardcore mayhem” which formed part of a vinyl compilation EP released by Milton Keynes based label 2’E’Z Records.

The Atom.

Although DBD never officially released any recordings the collective worked alongside DJ Roughcut and created several albums worth of music at his studio Rough Productions that during the time was located in Newport Pagnell. DBD also formed part of a wider Milton Keynes based Hip Hop collective and regularly performed alongside The W.I.Z.E. Crew and Klass Dismissed. A selection of DBD Demo recordings can be heard in the below youtube playlist: Continue reading →