Class A MC Interview: Milkmen, Money & Music

10 03 2011

aahh: 2010 saw the release of your debut LP Me, Me, Me & Him, The Secret Life of a Receptionist. What so far has been the highlight of this journey?
Class A MC: The highlight of the journey was seeing it out and in JB Hi Fi. That was a big goal for me- to get it in stores. It was a very long and arduous journey and to see it finished, packaged and ready for sale was an amazing feeling. After the visit to JB, we then went and drank champagne and ate lots of dumplings to celebrate. The release date in general was pretty exciting, just knowing that it was finally going out into the world was a great accomplishment for me.

aahh: Where you going for the longest hip hop album title in history?
Class A MC: haha um.. I just didn’t want something that was cliché or been done before and I wanted something that gave listeners an idea of what the album is about. There were a couple of strong themes throughout the album and I wanted to fit both of those in. It has caused some confusion, and radio dj’s not being able to get it right, but I wasn’t budging. Also, it reminded me of an Atmosphere album title so I liked it.

aahh: Your versatility on the mic has been described as one your strengths and it carries on through to the album with impressive fashion. Were your intentions from the outset aimed specifically on making a versatile album?
Class A MC: Why thank you! Well I get bored with the same style, I like to switch things up a lot. I did want to show my versatility and to show all sides of my personality. I also didn’t want every track to sound the same. To keep it exciting, entertaining and diverse was the plan. I was just hoping it would all fit together and that it all wasn’t too different. I had to cut a few tracks to make it work, but I was happy with it in the end.

aahh: We don’t tend to see many female emcees in Australia with such character and style, what was it that lead you into this wonderful world of hip hop?
Class A MC: I started getting into hip hop about 10 years ago when I heard it on community radio for the first time. I fell in love with it and the rest is history. I was already into Snoop Dogg and Salt N Pepa and Biggie etc. I started writing and kept it a secret for a while and I finally revealed my rhymes at an open mic and started hanging out with local emcees Fatty Phew, Thorts and crew who nurtured my skills and helped me create my music. I went to an all girls private school so nobody in my school was into Australian hip hop (except for a couple of girls). I hung out in town after school with the other rappers and kept the rapping pretty quiet for a long time at school. It wasn’t until I moved to Melbourne that I started meeting other female emcees, which was great.

aahh: Subject matter was obviously an important aspect on this album. Did you have any challenges in presenting an album that didn’t isolate the larger male audience?
Class A MC: Yeah I was a bit worried that boys might not like the album, but I can’t help what I write, it’s all personal experience. I try to write songs that everybody will be able to relate to, but this album was very specifically about my life as a receptionist and my relationship with boys. I knew girls would definitely be able to relate to it, but I do think there are songs that guys can enjoy as well. Everyone can relate to being stuck in a job they don’t want to be in and fantasising about a better life.

aahh: Is the sexy receptionist we hear about on the album a bit of a persona/metaphor or more of a true representation of who you are as a person?
Class A MC: haha no, I’m not really a sexy receptionist. I really was a receptionist, but I was a massive nerd. I guess I can be very girly and I suppose sexual at times, but I was that bored that I just came up with some fantasies of the milkman etc. I can be a bit of a daydreamer.

aahh: You worked closely with some of the finest producers in the country on this one, including BVA, Dly Thomas and M-Phazes. In your point of view, is it vital in the creative process to be able to have that back and forth interaction/relationship with your producers?
Class A MC: Yes, absolutely. I only worked with producers who are my friends as well so it makes it an easy and enjoyable process. I like working with producers in their studio and throwing ideas back and forth. That’s what works best for me and I think you get the best result from working that way. I lived with Akouo at the time, M-Phazes came over and recorded “So Bad”, and me and Dyl would talk on a regular basis about the tracks. Thank god for the internet for the times where you can’t get together, especially working with BVA (who lives in Adelaide). We became good friends after the album as we spoke so much. There was a lot of interaction between myself and the producers.

