January 2014 Sydney Hip Hop events

Whenever you find yourself asking the inevitable question, "What's on this weekend?", keep this page handy so you'll never be left wondering.  In fact, this is only a taste of what's to come this month, check back for regular updates, or feel free to contact me with gigs you'd like to add.  If you didn't know I've even posted links to all pre-sale tickets, no more searching!

2nd

BRKLYN Presents- Bar BRKLYN (downstairs Hotel Steyne), Manly
The only hip hop night on northern beaches is back this year and bigger than ever!  This and every Thursday for the foreseeable future will be filled with dope hip hop beats.  Local and international acts will grace this stage with their undeniable talents each week, all thanks to our host State Advanced and his partner in crime, DJ Prolifik on the decks.  You're still on holidays?  Well this is the perfect time to make the trek north.  This week check out local producer and DJ Pro/gram.  Haven't heard of him yet? Check out his unearthed page here.
9pm-late
FREE event

4th

Dead Prez and Talib Kweli- The Metro Theatre, Central
Want to start your new year out right? Throw out all those dodgy habits like wasting your money on lame hip hop acts with no substance.  Sydney has spoken and we want real artists!  Presales for this night sold out in a matter of hours, so get in early as there's no guarantee of tickets on the door.  If you want a night of real lyrics that attack social and political issues head on then this is the place to be. Both these acts have made bold statements on where they stand, Tweli has even enjoyed some commercial success without ever compromising his integrity. Though almost two decades in the game, they are still active members of the community.  Talib Kweli even released two albums just last year.  Not only that but the whole line up is incredible.  There are not many Australian acts who could share this bill in my opinion.  But L-FRESH the LION would certainly be on that list and he will make the show even better as he is a perfect example of someone who carries the movement forward beautifully.  This is one I've been really looking forward to.
Tickets $50
Doors 8pm

9th

Beat Thieves- Bar BRKLYN (downstairs Hotel Steyne), Manly
As part of this week's BRKLYN presents you can check out this brand new hip hop group Beat Thieves in one of their first ever performances.  True to the name, no original beats have been created for this project, they simply jack beats that they like from other artists and use them as they wish.  Before you ask yourself, "is that even legal?" Just calm down for a minute and realise that this project was only created as a bit of fun and is a side project for the three emcees who are all involved with other separate groups.  Their FREE EP "Grand Thief Audio" can be downloaded here.
Comprised of emcees: EaRelevant (Broken Thought Theory), Semantics Uno (High Noon), and DLB (Hometeam) with DJ Prolific on the decks
9pm- late
FREE Entry

10th

Freshly Squeezed- The Factory Theatre, Marrickville
Back for 2014 and in a new venue, our hosts have gathered together a diverse mix of Sydney hip hop royalty along with up and comers to support Hyjak in the release of his first solo studio album, "The Light at the End of the Tunnel." In the spirit of new releases young Melbourne artist, Dr Flea will be launching his own EP- "Keep On Moving"
Also DJ Izm, P. Smurf, Swarmy, Son of Sam & Big Hustle, Juzlo, Thorn, & DJ Raine Supreme
Tickets $10
Doors 7pm

Hand That MC a Mic #3- Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst
A yearly event started by Electric Elements crew back in 2011, this is a night focused on giving up and coming and brand new emcees the chance to perform on stage, possibly for the first time, and also gain exposure and confidence by working with established artists.  A video competition held during the year has led to the selection of these finalists, who will perform as guest emcees on the night- Pyne, Wooncrew, Casa, Ennisey, Vursified, and Jinz. The night will include performances by Electric Elements, Koolta, Sleepwalkers, Nhostic & DJ Riley JM, and 316.  The last two years have sold out, so best to secure tickets early!
Tickets: $10
Doors 8pm

Roleo X Papertoy Double EP Launch- The Sly Fox, Enmore
Presented by Die High Records
Daily Meds DJ, Roleo- Purple Island FREE EP out now.  Get it here!
Special Guests: Klue, Meare, Tobio, Yonderkid
FREE Entry
830pm

16th

Funkoars- Carmens Night Club, Miranda
Since they're skipping out on a Sydney city show, this is about the closest that you're going to get to seeing these hip hop legends, at least for the first part of this year.  Word is this is because they want to stick to the beaches on this tour.
Joined on tour by Mr Hill & Rahjconkas and supported locally by Willis & Miz Lush
Tickets $23.50
Doors 8pm

Hip Hop House Party- Oxford Arts Factory, Darlinghurst
Oxford Arts has come to the rescue once again to bring us a brand new monthly hip hop night!  And just in time really as nights like these have been sorely lacking! Starting off strong, this first night brings two of Sydney's best- Daily Meds and Mind Over Matter.  Also some of this city's up and comers will be allowed to shine with performances by Sleazy Greazy, Papa Tear, Shadows, DJ Skae, Kosmic Culture, and eGASM. Come out and support the community and let people know that we want more nights like this!
Tickets $15
Doors 8pm

BRKLYN Presents- Bar BRKLYN (downstairs Hotel Steyne), Manly
If you like your hip hop nights a bit closer to beachside, you should check this one out.  If you live on the other side of the harbour like me, you could complain about how it's too far, or you could attempt to be posh and tell your friends that you're "going overseas." har har har, but really this place has got the dope hip hop beats spinning every Thursday with DJ Prolifik.  Come for end of week drinks.  Thursday is the new Friday! Let's chill.
9pm-late
FREE Entry


18th

Loose Change-  Civic Underground, Sydney city
They've toured the country and now they're back home to present the launch for their 2nd LP "Listening Party." This trio which consists of emcees Ellesquire and Rapaport and producer P. Major have been creating music together for a solid 5 years now.  And their back to say, they may be growing older but they're certainly not growing up. (Well not too much anyway.)
Supported by: Beastside, Billy Green, and DJ Morgz
Tickets $15 presale/  $20 on the door
Doors 9pm

21st- 26th

Tom Thum- Sydney Festival, Sydney city
This Brisbane beat boxer has amazed audiences at festivals worldwide going solo on stage with just a mic.  You will be amazed by the sounds he can make come out of his mouth.  He is certainly one of the best in the world at his craft.  If you want to hit up any shows in the Sydney Festival this is something you won't want to miss, and it will be family friendly too.
Tickets and more info here ($42 or $140 family ticket)
Tues- Sun 8pm
Saturday 2pm & 8pm

