In a city known more for recently for acoustic melancholy and left-field electronica it makes a change to a real hip-hop act of true merit. Not since the days of Kaleef (an act that could loosely be tagged with the Manc stamp) has the sound been so hard-hitting - none of this Grand Central rich-kids with samplers nonsense!!! Tonight, only their second gig, is perhaps a more low-key than was originally planned. After a gig at Manchester's Band On The Wall earlier in the year, which not only attracted a sold out crowd but also the boys in blue, the owners of Manchester's Life Cafe were allegedly forced to cancel the gig at the last minute.

Its a pity cos' what the guys are trying to turn the negative into the the positive and at every corner there hitting fresh problems. We've all heard the stories of "Gunchester" or the problems in Moss Side, but when you put it into the perspective of an area that the government has neglected for years you'll wash the tabloid sensationalism out of your mind. They may be doing things differently but essentially the Moss-sidaz and Cleopatra were coming out with the same message "Look past the headline and see the real story - there's kids here who want to make something for themselves". With over 30 acts New King Productions really are getting the cream of Manchester's' urban talent. Take the Pepperhills who warm up the crowd tonight - take the Sugababes, add a touch of Manchester, a touch of the Moulin Rouge - and you've got not only one of Manchester finest pop acts , but a name for the nationals to take note of.

Those who managed to make it down to the new venue certainly did not leave disappointed. In a venue more commonly used for poxy little shoe-gazing guitars bands the Moss-sidaz put on a show that would wipe the floor with Missy Elliots recent UK farce of a performance. Tunes such as the forthcoming singles "Stop Watchin Us" and "Moss Side Mashin'" have that universal appeal without ever parodying the US hip-hop stars. Taking in their own surroundings at the same time as touching a mass audience is a hard thing to do but these guys just seem to take it in their stride.

You've heard it here first - Bishop, Trigga and L.A.  are the names you'll be dropping this time next year.