aahh: With such a range of tracks on the album, from straight up hip hop to funk and electro what were some of the most enjoyable tracks for you to record or write?
Class A MC: I really enjoyed ‘So Bad’ with M-Phazes, that recording processing was fun as hell. He challenged me so much and was wouldn’t settle for anything that wasn’t the best. We ended up with a great product and in the end, that track was one of my favourites. Fitzroy was pretty enjoyable to write too, I went for drinks with Akouo during the day (he made the beat), came home and wrote the song in a fairly tipsy state. It was a beautiful sunny day, and I was high off life in Fitzroy. Writing Break It Down was also memorable, as I was at a holiday house with my mum and sister and best friend and just reflecting on the year and where I was at. I was at the end of the album writing process and realising how important music was to me. That was pretty special.

aahh: Everyone wants to know, have you scored the milkman yet? Has he heard the track? Is there a milkman?
Class A MC: No I haven’t. haha. After I left reception, I didn’t see him again. The new receptionist fell in love with him after I left, and now he isn’t working there anymore. I don’t think I’ll ever see him again, which is fine. It was just a fantasy! We were joking around saying we should send him the track but I decided against it, I think he might be scared of me if he finds out.

aahh: You recently went Wildside with The Tongue on his album tour, which also featured Spit Syndicate. Even more recently a few shows with Syntax. What have these tours been like?
Class A MC: It was so much fun! I brought Rachael Berry and DJ Mathmatics with me for a lot of it and we had a ball. Me and Rach were like two schoolgirls on an excursion, very excited and loved doing the shows. I’d have to say Joyride would have to be one of the funniest guys on the planet, loved getting to know the boys. Brisbane, Melbourne and Freo were the highlights, they went off. Doing shows with Syntax is enjoyable as well. He is a very funny man.


aahh: We saw a spontaneous twitter battle between you and 360 earlier last year. Do you get many rappers wanting to battle or trying to spit bars at you when you’re out on the town or whatever?
Class A MC: Haha yeah that was fun. There needs to be more of those. I’ve only had a couple of people trying to battle me when I’m out, but I’m a lover, not a fighter. I don’t really like battling, I don’t like dissing people for no reason. I can with 360 because he can handle anything and we give each other shit all the time anyway. If anyone tries to battle me out I just find it funny, I’m just out to have a good time really.

aahh: Without sounding to cliché, even though the question is cliché as fuck. What would your words of wisdom be to any young female looking to push their skills further or even just to start writing some raps?
Class A MC: Just be yourself, make the music you want to listen to. Be proud of what you do, don’t be too hard on yourself and work really hard. Don’t let haters get to you, prove people wrong. If you believe in what you’re doing, you can hold your head up high and push your music to as many people as you can. Oh and be patient!

Purchase a copy of Class A – Me Me Me Him: The Secret Life Of A Receptionist here (via JB Hi-Fi) or here via Bandcamp.


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Categories : allaussie hip hop exclusive, allaussie hip hop interviews, Independent

Dialect Interview: The Vortex, Vinyl & Video Clips

24 02 2011

aahh catches up with one of the hottest emcees in the country right now, emcee Dialect from Dialect & Despair. In the interview we talk all things Vortex related, digging, technology and how it affects our hip hop world plus much much more. Check it out.


aahh: The Vortex has been out for a few months now and has been dubbed by many as one of the top albums of 2010, you’ve also toured and dropped two killer film clips. Can 2011 beat that?
Dialect: We’ll have to wait and see! We are not out to rush anything we produce. We definitely want to build off the buzz 2010 generated but we definitely won’t be doing that by hastily releasing product that those who enjoyed The Vortex wont enjoy. It’s not about beating last years achievements, they were cool, but I just take that as a blessing and everyday I get to work on music again is unbeatable. But 2010 has been a phenomenal year we have been humbled by all the support.

aahh: Dialect and Despair fans have seen two film clips drop from The Vortex. The lead single Prolific which was ‘Rages (Australian music video program on ABC1) Indie Clip Of The Week’ and more recently Part 2 in Games Wired. Can you give us a little insight to Part 3?
Dialect: Man I’ve been sworn to secrecy! All I can say is, it is visually very different from the first two clips and I think people who checked out the first two clips will appreciate that and hopefully like the way the unfolding saga continues in part 3.

aahh: Luc Hansen and Nima Nabili Rad from Sunkie Studios worked on both clips. How did you team up with these guys?
Dialect: Luc is a close friend of Despair growing up whom we are both great friends with and he does a lot of filming and editing. He met Nima out at a shoot he was working on and they both were in to the same kind of Hip Hop and films so they sparked it off there and decided to collaborate. So Luc introduced us to Nima and the rest was history. We definitely have to shout out our film crew for the time and vision, it’s an honor working with such talented people.