22nd

Hip Hop Arcade- Flinders Hotel, Surry Hills
After a holiday break, this mid-week hip hop night is back and even better in the new year!  After finishing up last year with a Street Fighter II tournament, this crew is ready to bring you what you love the best.  A new tournament has finally been announced and it's NBA Jam! This will be Round 1, new competitors will be taken on each week for 7 weeks, and all the winners will go head to head in the final on March 5.  Stay up to date with all the details by signing up here.  As always Sydney's finest, DJ Raine Supreme, will be spinning hip hop beats all night, along with other special guests throughout the coming weeks.  Come to play or just to hang out and chill in this super fun and relaxed environment.
6pm- late, competition starts about 8pm
FREE Entry

23rd

Sloppy Joe ft. State Advanced- Bar BRKLYN (downstairs Hotel Steyne), Manly
Sloppy Joe is an improvisational funk band that has been playing together for over 10 years.  They are comprised of Michael Wheatley on keys, Steel O'Neil on drums, and Serg on bass. Them combined with the witty wordplay of Canadian born emcee State Advanced and you've got a night you don't want to miss!
9pm- late
FREE Entry

Bayside Wreckers- The Standard, Darlinghurst
Nothing like a last minute gig for some excitement! Just heard about this one yesterday.  Why not make the weekend a bender?  We're at the height of the summer and I've got gigs for days! This duo layers styles upon styles, always keeping their live show interesting. 
With hip hop/ soul group- Apollo Creed and DJ Bobby Digital
Doors 8pm
Tickets: $10

24th

Def Wish Cast- Beach Road Hotel, Bondi
If you don't know then you really need to know.  Def Wish Cast could be considered the grandfathers of Australian hip hop.  They were representing the culture way back in the late 80's, before hip hop was even a genre in Australia.  Though Hilltop Hoods gets the most credit for making Australian hip hop what it is today, Def Wish's first album, released in '93 was probably the first full length hip hop album out of Australia. Having said that, new music is on its way with an album dropping later this year.  Their new single "City Knights" features Thavy Ear, who will be joining them on the night along with DJ A.S.K. and DJ Secret Weapon. Also with Lez Beckett on the didge, you know you'll be starting off your Australia Day weekend the right way. Also it's free so why the hell not??
8pm
FREE Entry


25th

Astronautalis- Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst
I'll come right out and say that this one means a lot to me, and I would love to see as many of you there are possible.  Have you ever wished that you could travel the world just on a dream of spreading your love of music to as many people as possible?  Does the thought of spending most of your life in motion- from never ending highways on the back of a motorcycle to long hours spent crammed in the middle seat of coach section as you plane hop around the world- appeal to you?  This is the life of a drifter.  And though a drifter this artist is, Astronautalis is a drifter with a purpose.  The goal is not just the feel of the open road, but the promise of concocting some new form of magic each night.  I'd be hesitant to call this strictly hip hop music because his raps and flows can traverse such a wide range of backup music.  Also he is an impeccable freestyler, something he will indulge in each night, making each show a truly unique experience shared between him and his audience.  He has played the world over and again, truthfully stating that he will travel anywhere in the world that he is able to book a show in.  He has played at tiny bars in eastern Europe, right through to stadiums in New York city.  This short run of Australian shows will be his first introduction to the local hip hop scene, and I assure you this trip will see him gain some new fans.  So even if you have no idea who this emcee is, take a chance on something new.  Come for the local supports, and stay for to witness the magic that follows.
Supported by an eclectic mix of killer local acts who would make a stunning lineup all on their own:
Empire Rising, Deadbeat and Hazy, & Broken Thought Theory
Tickets $17
Doors 8pm

Snoop Dogg aka Snoop Lion aka Snoopzilla- Enmore Theatre, Newtown
This will be your first chance to catch the reinvented Snoop Dogg after that inspirational trip to Jamaica that changed his perspective and his name and saw him breaking into the reggae market. Having reached the pinnacle of his rap career, there was really nothing else that this hip hop pioneer could hope to reach for. And so after an in-depth study of the homeland of Bob Marley, and meeting the reggae legends past and present there, he came out of this smokey haze of a trip dubbed "Snoop Lion." And upon listening you have to admit that he really goes for this new genre, and he does it WELL.  This show will include a mix of his hip hop classics along with new reggae hits.  We can only hope that a hologram Tupac will join him on stage.   Hey you never know! This could be one of those nights where years from now you'll be telling your kids you where there!
Joined by Mac Miller
Tickets: $78.60
Doors 7pm

26th

One Day Sundays- The Projects behind Vic on the Park, Enmore
Last year, the celebrations at this space on Australia Day (although I missed out cause I was never able to actually find it that time) was the inspiration for beginning  a regular event there.  This car park turned entertainment venue has been the perfect space to bring hip hop heads together each month for celebrations.  With a space big enough for a small stage setup, walls for graff, a basketball court, as well as food and drinks available, this space has it all.  Always taking place on the last Sunday of each month, this one has been lucky enough to fall right on Australia Day itself, and I'm sure the celebration will be huge. Although the specifics haven't been announced yet, there's no way this will be one you can miss, it's sure to be the biggest yet!
1pm- late
Free Event

29th

Hip Hop Arcade- Flinders Hotel, Surry Hills
Play arcade games on the big screen, with real joystick controllers.  Register here for the tournament (NBA Jam) or just hang around for some free play on the night.  Followed by some great hip hop DJs, stay as late as you dare on a school night! Food and drink specials all night.
6pm- late
Free Event

BRKLYN Presents- Bar BRKLYN (downstairs Hotel Steyne), Manly
I've said it before and I'll say it again.  The ONLY hip hop night at the northern beaches.  Definitely worth a trek for a night of good beats, good people, and cold drinks.  DJ Prolifk spinning the best mix of classics and newness all night.
9pm- late
FREE Entry

31st

Vent- Valve Bar (upstairs Agincourt Hotel), Ultimo
Brand new monthly hip hop night hosted by Izzy (Izzy & the Profit) bringing you tons of fantastic local acts. This is a relaxed and somewhat informal setting where anyone who likes can feel free to jump on the open mic/ cipher at the end of the night.  This month all these great acts will be preforming for you:
Savilian, Sarah Connor, Volatyle, Oakbridge, and Planet Crushers.
I'm really excited about this one!
Tickets $10 on the door
Doors 9pm

