Described by one TikTok viewer as 'Snoop Mogg', MC Hammersmith is likely one of the poshest rappers you'll ever see. Occupying Hive 1 at a family-friendly 2pm slot, this middle-class lyricist's show promises mad rhymes, sick bars, and incredible quick wit, as MC Hammersmith improvises his way through the show with some challenging audience input.
MC Hammersmith (real name Will Naameh) is talented, there's absolutely no doubt about it. His ability to think on his feet, make tangential connections that audiences would never reach on their own, and to hold a beat – even when rapping a cappella – is incredible. To then intertwine that with comedy? That takes real skill.
Before the show started, audiences were encouraged to submit a random word, a question, and then a challenge, and a randomiser then picked them out for Naameh to try and integrate. In our show, the randomiser failed, but rather than panic, he just integrated all the suggestions; his quick thinking clearly extended beyond his quick bars.
Over the course of an hour, he managed to weave coherent raps together that named Olympic sports, used every letter of the alphabet, integrated the word 'Constantinople', and even managed to find a few good words about Farage and Tommy Robinson.
Although incredibly quick-witted, he was perhaps overambitious as his use of filler became more apparent as the show went on. Fillers, for those not in the know, are almost comfort lines that rappers default to, either when they’re trying to think what to say next, or when they need something to rhyme with what they’re actually wanting to say. In some ways, it’s not surprising that Naameh had to lean on these, given the near sadistic nature of some of the audience suggestions, but equally, it did become increasingly predictable. The audience certainly didn't seem to mind though, so maybe I'm just fussy...
The show I reviewed was in preview, and came with a couple of small technical hitches. Despite that, Naameh handled them with aplomb, taking the opportunity to turn every hiccup into a laugh. I have no doubt that this show will be technically polished going forward, and even if things go wrong – it won't be to the detriment of the entertainment.
'MC Hammersmith: The MC Stands for Middle Class' is a delight of a show that had the audience laughing and cheering at all the appropriate times. Plus, the audience interaction and improv nature of the show means you'll always be in for something different. Expect some strong language, some big laughs, some amazing rhymes, and a big helping of middle class angst.
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