Hip hop has finally found its first real home in Ibiza, and it comes in the form of Applebum at Playa d'en Bossa's Sankeys Ibiza. With line-ups that boast the crème de la crème of legendary talent throughout summer, last night I knew we were in for a serious session of hip hop beats supplied by an array of talented DJs - the iconic Grandmaster Flash among them.
I rocked up to Sankeys hyped to be reviewing my favourite genre of all time, and as I entered the dark and cavernous club at 1 AM, the atmosphere was already on fire - clearly I wasn't alone. Producer and DJ extraordinaire Mr Doris played ‘For The Love Of Money' (The O'Jays) to a dimunutive crowd on the dance floor, weaving a spell with combination of tunes that took everyone through a definitive hip hop timeline.
Finding myself a dancing spot right in the centre of the dance floor I noticed a full on dance off already kicking off between three party-goers. I stopped short of joining in to save myself the embarrassment, deciding instead capturing the moment on Snapchat - a sign of the times, perhaos. While capturing their exaggerated movements, I couldn't help but fall in love with their attire - they rocked top knots and mini leather back satchels, each wearing a multi-coloured shirt.
British deck master and Ibiza Rocks resident DJ, Patrick Nazemi, hit the decks next, smashing out a succession of tunes that got the crowd bumping and grinding like pros. The room began to fill as he spun hits including ‘Runnin' Happy' (The Pharcyde & Pharrell) and ‘California Love' (Dr. Dre) - powerfully meshing together an homage to all the greats of hip hop's past and present.
For me, the night was on countdown until 3 AM when the legendary mixing master Grandmaster Flash was due behind the decks. When he appeared he took to the stage like a boss, oozing the king of swagger that legendary status affords you. He played a mash-up of tunes like ‘How Gee- Original Mix' (Bruno Borlone & Boogie Mike), Higher Ground- The Sound of Trap Edit' (TNGHT), ‘All Night Long' (Mary Jane Girls) and ‘Back in Black' (AC/DC), which all had me dancing like a crazy woman. There were men atop speakers and girls popping shapes - everyone was caught up in the midst of the feelgood retro vibes and the rare opportunity to see a hip hop master gracing Ibiza's shores.
I like the intimate uniqueness of Sankeys compared to all the other Ibiza clubs - it allows you to feel an incredible connection with the DJs, and that's something to savour when you're in the presence of hip hop royalty. Applebum is da bomb and I'll be diving in for more as the season unfolds.
WORDS | Caoimhe Harkin