Reverse Polarities- The Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst
To kick off their full national tour, Big Village will be hosting an album release party for "On the Contrary," RP's debut album, which has been an extremely long time in the making.  But not to worry, that has only given them all the more time to make sure this one is a stand out classic.  If you're getting a little bit confused on this Daily Meds & Reverse Polarites debacle let me give you a bit of a rundown.  Reverse Polarities as it is today began back in 2005, although the concept came much earlier.  The three emcees: Mikoen, Mute MC, and P-Smurf had similar political ideas, and thought it would downright atrocity if they didn't hit Sydney with the truth.  They are joined by sometimes rapper and full time producer/ DJ Kit Complete and also guest rapper/ singer Billy Rose.  This standout group had cemented a name for themselves through their high energy shows and their hard hitting lyrics.  By 2008 they had released their first self titled EP.  Then due to personal reasons Mute MC moved away for a year. Out of a need to keep their creative energy flowing, Mikoen and P-Smurf formed a new group, this time with Smurf's sister Billy Rose as a full time member and beat maker Roleo on production/DJ.  And just like that Daily Meds was born.  The new group saw even more sucess and acclaim, but by late 2011 the boys were eager to get the old group back together and since then have wowed us all with their new album, touching on social and political topics that many shy away from.  Their fast paced punching lyrics are sure to bring on some changes to the system if only we can all listen and act.
Supported by: Soul Benefits, Jamima Jonez & SK, and Nookie
Tickets: $18.50
Doors 8pm



New Music Alert: As a little extra for everyone I'd like to bring you an exclusive, just released, brand new track! You know I wouldn't steer you wrong, so if you're looking for some intelligent raps from the best in Sydney's underground check the link below.

Read (Breathe-Fabolous Remix)- Skase a.k. featuring EaRelevant


Also look out for brand new PBX and Skase a.k. collaboration album TEN FIFTEEN POINT SIX coming early 2014......   skaseak.bandcamp.com

King Amongst Many

Review: Horrorshow "King Amongst Many" album

Released: 2 August 2013                
Elefant Traks


I have to admit right now, on my first listen, I didn't "get it".  Although I enjoyed Horrorshow's first two albums immensely, I have since moved on.  The first couple listens I skipped through the majority of the songs thinking Horrorshow had disappointed me by only providing more of the same, emotional and soft hip hop that doesn't push any boundaries or take a stance on anything too controversial.  But at a second glance I realised that I was looking at it the wrong way.

It wasn't until a very late night walk with the dog down near Blackwattle Bay with the air thick, damp and heavy as it is before the rain, my quiet and reflective mood finally latched onto the music and the words. What was revealed to me was something beautiful, dense and meaningful.  The meaning behind the words finally stood out to me as though I was stepping out of the fog, and the music provided the perfect backdrop for them to whirl around within.  So what I'm saying is don't set this album aside if at first you're not in the mood to embrace it, cause it definitely has the potential to come back and surprise you.

This is not a lighthearted album.  This is a deeply pensive, listen alone in your room with the lights off type album.  Not that there aren't tracks would work in a concert setting, but it's not dancing music. This is sway on your feet with your lighters in the air music.  This is the type of music that will make us take a collective breath and just listen, which I think holds much more power than the type that we want to cheers beers to. This isn't The Party Life, in fact there's not one party track here.  This is exactly the type of music that works for Horrorshow. This is In My Haze type music.

While leaving the party songs and more festival orientated songs alone, you would think that the JJJ crowd might not take to it as readily, but the doesn't seem to be the case at all as Horrorshow fans and new fans alike have seen the album debut at #2 on the ARIA charts. Like it or hate it, it's refreshing to see that this album didn't have to  follow the well defined formula in order to achieve success.  In fact, from the first album right on through to this one, Horrorshow duo never seem to be making music for anyone else at all, simply combining beats that sounds pleasing to them with lyrics that allow the emcee to express to us the inner workings of his mind.

That being said, is it on par with the best beat makers in the world? Not by a long shot. Are the lyrics revolutionary and showing us a brand new perspective? Not for the most part.  But these two are definitely growing as artists and their music has a place in the Australian music scene and in worldwide hip hop. Though it's not everyone's cup of tea, in terms of emotional content this album is ace.

The first listen we had of this new material was during the Hilltop Hoods "Speaking in Tongues" tour.  Dead Star Shine was a chilling anthem that made us all stop dead, so to speak.  This was a year before the album came out and it had a great response.  However the chorus on the finished version leaves much to be desired.  I think the effect over Solo's voice lessens the emotion, to where it sounds boring and dull.  And that carries on through most of the chorus' on the album.  I think as a rule, Solo could work on the expressiveness of his voice, both in singing and in rapping.  Though the evenness works one one level, it does make all the songs sound far too similar.  And though I love Adit's knack for picking samples, the beats could use more variety as well. Having a few songs with more of an edge to them and a harder hitting beat would surprise us and keep us interested.

The song that stood out to me first was Down The Line.  This is story telling at it's best.  So emotional it nearly made me cry although it's not a particularly sad.  Through a story about his ancestry, Solo tells us the importance of family, something that speaks to everyone universally.  This is the only track with a female singer as well, Sarah Corry, and possibly the only song that really has the chorus it deserves.  The recording of his grandmother at the end is beautiful.

I think the album overall has a few too many guest spots and Suffa could have been cut out for me.  I don't think he adds anything to the track he is on called On The One Hand and in fact I think he draws attention away from Grieves who is the first international guest that Horrorshow have welcomed to share in their art. They have chosen well here; Grieves and Solo have a similar hip hop style in that their songs are deeply personal and emotional.  I want to like this track the best because it's Grieves but in truth it bores me a little.  I was expecting more of a standout on this one, but whatever that sample is that comes in as the outro of this song, I love that better than the rest of the track.  A beat more like that would have excited me more.  Not to worry though, I think Grieves and Horrorshow could have a beautiful thing going and I definitely wouldn't mind seeing a further collab if this kid ever makes it out to Australia.  (If you want to know more about Grieves check my links at the bottom and stay tuned.)

Surprisingly out of the whole album the song that turned me off the most is the first single.  This is actually what kept me away from the album a long time.  I don't think it has the right effect, it doesn't catch you right away and it is not memorable.  A terrible choice in my opinion.  All it does is remind me that we're ready to see something different from these guys.

The absolute best and most important song on the album, and the one that makes the listening all worth while is Own Backyard which features newly signed Elefant Traks artist, Jimblah.  This track tells of a young white male's perspective of racism in Australia, how he goes from simply believing what he was taught in school to discovering the truth of Australia's bloody past for himself.  Then Jimblah comes forward to tell a tale which we never see in Australian hip hop.  A black perspective of continued racism in this country.   Stunningly poignant, the harrowing last line reminds us, "They tried to wipe us off of the face of the earth dude, need proof? Look around you."