aahh: The Vortex has both been released in CD format, Vinyl and limited Edition Orange Vinyl. Do you think that it’s important to always offer that vinyl option when releasing a true hip hop album?
Dialect: I’ts important to me, but only offer that option if the interest and support is there for it. We had demand for our album to be released on vinyl, as a lot of our crew and people who like our music are big record collectors. It may not matter to other people but as a vinyl collector I know I like to have my favourite records on wax.

aahh: Do you still go diggin’ for vinyl these days or do you find that drying up?
Dialect: Of course! It will never dry up. As long as there are records out there I will be digging. Some producers may like to do it differently and they feel okay about downloading drums and samples off the Internet because they are probably more concerned with getting to the end result. But for me it was the way I was shown to do it and to respect the foundation of the culture, which is from records. I personally love that whole aspect of waking up in the morning and going digging for samples and finding, sharing and learning knowledge about breaks with friends when you get back to the lab. It feels rewarding. I could make mp3 beats and would probably come up with some cool ideas but the same energy and feel wouldn’t be there for me.  

aahh: We’ve seen a lot of artists skip on the vinyl for various reasons including lack of pressing options in Australia. We heard you guys went offshore (Cali?), is that something other crews should look at?
Dialect: Yeah we had our record pressed in San Francisco and we were really happy with the end product. I think it’s just a matter of finding the best product with a good price. It took a lot of research, quotes and emails back and forth to finally decide on our desired pressing plant. But it was worth it in the end.

aahh: The Vortex is packed with 15 exceptional tracks. All the production was handled by Despair and it’s been talked about how well your styles complement one another. Did this make it easy in the collaboration process?
Dialect: Thankyou! Most definitely it did. I think a musical partnership has to be cohesive and organic in its production and evolution. So we just started hanging out at first talking music and ideas and initially it was just a friendship. Then from there we went digging and continued building on concepts and we saw our ideas and philosophy about music was (and still is) the same so we thought ‘yeah lets do this, lets keep the chemistry flowing’

aahh: The concept of the album has been toted as one of its major strengths in its success. i.e. mic skill, lyrical flow, production and content, on the flip side some may label this strength as a weakness, viewing it as hip hop with a “revival” sound. How does that sit with you?
Dialect: People can label it whatever they like. I don’t really mind. It’s quite easy to label things and put them in to a box but for those who appreciate what’s being said and produced on the album, that’s who we are here for. This music comes from the heart and every lyric and every drum or sample put through the mp is from the soul. I just know what kind of sound of Hip Hop we like and there’s no use hiding that just because it may be seen as a ‘revival’ sound.

aahh: The rich hip hop culture that was present in America in the 80′s & 90′s has somewhat been abandoned for the stronger commercial market, do you think that’s an accurate statement and if so, do you see that having any effect on the hip hop music that we are exposed to in Australia?
Dialect: Styles of music change with time, that’s a natural thing. And that’s obviously in many cases a good thing otherwise Hip Hop would never have been created or evolved in to that 90’s sound we love. On the flip side, music also does cheapen with time and lose the rawness it was created from because it’s not tapping in to that original source which came with the time. It’s not a commercial or market thing, because artists like Mobb Deep and Wu Tang were selling platinum records in the 90’s. It has to do with the consciousness of the listener and if they are all happy listening to cheesy production with paper-thin drums and some nonsense rapper then the next generation is going to emulate that. And that in turn of course affects the Hip Hop we are exposed to in Australia, because you can’t blame the 12-year-old kid who just follows the first bit of hip hop he hears on the radio and accepts it and embraces it, because he just feels like he wants to be a part of something from his generation.
But I was lucky enough to have an older brother show me all this phenomenal Hip Hop music from the past but kids don’t want to do any research, they want to play what’s hot and go party. But Roc Marciano released a record that sounded like it came out in 92 in 2010 and it was critically acclaimed all across the world. There’s no stopping these records being made and people enjoying it. Then on the other hand I think people can get too precious about the changing state of music and how ‘wack’ it is. Time’s are bad now on a grand scale but people forget that there were wack rappers too in the 80’s/90’s, it wasn’t a picture perfect scene and emcees still rhymed about it then so I don’t think that’ll ever change.
Hip Hop is an underground culture and just like any other sub culture that experienced some mainstream success it has been manipulated and fashioned for a mass market over time, but in its true essence it will forever be an underground movement. So those who love that about Hip Hop should take pride in that and not worry about the nonsense.

