Tuesday 4th
WordinHand
Something that every great rapper would say is that rapping is a form of poetry, and nearly every great emcee started out as a poet first, scribbling rhymes in his little black book. HandinHand is great monthly poetry/ spoken word night where you can learn to sharpen your skills by listening to veterans as well as taking your turn on the open mic. This month's featured poet is Omar Musa, published author as well as emcee. The night takes place on the first Tuesday of every month.
A Friend in Hand Hotel, Chippendale.
730-1030
donations of $5-$10 are greatly appreciated
Wednesday 5th
Hip Hop Arcade
Hip Hop Arcade is back, and now weekly! This week is Round 3 of NBA Jams competition with our lovely hosts Randy and DJ Raine Supreme. Competitions start at 830, get in early to practice and register. If you're going to be sitting around playing video games anyway you might as well do it AND be social. This is Randy's birthday so come and celebrate with him.
Flinders Hotel, Surry Hills
6pm- 8pm free play, 8-10 competition, 10- late DJs
FREE
Thursday 6th
Hosted by The Tongue, these events have become a great avenue for showcasing poetry/ spoken word, and allowing the audience to connect with the artist in a much more intimate venue and setting than is usual. Come and hear the stories of these three local hip hop legends: Mantra, Hau, and Ellesquire.
Work-Shop, Redfern
8-11pm
tickets $20 (strictly limited capacity= buy early!)
BRKLYN Presents
Every Thursday night now includes the DJ styling of Prolifik the Gifted for your listening pleasure. The perfect way to kick off your weekend early.
BRKLYN Bar, Manly
9pm to late
free entry
Friday 7th
Streetfest
This is a monthly family friendly outdoor festival which combines music, food, art, and booze. And what more do you need really? Streetlounge is a special ticketed area which will showcase these great international DJs: Eric Lau (UK), Sarah Love (UK), and Total Eclipse (US). Plus local Sydney DJ Ad-verse.
Belmore Park, Ultimo
5pm-midnight
tickets $20
This is an annual event commemorating the life of this amazing figure in hip hop. This year we celebrate what would be his 40th birthday. Entertainment for the evening includes a live band, emcees, vocalists, and DJ's recreating his tracks. There are too many amazing people involved with this night to mention them all, more info here. It will be a special night to witness.
The Basement, Circular Quay
Doors 9pm
tickets $20 (all proceeds go to the J. Dilla foundation)
Saturday 8th
DJ Shadow
This event has changed venues and is no longer taking place at the Ivy Lounge. It's just too huge for this to be an afternoon thing. These kind of beats are midnight music. Shadow is supported by a huge list of Australia's talent including ex Avalances, Dexter, Kilter and Katalyst. A separate room, The Lair, will be host to Sydney's finest drum n' bass talent all night.
Metro Theatre, City
7pm-2am
tickets $55
DJ Sarah Love
I'm really excited because this venue has been closed for renovations the last month and is finally reopening! Considering it was already perfect in my eyes, I can't wait to see what they've done to the place! I'm sure they haven't touched the walls which are covered in Beastman's art. They are celebrating their first birthday on this night with UK DJ and MTV personality Sarah Love. I'm sure the room will be filled with a lot of love, this place has got an awesome feel.
Play Bar, Surry Hills
4pm-1am
Free, strictly limited capacity
The travelling hip hop chill out jam session that always seems to pop up in just the right time and place.
1984 to infinity! DJ R.U.S. and DJ A$K spinning that good hip hop until the stars come out. B-Boys, B-Girls and all the rest, bring the fam and crew.
North Bondi Beach
3pm- sunset
Free ALSO ON SUNDAY the 9th, same location!
Wednesday 12th
Hip Hop Arcade
The NBA Jam tournament is now into it's 4th out of 7 weeks of competition to find the champion. Each week sees one winner who will go through to the final on the last week. Every week new players are welcome. You can register here. Or show up early on the night to sign up. Free play from 6-8, competition from 8-10 followed by DJs to round out the night. Cheap food, drink specials, great music, and video games on the big screen what more could you want on a week night? Oh wait, I know! A chicken wing eating contest! That's right, get involved and you could end up Chicken Wing Champion of NSW! And as if all that glory wasn't enough, there's a $50 bar tab for the winner.