 More than a lyricist who throws out catchy puns and one liners, Solo is a poet spinning a story that makes you feel you are in that moment with him if you listen closely enough, and that's something I hold  highly.  Honesty as well is a trait that is not optional for me, he's certainly not trying to represent anything that he is not, the downfall of many of the more popular hip hop artists.

Horrorshow is on tour! 
Their next few dates are:

TONIGHT
Thu 19 Sep
ANU Bar
Canberra

Fri 20 Sep *
Metro Theatre
Sydney

Sat 21 Sep *
Sprung Festival
Brisbane

Thu 26 Sep
Corner Hotel
Melbourne

*all ages
For a full list of tour dates and ticketing information click here

Link me up
Elefant Traks
Horrorshow official site / Facebook page
Jimblah official site / Facebook page
Grieves official site / Facebook page

Quick, reverse the polarity in the defibrillator!

Me: Kathy, the engine is overheating, the breaks won't work, we're spinning out of control and heading straight for the river!

Kathy: oh and also we just ran out of vodka...

Me: If we don't make it back to the Hordern Pavilion in time Hillary Duff will take the stage and ruin hip hop forever. We have to get back and stop her!

Kathy: what the fuck?

Me: I know it's crazy.

Kathy: If only we had a way out of this mess that was simple yet sounded scientific enough that no one would question our authority on it.

Together: Reverse the polarity!!

(Far away shot of a car exploding as it spins off a bridge. Two girls walk slowly towards the camera wearing blue sparkly spandex [superhero outfits] while fireworks go off behind them as the car hits the river. The taller one sips from a bottle.)

cue music: “Slider”

Me: well I didn't know that would happen. Good thing for those eject buttons.

Kathy: Good thing for more vodka

Together: Cheers!

Kathy: now what?

Me: train?  

Reverse Polarities: shaking up our ear holes and turning nonsense into magic since 2005

Also, making train rides less boring.

Although the name may make it sound like a bunch of scientific mumbo jumbo, what Reverse Polarities actually says is a lot more real than 99.99% of anything you've ever heard on the radio. Their philosophy is simple, do the opposite of what everyone else is doing. Flip the game over on it's head and just deliver the raw truth. They want to uncover the political issues, give the facts, and focus on life as they know it here in Australia. In essence just make their mark by challenging everyone and changing how they think.

Mute and Mikoen at Oxford Arts Factory

You could say that Reverse Polarities as a hip hop group, grew out of the western suburbs of Sydney. It started off simply as couple of guys getting together for drinks, who recorded poetry onto tape using half a headphone as a mic. Back in the early 90's decent recording equipment was scarce, at least for a group of youngsters. Rappers, Mikoen and Mute MC, who met at school way the hell out in the middle of no where (ie western suburbs of Sydney) may have originally worked on raps together out of boredom back in their school days, but the work that they put into it back then has really paid off.

The two of them didn't officially form the group until much later, choosing to work on several other hip hop related projects. It wasn't until Mute moved to Newtown in 2005 that things started to kick into gear for RP. Mute met beat maker Kit Complete and the two became inseparable, working with another friend Ludz on beats and rhymes, building their skills. Their youngest member, Psmurf was still finishing school at the time they had their first official gig at the Cat and Fiddle, which packed out the place. Hip hop in Australia was only just starting to get some credibility at that time thanks to groups like Hilltop Hoods, Muph and Plutonic, and Bliss n Eso. Reverse Polarities was proud to represent where they were from with all they had, focusing on issues relative to life in Australia, rather than trying to mimic American emcees.

Although the group has juggled around and swapped members in and out since it's inception, it is known now for its four permanent members: Mute MC, Mikoen, and Psmurf as rappers and Kit Complete on the beats. They rep the inner west and the western suburbs of Sydney and have been active in one form or another since 2005, minus a two year hiatus between 2009 and 2011.

Watching Reverse Polarities perform now, it's obvious that they all really respect and appreciate each other. And although your attention might first be drawn to the barefoot one bouncing around with the expressive face, you will soon see that there is no front-man to this group. Each member equally takes his turn in the spot light. They are all supportive of each other without the pretension of having to “be something” or project a certain image. I feel like when I see an RP set it's four artists coming together and just relaxing into themselves and letting each other do their own thing but with the backing that they need to help one another other shine. Everyone takes their turn in the spot light, they cover each other's mistakes and play to each other's strengths.

So where does Reverse Polarities end and Daily Meds begin? The whole thing can be a bit of head spin to figure out. Some members are shared between groups, and of course other members make “guest” appearances on each other's tracks. The beats and production are done differently in the two, with Roleo in Daily Meds and Kit Complete on Reverse Polarities. Daily Meds came into being at the time when RP was on hiatus.

Since they share members anyway, a Reverse Polarities and Daily Meds supergroup sounds like a terrific idea, but the reality of it is there are so many different projects going on simultaneously, it would be hard to coordinate, although they always have and will continue to swap members around like spit at a make out party... that's fam right there.

RP LIVE:

The way I look at it is Reverse Polarities gave them a taste, let them find the way onto the scene, and helped them define and develop who they are as artists, so that then when Daily Meds came along, they weren't starting from scratch anymore. They had a recipe that worked and this time there wouldn't be any burnt batches of brownies. Daily Meds was serious business and they have exploded onto the scene in the last few years and become a raging success with fans all over the country. RP now has taken a back step to this, but with the group back together and going strong again, what I see it as, is an outlet for the boys to relax again. They don't have to prove anything to anyone, and they are humbled by being reminded of where they have come from. It's a treat for old and new fans alike to see the comfortableness and refreshing attitude that comes out of a Reverse Polarities show. And this is no soft la-de-da party music either, it's in your face and tackling political issues head on, something that this scene needs desperately.

Drank, dance, rap...

It will be a busy year for RP as a group as well as all the members individually. You can look forward to an official Reverse Polarities album this year released through Big Village. Also Psmurf will be dropping his solo release VERY soon. Mick's mixtape will be out to offend young and old come April. Mute is working on a little something special with Daily Meds DJ, Roleo. But that's not all, he's also got a project called Mute Oblivion with a release in the near future. Kit Complete won't be outdone either, with his second solo release coming out this year as well.