aahh: Do you think there is room for what some have labeled “Progressive Hip Hop” in Australia and does it respect the true hip hop culture that was taught to us by the originators of the music?
Dialect: I think there’s room for any type of music, art is art and whatever people feel inspired to express they should create. I think it depends on what you’re trying to represent. If you’re just making your ‘progressive’ music and are not too concerned with the Hip Hop culture then that’s cool there’s obviously no rules for creativity. But if your claiming Hip Hop and this culture but your digging on the internet for drums and samples I think that’s kind of wack. That’s like saying yeah I’m a soccer player and love the game but sometimes I like to pick up the ball with my hands and kick it like a footy. That’s not soccer, you’d get kicked off the field for doing that in a game. So I think we should respect the art form, culture and industry the architects have created for us to live off. If you ever get lucky enough to live off it, it shouldn’t be about that but in reality many do live off it and don’t respect the heritage. That may sound a little ‘purist’ or whatever but there’s certain backbone traditions of the culture that should be upheld and respected otherwise the culture will be lost.

aahh: Has there been a shift in attitudes where knowledge in hip hop was once regarding as a fundamental element of the culture to one where knowledge is worth about as much time as it takes to type the question into a search engine ?
Dialect: I guess the difference now of being in the Internet age is that knowledge is more accessible and easy to gather. Where as in the past knowledge was passed down directly to you and learnt from personal experience. The Internet is kind of like the gift and the curse because everything in the Internet age is at the tip of your fingers; information is readily there but is also disposable and easily forgotten.
So I’m not against technology at all, in fact considering there is so much information it should be so easy for kids to study up on the classic Hip Hop albums and be well-informed about the culture’s history. I’m not going to front, there are countless records I’ve learnt about from blog sites and have purchased on eBay I otherwise may have never even heard of. So use these technological changes as tools for the right reasons. However, it’s not just a Hip Hop thing with knowledge and the Internet, society at large has become lazier because of the Internet. Some people use the net to look at porn their entire life and that’s sad. Use it to download a G Rap album instead.

aahh: The Vortex is currently getting strong buzz over in the States. A new partnership with Iller Clothing has seen the track Games Wired released on the Iller Sessions Platinum Edition, which features artists such as Digital Underground, DMC (Run DMC), J5 and more. Are there plans to release The Vortex in the US?
Dialect: We have The Vortex circulating in the states with some crew we have there and certainly the connection with Iller Clothing has helped a lot. We have some plans to get to the states and continue to push our music forward there because we want to make music that’s international and can be appreciated no matter where you are from.

aahh: As we mentioed earlier massive 2010; Tours with Social Change, release of the album, Iller Clothing deal and the signing to new South Australian label Uknowho Records. Tell us a little about Uknowho Records.
Dialect: UKNOWHO Records is a label that was started by a tour promoter in Adelaide to continue pushing his promotion work and release music coming out of Adelaide. I think the label has a great future ahead of it and we are proud to represent it as the first ever release on its catalogue.

aahh: We just mentioned Social Change, the guys have an album coming out this year? Tell us a bit about your working relationship with these guys and their label Buttertheif?
Dialect: Let me first say that their album that they have been working on is phenomenal and really is going to change listener’s ears in a massive way. I can’t wait for the public to hear what they have been working on for so many years because it’s really dope. Our working relationship is so much more than just music. They are like brothers; Social Change, Funkwig & Snair have all had such a positive influence on my life far beyond music. But when it comes to music we have some projects in the works and you’ll definitely hear more from us in the future working together. So Butterthief always will be my family that’s why you see their logo on the back of The Vortex.

aahh: What was your main aim in bringing out the album The Vortex, looking back on the year do you think you achieved your original objectives?
Dialect: We achieved our original objective and so much more. Our aim was to create a Hip Hop album together we liked the sound of and we put our heart and soul into that project for a good 18 months. So for us to just complete the album was objective achieved. But all the support and feedback for the record really exceeded any expectations we had upon releasing the album. We were well and truly humbled by it all, so the entire experience was a real blessing.