Flinders Hotel, Surry Hills
6-late
FREE
Thursday 13th
Kingdom
If you're up for a night out dancing and some club music, this UK DJ, Kingdom brings that good hip hop and grime with a heavy R&B influence. Alongside locals Wordlife, Cliques, Bad Ezzy, & Max Gosford.
Goodgod Small Club, City
9pm-late
FREE (but RSVP through this link)
Shortee Blitz
I hadn't heard of this UK DJ before so I did a little research. His tagline: "Always reppin the culture with class!" sounds promising. Also his latest project the Jay-Dilla mixtape which combines classic Jay-Z rhymes over J-Dilla beats is quite clever. Add to that an incredible venue and you've got a pretty great night happening for a Thursday!
Play Bar, Surry Hills
4pm-late
FREE
Prolifik the Gifted
This Sydney producer has been getting a lot of well deserved attention lately. He produces beats and DJs for local crews High Noon, Hometeam, and his own project in which he also emcees, Bustacap. You can find him spinning tunes here every Thursday this month.
BRKLYN Bar, Manly
9-late
FREE
Friday 14th
Australiasian Beatmaker Invitational
It was only 6 months ago that a one off beat battle in Sydney judged by Kev Brown crowed the 26th letter the champion. Riding on the huge success of this night, a nation wide competition is now underway that will see beat battles happening in every state and also New Zealand. How often do you get a chance to see the best producers in NSW go head to head in a live battle? The international guest judge this time will be DJ Horseshoes of Detroit, along with local producers Katalyst and Chasm. There are huge prizes up for grabs plus a chance at international recognition for the winner that pushes through to the finals. And who said it won't be romantic? I'm sure it's the perfect place to bring your date.
Goodgod Smallclub, City
11pm-late
tickets $18 presale/ $25 on the door
Reverse Polarities
In case you missed the epic night of the "On the Contrary" album release party in Sydney, RP will be making the rounds on an east coast tour over the next month, you can get all the details here. Luckily if you don't mind making the trek up to the central coast, you can catch the boys in Newcastle for a free gig with some great local supports. I heard that the Sydney show was absolutely incredible so I will certainly be hitting up one of the shows on the tour.With Hyjack, BACKYARDLAB, and Micks King.
Hamilton Station Hotel, Newcastle
8pm
FREE
Saturday 15th
Devin the Dude show originally scheduled for this date has been postponed. Stay tuned.
Though this isn't strictly a hip hop event, this mini festival seems to have a good vibe and will include some great DJs and bands for instance DJ Migz and Broken Thought Theory. It's a great Valentine's Day weekend escape from Sydney.
Peats Ridge (1 hour drive from Sydney more info here)
midday Saturday- Sunday arvo
$10 donation (proceeds go towards relief of typhoon victims in the Philippines)
Higher Volume 7.0
Hip hop and house battles including dancers and DJs. Plus a jam session for each. Guaranteed great music and entertainment all night.
Dancekool, Sydney CBD
730-1030pm
Audience $10
Battlers $5
Cooking with Caustic
If you feel like heading out of Sydney but you don't want to go quite as far as Peats Ridge, why not head west to the mountains? Cooking with Caustic has some great new music they have been quietly cooking up for you so come and have a nibble. With DJ Cost and Loose Wayne. Station Bar, Katoomba
930
FREE
Friday 21st
Marquee, Star Casino, Pyrmont
10pm
$55
Saturday 22nd
Rapture
There is literally nothing I can say about this that you don't already know. If you know then you know and I'm sure you've had tickets for months. If not there's still time to get in on the action. Eminem has created a hip hop festival here for us that could never be cancelled like so many others. His choice of supports: Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Action Bronson, and 360.
ANZ Stadium
gates 330pm (Eminem is on at 845 so be sure to get down there early) **wth! 845!!**
tickets from $69
Fight the Power
Have you been thinking how ridiculous these new Sydney liquor laws are? Not only are bottle-o's forced to close early and last drinks now happening at cab change-over time, this 1am lockout will be devastating for many DJs who may be used to beginning sets at 2 or 3am. And that's not even getting into all the mandatory sentencing laws. Come out and party with the sounds of DJ A$K, DJ Rus, DJ Lambam, and DH MK1, protest these ludicrous laws and fight the power!