Despite so many other projects happening, the RP group is back in full force. Their latest video project, “Invasion Day,” released in time for Australia Day this year perfectly demonstrates the hard political stance on an issue that's still very sensitive in Australian society. And true to their name they will flip the situation on its head. They won't just give you the watered down version of events, they aren't just some white kids from the suburbs rapping about how they hate their parents. They will serve you up the real issues in a way that won't be ignored, and you can make up your own mind but at least the facts are all there to be digested.

Check out the clip below:

“Reverse Polarities, you wouldn't want to challenge these emcee's mentalities...”

Big Village

Peace out people, stay cool.

Big Village

Big Village: Big Things Volume 2 Tour

Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney

14^th September 2012

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

5^th October 2012

Gearins Hotel, Katoomba (not Toowoomba)

6^th October 2012

I want this to read like a personal journal for those of you that wanted to go but couldn't, I want you to feel like you were there and you wrote this. I want this to read like a love letter for all of those that have continued to share these experiences with me: to those that are always by my side (you know who you are), to those that I now recognise in the crowd night by night, and to those on stage in this crew that have never been anything but nice to me, and have always taken the time out to talk to me, and encourage me to ask the questions which will help define their point of view. (And put up with me when I'm embarrassingly drunk too.) I want this to read like a postcard for all of those who haven't had the pleasure of experiencing this music yet. Cause it says “Wish you were here,” in big bold print. The photo on the front alone will be enough to make you want to dive in, but my colourful prose will catch you on the hook and sink you for sure. 

First a little background info, this album/ tour is truly a family affair. Not only is the whole crew involved but it's almost like the emcees drew names out of a hat to see who got to work with who this time. Although there's some familiar combinations- Loose Change, Daily Meds, Reverse Polarities, True Vibenation, etc. There are also some new, not yet seen before combinations (ie. Jeswon & P Smurf, Klue & Billie Rose, Mute MC & Verbaleyes, and Tuka & Loose Change, Billie Rose & Reverse Polarities). And the highlight of it all, is the posse track where absolutely everyone gets to throw down a verse. That's 16 clowns squeezed onto an itty bitty stage for a BIG finale.

My journey to this particular show actually began months ago when the lives of Kathy and I first started to become intertwined with the members of this crew. I won't take you through the details of how we became advocates, spokeswomen, and top sticker distributors for Big Village. But one particularly memorable night happened just before the first show of the tour, in Sydney. Now it turns out that a lot of times, when I'm planning to have a big night, it tends to get slightly ruined by the night before. In this case, my friends and I had been planning on and looking forward to the Friday night gig at the Oxford Arts Factory for months, so what do I do? Well, I spent the Thursday night drinking moonshine at a warehouse in Marrickville and... well I'm sure you can already tell that this isn't going to end well... (or is it?)

 My favourite song off the Big Things Volume 2 album, as I'm sure a couple people can attest to, was immediately “Lingua Franca.” The song is a collab by Mute MC (Reverse Polarities) and Verbaleyes (True Vibenation). Lyrically, this song spoke to me more than any other has in recent times. It communicates how music is the only absolutely universal language. It has the ability to bring the people of every culture and background to the understanding that we are all just one people. It's basically everything that hip hop as a culture attempts to express.

On the night of the 13^th August, a special day on it's own, I partook in a particularly special event, we did a video shoot for “Lingua Franca.” We may have lacked the representation from all cultures of the world that we had wanted to showcase in the video, but we all came with an earnest desire to make something out of nothing and to give this song the energy and communal feeling that it deserves. I'm pretty sure we succeeded, although I've yet to see the video. I did get to rap to the camera though, and I met Damon finally, after hearing so much about how awesome he is, but that's a whole other story.

And so the BIG night had come around finally, I really meant to get there right when the doors opened. We should have been the first people standing by the door, bright and eager with our tickets clenched in hand, like little girls going to see our first concert cause that's certainly how excited we felt. I have been wanting to see Sketch the Rhyme which is, well what is it? From what I can guess/ imagine- it's like a hip hop pictionary game show, with lots of live freestyle raps and live art, you can't get much more hip hop than that. It is such a cool concept and takes a lot of skill. The ability to drop a tight freestyle these days is almost like separate skill to being an emcee, when it used to be a requirement. These kind of rapping games really keep rappers on their toes and fine tunes their skill. Unfortunately, something called “Fat Ass Scrumpy” (and that is a type of beverage) delayed our arrival time by at least half an hour, so I missed out on the first part of the action. 

This was my first time at the Oxford Arts Factory and I can see now why it's such a popular venue. It's intimate without being too small, it gives the feeling of being in a theatre (velvet curtain and all) without any seats to get in the way of dancing. Immediately upon entering you could tell this was a hip hop gig. Not like a 360 show which I've talked about before, or Illy which I went to recently, where the vibe just felt a bit off. Here, it was like there was something in the air, a highly contagious airborne allergen that did the opposite of making you sick, in fact as soon as you caught it you felt energised, alive, and connected to all the people around you. It was like arriving home, and although most of the people there were strangers, they were all people that I wanted to know. My eyes were sparkling as I looked around. I was on a drug but I wasn't. I was on the edge and about to jump.

 Reverse Polarities was on now and I went straight to the front of the stage as if we had assigned seats and I had to take my place. Mikoen, P-Smurf, and Mute MC said their hellos to me from the stage not like an artist communicating to a fan, but like we were here together and we were sharing something. A couple of songs into the set, everyone except P-Smurf mysteriously disappeared from the stage, then out popped Jeswon to perform what is most likely my second favourite song on the album, although it's a close call. Lately it's only lyrics with a message that really do it for me, Evolutionary Cells was a stand out from the first listen. As far as lyrics and subject matter this song is right where I'm at. It is time for evolution, come on people lets do this. BIG of course came on soon after and I couldn't stop myself jumping around to this insane beat. It's probably the catchiest song on the album, and with Billie Rose joining them, they became Reverse Polarities- Daily Meds hyphenated like a beautiful marriage of sound.  

Security is minimal at these events. It's not like at some shows where there has to be a big barricade separating the performers from the audience, in case desperate teenagers get overcome with lust and throw themselves onto the stage. (I haven't seen it happen yet anyway.) And the inevitable fighting that tends to happen at a lot of hip hop shows, was completely absent this night. The vibe was excellent, it's like we were all friends. Artists were also audience members, keen to see their friends performances as much as we were. When the show was about ¾ of the way through, Rochelle turned to me we both just looked at each other in astonishment, we couldn't do much but just shake our heads and say, “amazing.” She tilts her head and says, “this could be... the best?” “Yes,” I nod in agreement. “The best one.” we agree.