aahh: Will D&D return in 2011 or will there be other projects on the plate for Dialect?
Dialect: No doubt! I’m not sure in what capacity but the partnership of D&D is in this Hip Hop game for eternity! Were not going to stop building as a duo and we can’t say if there’s another album coming yet but rest assured we are always in The Vortex creating. You may hear me featured on some other artist’s projects this year rhyming and I’m really focusing on my craft as a producer. I’ve been working on the production side of things for a couple of years now and hopefully some of those beats will surface this year.

aahh: Any final comments?
Dialect: I just want to sincerely thank each and every person who has supported us or likes our music. We really have been overwhelmed by all the support and we’re going to continue creating for those souls who appreciate what we do.
P.S Be on the look out for part 3 in the trilogy of film clips from The Vortex hitting a screen near you soon!


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Categories : allaussie hip hop exclusive, allaussie hip hop interviews, Unknowho Records

Interview with Eloquor about his new album ‘Charge’

29 06 2010

Charge is the title to your highly anticipated second LP release, after the successful debut effort on Move Up. Whats  been the biggest change for you personally and musically going into the making of Charge?
I guess I was much more picky with the beats I chose for Charge. I really tried to get as many beat reels together from as many strong producers as I possibly could to get the sound I was after. I also got to hypeman for Briggs on the Hilltop Hoods tour last year which definitely influenced my perspective on how I wanted my music to grow.

We’ve heard the whole album and it seems like another win for hip hop in Australia. What’s it been like earning the support of Obese Records and obviously those from within the hip hop community?
I’ve busted my arse for many years to generate a strong support network. It has not at all come easily or quickly. That being said, having Obese Records, my manager, publicist, engineer, producers and other significant individuals backing me up and giving me a chance, has made it possible for me to make this album the best it can be. It’s very hard to get anywhere in this industry without a strong team behind you, with people who believe in what you do.

The album features production from some of the biggest names in the business most noted M-Phazes and Jase, but also WIK and Pokerbeats who both deliver some heat on their respective tracks. We’ve heard around the traps that the beats for this album cost about a million in cash is that true or just an unfounded rumor?
Very close to a million in Cash, you’re not far off at all. No wonder I work 2 jobs to make this album happen!

We found that Charge strikes that perfect balance between the party type tracks like ‘Rap Star’ and ‘Berroca’ and also the tracks that get a little more philosophical in their approach like the lead single ‘Keep On’ and ‘Pressure’s On’. Did you go into this album with that as a mission in mind?
I actually started this album thinking I wanted to make an album full of soul sampled bangers. I listened to a lot of Common and Nas while writing, and wanted to make an album that is very Hip Hop without straying in to the realm of electronica or hip pop. Eventually I just picked beats which evoked an idea, story or emotion with me, and went from there.I just think its important for artists to produce work which is honest to who they are. I’m quite a philosophical person so I have to write about issues and ideas which circulate in my mind. Not all my songs are deep and thought-provoking, some are there to have fun and enjoy without the audience having to analyze too much.

You have been described as a ‘hip hop poet devoted to uplifting the community and a teacher to those less privileged’ We’ve also heard you’re a very active person with-in your local community. As an artist, do you feel a sense of responsibility to those who are less privileged?
Well I am a teacher at a community school which educates mostly disadvantaged youth, and I have been volunteering in St. Kilda for 10 years as a boxing coach and gym instructor so I feel a great sense of responsibility to the people in my community to accurately represent the stories and day-to-day goings on. My music is very personal but it is not exclusively about me. It’s about the time, place and people who make this life what it is. The last 2 tracks which are about my daughter (‘Daddies Girl’) and my late Grandma (‘Like the Clouds’), who I dedicate this album to, represent that celebration of life.

We think the albums excellent, great choice of beats and killer rhymes. Any word on the album launch or tour?
Thanks. Album launch will be in Melbourne at Revolver Upstairs on July 30th. We’re planning a tour after that but want the album to get out there before making any solid arrangements.


Pre Order Eloquor – Charge here: http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/music/urban-grooves/charge-signed-copy/527716


1. Charge is the title to your higly anticpated second LP release, after

the successful debut effort on Move Up. Whats  been the biggest change for

you personally and musically going into the making of Charge?
I guess I was much more picky with the beats I chose for Charge. I really

tried to get as many beat reels together from as many strong producers as I

possibly could to get the sound I was after. I also got to hypeman for

Briggs on the Hilltop Hoods tour last year which definitely influenced my

perspective on how I wanted my music to grow.