Hyde Park
midday-whenever
FREE and open to anyone who likes to have a good time!
Beastie Boys Tribute
In case you're one of those people who is not going to Eminem (or even if you are, since it seems to be finishing so early) there's another interesting night on for Beastie Boys' fans. Three DJs: Cheeba, Food, and Moneyshot have remixed and recreated in an act of overwhelming love and meticulous detail, the Beastie Boys' second album, Paul's Boutique. In a three year project these three DJs have embarked on a mission to source all original albums for each and every sample used on Paul's Boutique and woven them together with the original songs, period tracks, interviews and audio commentary by the Beasties. The result is a beautiful creation all it's own which they call "Caught In the Middle of a 3-Way Mix." For hardcore fans and even newbies this should be a magical night.
Metro Theatre
doors 8pm
tickets $60
Kobra Kai
More drum and bass style, mixed with hip hop and dubstep, this 5 piece group combines live instruments with synthetic sounds live to create a hugely high energy performance. Completely independent, recording and mixing in their own studio, their sound seems to work as they have toured many of the major festivals since the release of their first LP in 2011. Supported by the dark and twisted hip hop styles of Drastic MC and the young and extremely talented Thyodore Kennedy from Newtown Research and Developement.
FBi Social, Kings Cross
830-1130pm
Tickets: $10 (FBiradio.com)
Sunday 23rd
One Day Sundays
Celebrating one year since this monthly event began!! Beer garden, spit roast, live graff, and basketball in the afternoon, which becomes a pumping dance floor as the stars come out. DJs Joyride & Adit will man the decks with guest DJ Mat Cant (Melb)
Vic on the Park, Marrickville
1pm-late
FREE
Soul of Sydney Block Party
Funk, soul, and hip hop oasis in the middle of the city. A monthly party that gets people together outside of a club environment where they are free to share their love of music, art, and dance!
Secret location, city centre
12-9pm
Tickets $15 (nearly sold out!)
Wednesday 26th
Thundamentals
Celebrating O-Week, the boys joined by True Vibenation are coming out of their self imposed hibernation to bring you a once only FREE show. Since they have been pretty much full time in the studio working on their new album I imagine they will be dropping at least one never heard before gem on this intimate audience to woo the crowd over and remind us of what we've been hanging out waiting for.
Roundhouse Bar, UNSW
7pm
FREE- but limited capacity
Thursday 27th
The new monthly hip hop night, Hip Hop House Party, is back with its second night and once again they've got a great line up. I always thought that the Tongue excelled as a free-styler, so it's only fitting that he headlines this night which includes a freestyle battle with a $200 prize judged by Randy and Thomas Rock of weekly hip hop show Hardcore Classic on 2SER radio. With supports by Sleazy Greazy, MC Thorn, up and comer S.Kape it's shaping up to be a great night!
The Standard, Darlinghurst
8pm
$15
Grandmaster Flash
Here's a little mid-week surprise for you. One of the grandfathers of hip hop DJ-ing will be spinning tunes live in our fine city! A little history for you, Grandmaster Flash developed and mastered three techniques that eventually transformed and made DJ-ing into the art form that it is today. These are backspinning (using duplicate copies of the same album to switch between and loop key phrases), punch phrasing (isolating short segments of music and punching them over the beat), and scratching (though he didn't invent it, he developed and perfected this technique). Using these techniques he transformed DJ-ing from the simple passive playing of music to transforming each set into a new and unique creation.
BRKLYN Bar, Manly
9-late
Sketch the Rhyme
This live hip hop game show is like nothing you have ever seen (unless of course you've seen it before). After touring the country with their rag tag team of rappers, artists, and DJs, this lovable group has returned home to take up a residency at the basement. This is the second in their round of combat style tournament rounds of 4 on 4 players. Red vs Blue, there will only be one winner! Special guest this month is wild lyricist Mantra who will be pairing up with Jeswon (Blue Team) to take on P. Smurf and Bravo (Red Team).
The Basement, Circular Quay
Doors 8pm
Tickets $18 presale/ $22 on the door
Peace out peeps! Remember, stay classy, and stay cool.
love you xo
love you xo
i'll leave you with a track that inspires me...
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