It was all about the vibe this time and the vibe was alive and the crowd was feeling something intense together, the sets were tight. What can I say about the rest of the night? Loose Change is a change from just your average Australian hip hop. “Ode to the Beatmaker” is a performance and track to check out from the album. Rapaport solo is truly unstoppable. He's got a style that no one can touch. As he said during the set, “this is like workout music,” you can't help but move around to the beats. As proved by my video of “Claptrap” where he is joined by impromptu dancers. True Vibenation bring the whole reggae, jazz vibe, with the saxophones and love for all, and Bob Marley. It's a good chill interlude. It was really exciting for me when Mute came out and they performed “Lingua Franca” after working on it so much the night before. It was a great energy song that got a crowd response. Daily Meds just absolutely killed the night. I'm pretty sure everyone literally went “Insane” and had to be removed from the activities of normal society the next day. Daily Meds have the most intense high energy performance I have yet witnessed. You cannot help but dance to the music. Well it helps that they have a song called “Dance” as well but, you would anyway. Tuka and Ellesquire are the smoothest lyricists. Their raps are thoughtful and their singing soulful. They both have a soothing, yet eye catching stage presence, it was certainly interesting to see these two form a pair and bring us something new from their combined greatness.

Ellesquire and Tuka

Going to the Newcastle and Blue Mountains shows turned out to be a beautiful last minute decision. Three weeks had gone by since the Sydney show already, and the BV'ers had taken a massive bus all the way down to Melbourne and then up to Brisbane. Our decision to go to the Newcastle show was a last minute one as it was. And then following mine and Kathy's normal procedure, we left about a hour and a half later than we had planned to. But I'm sure it wouldn't be half as exciting to get there if we weren't always racing the clock. This time we raced the clock all the way up the coast, half hoping that the show wasn't actually over when we got there. Lucky it wasn't too bad, we made it in about halfway through Loose Change's set. Saying to ourselves of course, it's ok we'll see the whole thing next time. Hahaha....

The Newcastle show was a little bit of a disappointment. I don't know if we were just a bit put off from the start by one very strange coincidence, a chance meeting. But the whole night certainly had a very different feel to it. After the super high energy of the Sydney show, this one felt a bit strained and a little bit awkward. But that just goes to show how every show, even though it's exactly the same, can have a completely different feel just depending on the crowd. The performers feed off the crowd's energy and give back whatever they get magnified tenfold. A disinterested crowd will always get a slightly disinterested performer, but when it's on, it's on.

True Vibenation

Have you ever had the experience of witnessing an absolutely incredible performance, and then afterwards you just feel completely drained? It's like coming down off of a high. That's because you have given up all your energy to that performance as well. The performer has received an incredible burst of energy from the buzzingly excited crowd and was able to use it all, to gain almost inhuman abilities, giving it all back with the best performance possible. The performer and the audience form a special bond. It's why I go to the shows night after night, it's what I live for these days. That one moment where you're not just yourself anymore, the moment that the performer and the audience creates together, where the whole room is on the same level.  We drop over the edge. We all feel the same feeling. The one moment. The posse track, This Is That, which of course was the last song of the night describes this push and pull between the audience and performers perfectly. “We got the energy to give it out, give it back... what you want is what you get, keep it all in check, come on.”

How to sleep in a car.  Where are her legs??

Anyway not to say that the Newcastle performance was anything less than awesome. But compared to what we had already seen and what was to come, it definitely lacked energy and crowd participation.

Getting to the Blue Mountains was painful. This was the same day we left Newcastle, drove back to Sydney and then off again to Katoomba. Of course we were late again, and the rain was so heavy as we turned onto the highway that lead into the mountains that we almost had to pull over. Lucky it wasn't a tad colder or we would have been blanketed with snow. I'm sitting in the back of the car with the rain bucketing down on us, completely covering the front windscreen. Kath is trying to drive but we can barely see a metre ahead and I'm just thinking to myself. “Why the FUCK are we doing this??” We parked down the side of the building so we could smash a few drinks before we went in and we could hear BIG just barely coming through the wall, of course we missed the whole beginning of the show AGAIN! We made a sneaky side entrance so as not to attract too much attention. The room felt old but friendly and comfortable. Small town vibe, everyone was friendly. There was so many familiar faces in the crowd. And then all the hassle of getting there, sleeping in the car the night before, the whole day of driving, everything was worth it.  We had made home again.   

It felt so good to get out of Sydney for a little while. I moved down from North Queensland about 8 months ago, chasing some excitement, something happening. I certainly found what I was looking for, but I realised that I haven't left the city since about March (except to go to Canberra, which doesn't really count cause it's a shithole, sorry) and it was so relaxing just to chill somewhere were people aren't always rushing to get to the next thing. The small town vibe is definitely a needed break for the mind.

Daily Meds

This show was much smaller than the Sydney one, and it started off slow, even by the time we got there the crowd was a bit sparse. But I think what we got to in the end of that show exceeds where we were at in the Sydney show. I felt like all of us together were building and building up to the last moment. The ultimate push and pull, the energy flying. I think because we had already seen the show a couple of times now, we weren't particularly focused on each set like we had been, but that meant that we had plenty of time to connect with friends. And it gave us the ability to throw all of our spare energy into that last all important moment, in the last song. And it paid off. That end result that I try to describe? It can't be mimicked or faked, it can only be felt deep inside. And if you know what I mean then you know now, or else you have a new aspiration to achieve. This hip hop thing is slowly killing me. And letting me breathe. If you don't know what I mean, then get onto this thing.

I'd say we're pretty close to starting our own society, yeah? Big Village.

(you'll see me rep that in the street)

I think you'll find all your needs will be taken care of here.

Check it out, Tuka's 2nd solo album "Feedback Loop" will be released this Friday, 26th October! 

Speaking In Tongues

Review:
Hilltop Hoods “Speaking in Tongues Tour” 2012

Groovin the Moo, Canberra May 13th

Hordern Pavillion, Sydney August 4th

University of Canberra    August 12th

Introduction: 

I feel like I'm obligated to be super impressed with Hilltop Hoods show because they are one of the groups that founded Australian hip hop, and because of everything that they have done to get hip hop in this country to the level that it is today. Certainly they are the group that turned many people onto this genre of music, and I have a lot of respect for what they have done. I contemplated whether I should express my real opinion about the shows that I attended on their recent tour because I don't want to immediately alienate people, by taking a stance on something that is in such stark contrast to the almost universally accepted reality of the situation. But having different opinions is what makes life interesting, so I hope you will find that I have touched on some good points, and opened the path for a discussion, even if you completely disagree with what I have to say.

