“I don’t know a rapper in Brussels who lives off his music.” Back in 2011, as part of Martin Vachiery’s documentary Yo ? Non, peut-être !, rapper Scylla – the man behind ‘Bx Vibes’ – painted a bleak picture of the Brussels hip-hop scene.

Seven years later, from the sensational Ipséité by Damso to the explosion of Caballero and JeanJass, not to mention Roméo Elvis and his hit ‘Brussels Arrive’, the scene has suddenly landed in the spotlight.

All of a sudden, questions about the money made by its leading figures are no longer phrased in the same terms. The impact of this upturn in fortunes has been considerable for everyone on the scene, from artists (whether established or emerging) to those involved on the ground. With a little expert help from Belgian media platform Check, we wonder what will become of this scene and what opportunities and risks have been created by this unprecedented hype.

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Martin Vachiery, Check, BE

ICO, Artist, BE

Phil "Fourmi" (Philone), Zulu Nation, BE

Jeanne Mouffe, Check, BE

Benoit Quittelier, Future Art Movement, BE

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In partnership with Check - https://www.checkcheckcheck.be/