The background story:

Surf Beach, New South Wales south coast

Alright, before we get too far into it, first let me tell you a little story about what Hilltop Hoods mean to me. It started in the summer of 2006.  I had been into Rhymesayers music for quite some time, especially Atmosphere. I was also bumping a lot of Sublime and Mystic Roots at the time. This was my second trip to Australia, my first being a year long stay as an exchange student in 2002. A friend and I, both from Upstate New York, were living in a little beach town near Batemans Bay on the south coast of NSW and starting to get a bit bored. One day a neighbour came over and while I played hip hop off my laptop he asked, “Have you heard any Australian hip hop?” And right then a new obsession was born. I didn't know Australian hip hop existed. I think like a lot of Australians, I was partial to anything Australian just because it was Australian. It had that accent, that attitude, it was something different. It came from here, it came from us not them. And so it was automatically special to us, it was better. (I had always felt since I first came to Australia that I was more at home than I was in the United States, that's why I referred to Australia as “us,” even then.)

me in our Surf Beach apartment 2007

The Hard Road and The Calling where my introduction to Australian hip hop. I may have fallen for the catchy chorus of “The Nosebleed Section” like everybody else, but it was the songs that went a bit deeper like “Testimonial Year” and “1979” that made it stick. That's when I saw that they had something different to say, something personal. The Hard Road was a strong album, and at the time, it was something that I associated with. But it wasn't long before I moved on in my listening to other Australian emcees and admittedly my attention to what the Hilltop Hoods were doing began to wane after that. I hate to sound like someone who says, “I only like their old shit,” because that's not true either, I actually think their new album is much, much better than any of their others. I like most of the songs, they are catchy and easy to listen to. I think the lyrics in the song “Speaking in Tongues” come across with a good message about unity, that I can identify with. I was extremely hyped to see what a tour promoting this album would include. Many years now into my Australian hip hop obsession, and many many performances under my belt, I had yet to see “the mighty Hilltops” perform. I expected them to put on a performance that said “we are the top of hip hop in this country” loud and clear. I expected them to pull out every stop possible.   

My honest opinion:

Having seen Hilltop Hood perform three times this year, I have to say that each time I was underwhelmed. I guess that's because I was expecting something more. They have this reputation for being the greatest thing that ever happened to Australian hip hop, so I had extremely high expectations. Maybe I had unreasonably high expectations, and that's why they fell short. But I think that once you get everyone's attention the way that they have, you better hope like hell that you have a message for them. Hopefully the message is something that will make people think, and that their lives will be enriched by the experience of sharing your music with you. Making a great party song, may get you a lot of attention, but it doesn't make you a great artist. It's the songs with a real message about life that people will actually take something away from and appreciate more in the end.

I'm not saying that the shows were terrible at all, they were good concerts. The audience was involved and activated. There was great energy between performers and audience. That by itself can make for a good and unifying experience. I'm sure for a lot of newcomers, first time concert goers, and those that attend only a few concerts a year, it may have been the best thing they have ever seen. That is fantastic, I know almost every person there did feel something great. But if I look at all the concerts that I have attended just in the last six months, the Hilltop Hoods performances, for me, fell short of what I thought they were capable of achieving. We went to the edge but not over it. It was missing that something extra, that a group, with their knowledge, skill, experience, and especially with their monetary backing, could have brought to the game. I was looking for them to step it up another notch from anything we have seen so far before, but it was like somehow we missed a step up and the playing field just began to level out.

In comparison: 

I think maybe a lot of it comes down to the fact that I'm a huge Bliss n Eso fan. Honestly, the show they put on for their “Running on Air” tour is still the best hip hop show I have seen from this country. Of course they connected with the audience, and yes there was a lot of audience participation and feed back. (Standard.) They played games with us that we may have seen before already at a Bliss n Eso show in the past (they have their traditions), but WOW did they really surprise us. And yes, I think they did step it up and push their performance to the next level.

Let me just briefly recount the things that made “Running On Air” a standout performance. First of all, you can't go past what is in your face from the very beginning. A running video montage accompanies each and every one of their songs. It's not just a large TV showing their performance on a big screen so that those in the back can see better, which is what most artists do. (And that's a good thing as well, no doubt.) But what they do is actually create a unique film clip that goes with each performance as an accompaniment to compliment the lyrics of each song and drive their point home. Like they have a DJ mixing, bringing in elements from so many different musical genres into one, they also have a VJ mixing clips in the same way. Already this is a different sort of performance, but let's look at what else they did. The song “Fire it Up” was actually accompanied by real flames on stage. Their interludes between songs included actual skits, like pretend fishing before “Down by the River.” And the most amazing part of the whole night, visually and sonically, was when unveiled that a grand piano had been moved onto the stage for their performance of “At Midnight,” my favourite song of theirs. All of these points were driven home when we went back and watched the DVD of this performance after seeing the Canberra Hilltop Hoods show. I don't expect to see these types of things in every oz hip hop performance obviously because doing these types of things on stage requires a lot of money to pull off. However I was put off by the lack of these types of surprises in the Hilltop Hoods show considering they most likely have even more in the way of monetary backing than Bliss n Eso does.

 Don't get me wrong, it's not only big production and big displays of waving money around that gets me excited about a hip hop show. I would be more than happy to watch just an emcee and a DJ on stage doing nothing special, if what they had to say was real and meaningful. I may even actually prefer it because the theatrics of it all can distract from the message. I think what is most important in hip hop and everyone would have to agree, is the lyrics. Everything else is just done in support of what is being said. And I was listening, really listening hard at the Hilltop Hoods show, like I do at every show, and lyrically they just weren't doing it for me.

Research:

Last night, I spent hours pouring over Hilltop Hoods lyrics to see if maybe I was just missing something. What I found out is some of their rhymes are pretty tight and intricate. But what really gets to me is that so many of their songs seem to be about the same thing, how great of lyricists and emcees they are, how much better their crew is than anyone else's . We know they can tell a good story, with songs like “The Sentinel,” “Audience with the Devil,” and “Stopping All Stations,” but those are pretty rare. We all know they can make a great banging party song like, “What A Great Night” and “Blue Blooded All Stars.” But do they represent something more than that? What I'm looking for is a simple message, what point are they actually trying to get out there? Yet line after line reads like this “My lyrics range from better than yours to way better than yours,” while at the same time lacking substance in their words. 

Cultural Resistance: 

I think a big problem is how do you keep pushing yourself after you've already “made it”? I think no matter what the Hilltop Hoods put out now they will still get love from the masses. I think it would be hard when you get to that point to keep from being lazy. Especially since laziness in Australia is almost a praised characteristic.

It's part of Australian culture to be lazy, you can't help it really. Australia has such a laid back and easy lifestyle. It comes with the whole no worries philosophy: Don't worry, don't plan, everything just works out fine on it's own, no stress. The thing is sometimes stress is the only way that anything gets done, it's a motivating factor. As I see it, it's hard at every level for an Australian emcee (or any artist in Australia for that matter). It's hard to get started in the first place, because life is just too easy for most people to be bothered to put any extra effort into anything. It's hard to start to establish and make a name for yourself because of the way society tends to look down on those “overachievers.” And it's even hard once you've “made it” to find the motivation to keep pushing yourself.

Having lived in the US where stress rules the land, and you are judged purely on what you have achieved rather than who you are, and in Australia where “no worries” is a lifelong philosophy, I can see both sides of the coin. Now before you get all high and mighty on me, realise that I chose to live here so obviously I think the Australian lifestyle is a much better choice. But there are positives and negatives to every situation. Australia has something embedded in the society that the United States does not, and it's commonly referred to as “Tall Poppy Syndrome.” As far as I see it, this means that anyone that tries to grow too big or reach too far toward the stars gets immediately knocked down. Whether it's verbally, physically, or just perceptually, the group will tend to look down on or beat down on the one who stands out until they feel bad about themselves and withdraw to the same level as their peers.

Tall poppy syndrome can stifle creativity because anyone who tries too hard at anything will be knocked down and hated on. That's why laziness is so treasured in Australia. This is why mediocrity tends to rule. If you stand out too much, you're a try-hard, putting in too much effort. It's like when we were in school and the people who were good at it and always did their homework got made fun of, except extended into a whole life philosophy. It's just the opposite in the United States. With so much competition for every little aspect of life, standing out from the crowd is the only way to survive, so being extremely ambitious is a valued and desirable character trait.This isn't to say that all (or even most) the stuff that comes out of the US is excellent or that everything that comes out of Australia is mediocre. It just helps us to understand the cultural mindset that the artist comes up against in this country.

There are so many artists in this country I don't think are striving to reach their greatest potential, simply because they don't even know what their greatest potential could be. Perhaps they are aiming too low, purposely melding themselves to fit in with their peers because unconsciously, that is what they are culturally programed to do. I'm not going to name any more names or make this entry into one of hate or placing blame, because that's not what I'm all about. I'm simply stating that what comes from the top trickles down. I think in this culture we can all get along together, but that everyone should be focusing much harder on each forming their own unique point of view and going for that as hard as they can. It takes many different pieces to make the whole picture, if all the pieces are too similar the picture will only turn out to be a fuzzy blur when what we need is clear cut edges and defined brush strokes. We should try and show our best face to the world, and that's not going to happen if we keep trying to cut each other down and conform around a set standard.

The opening act: 

Horrorshow in Canberra

Well enough of that tangent and back to the actual shows. I won't go on about all the little things that I found annoying, overall I did enjoy myself. However there was one thing that I couldn't get over which is worth mentioning. I think they missed a golden opportunity in not bringing Solo out on stage with them to perform “The Underground.” It is one of the best tracks on their new album and was in the running to become the second single, beaten out by “Shredding the Balloon,” only just. They brought Horrorshow on tour with them because obviously they respect and want to showcase this younger group, so why not bring Solo on stage to perform his track with them? I think it would have made for a very memorable moment in the show.

It's actually Horrorshow's Sydney performance that sticks out the most in my mind from these shows. The tour had just returned from Europe days before the Sydney gig. Horrorshow stepped out on stage to their home crowd, a year after performing this same venue with Bliss n Eso, with a new confidence and a very strong presence that I hadn't yet seen from them. There was no uncertainty at all. I think going overseas can give you such a refreshed perspective on life. And coming back to perform to a sold out home crowd, at the very venue that they themselves saw their very first concert, I can imagine they just threw everything that they had into it, and that confidence shone through in the best way. “We got this one,” was the note to self backstage.

Both of their performances I remember so differently, even though they played the same songs both times. Each performance carried a completely different vibe. The Sydney show was all about far away blue lights, slow songs, and haunting lyrics. Their new song “Dead Star Shine” stood out as pretty much the highlight of my night. Even though it was a brand new song and no one knew it yet, you could tell it went over very well, and I think he even got us all singing along to the chorus in the end. At the Canberra show of course we were able to get much closer. I remember the lighting as being more energetic, orange and yellow and greens with “Thoughtcrime” being the most stand-out song of the night.

Sally with Adit and Solo

There's certainly room in this scene and in the world scene for music like Horrorshow's hip hop style. They come from a much softer, very heartfelt place that I think a lot of artists are afraid to show. Their respect for the greats of this genre is evident in Solo's lyrics as well as the samples that Adit chooses. And yet they have managed to come out with something completely different. Solo wears his heart on his sleeve, and that's very refreshing coming from a genre that has a reputation for being about how hard you are, or pulling off a gangster persona.

In closing:

Again, I don't want this to come off the wrong way. Of course I don't hate the Hilltop Hoods, I have nothing but respect for them and what they have accomplished and continue to accomplish. I more have the attitude of that overbearing father or older brother in that because I love them, I'm harder on them because I want them to push themselves even more to reach their very best potential.

I invite anyone reading this, please change my mind about them. I'm open to listening again and being proven wrong. I actually would love to be. So send me lyrics and songs to listen to that really displays their point of view cause I would love it if I was just missing something.

Here is Hilltop Hoods new video clip. It's a big love fest, it's all about unity among the hip hop community.  Do you think that message comes across?

I'll leave you now with these thoughts. I was recently speaking to an Australian emcee about how I was looking for more, I wanted to hear something profound coming from the artist on stage in order to really enjoy the show. And his response disappointed me more than anything. What he said was, “Well we're only rappers you can't expect too much from us.” But I expect more from an emcee than an average person. I expect the whole world to be explained, and the whole world to be brought together as one just through one song. Because that is hip hop.

Links

rattlingthekeys.com - information about Hilltop Hoods new single and video as well as links to their charity auction items

Horrorshow- artist info, merchandise, upcoming gigs

Flying Colours - Bliss n Eso's merchandise site where you can purchase the Running On Air DVD

tweet me

@hilltophoods @horrorshowcrew @blissneso @jenallende