2. We’ve heard the whole album and it seems like another win for hip hop in

Australia. What’s it been like earning the support of Obese Records and

obviously those from within the hip hop community?
I’ve busted my arse for many years to generate a strong support network. It

has not at all come easily or quickly. That being said, having Obese

Records, my manager, publicist, engineer, producers and other significant

individuals backing me up and giving me a chance, has made it possible for

me to make this album the best it can be. Its very hard to get anywhere in

this industry without a strong team behind you, with people that believe in

what you do.

3. The album features production from some of the biggest names in the

business most noted M-Phazes and Jase, but also WIK and Pokerbeats who both

deliver some heat on their respective tracks. We’ve heard around the traps

that the beats for this album cost about a million in cash is that true or

just an unfounded rumor?
Very close to a million in Cash, you’re not far off at all. No wonder I

work 2 jobs to make this album happen!

4. We found that Charge strikes that perfect balance between the party type

tracks like ‘Rap Star’ and ‘Berroca’ and also the tracks that get a little

more philosphical in their approach like the lead single ‘Keep On’ and

‘Pressure’s On’. Did you go into this album with that as a mission in mind?
I actually started this album thinking I wanted to make an album full of

soul sampled bangers. I listened to a lot of Common and Nas while writing,

and wanted to make an album that is very Hip Hop without straying in to the

realm of electronica or hip pop. Eventually I just picked beats which

evoked an idea, story or emotion with me, and went from there.I just think

its important for artists to produce work which is honest to who they are.

I’m quite a philosophical person so I have to write about issues and ideas

which circulate in my mind. Not all my songs are deep and thought

provoking, some are there to have fun and enjoy without the audience having

to analyze to much.

6.You have been described as a ‘hip hop poet devoted to uplifting the

community and a teacher to those less privileged’ We’ve also heard you’re a

very active person with-in your local community. As an artist, do you feel

a sense of responsibility to those who are less privileged?
Well I am a teacher at a community school which educates mostly

disadvantaged youth, and I have been volunteering in St. Kilda for 10 years

as a boxing coach and gym instructor so I feel a great sense of

responsibility to the people in my community to accurately represent the

stories and day to day goings on. My music is very personal but it is not

exclusively about me. Its about the time, place and people which make this

life what it is. The last 2 tracks which are about my daughter (‘Daddies

Girl’) and my late Grandma (‘Like the Clouds’), who I dedicate this album

to represent a celebration of life.

7. We think the albums excellent, great choice of beats and killer rhymes.

Any word on the album launch or tour?
Thanks. Album launch will be in Melbourne at Revolver Upstairs on July

30th. We’re planning a tour after that but want the album to get out there

before making any solid arrangements.


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Categories : allaussie hip hop exclusive, allaussie hip hop interviews, Obese Records

allaussie hip hop Interview with Geko

6 06 2010



Entirely produced by Geko, Crate Cartel Radio encompasses everything good about independent local hip hop. This release includes a stellar line up of guest emcees, strategically picked to add multiple elements of class to this impressive sonic backdrop. Over these 13 tracks, you can find some of Australia’s most renowned and respected veterans including Bias B, Bigfoot and Ciecmate, alongside exciting and anticipated local emcees Kings Konekted, Maundz, Jake Biz, Fatty Phew and many others. We caught up with Geko recently to talk about his upcoming release Crate Cartel Radio, two new aditions to the Crate Cartel roster, a surprise new release from way back and lots more.

You started really getting involved in hip hop, digging, rapping and producing back in the late nineties, what was it that first influenced you into the world of hip hop?
Well I grew up with joints like  ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’ on the radio and having those film clips on TV and stuff, so that was probably my first exposure. I had a friend who put me onto Wu-Tang’s ’36 Chambers’ and also ‘The Chronic’ when they came out and I was always listening to hip hop after that. Late teens I got into graff and stuff. Probably got into the crate digging thing when I was listening to Loot Pack, they were always talking about it. I loved that Quasimoto album too.   Other albums that need to get a mention that received quite a caning around that time would be ‘Smif’N Wessuns’ The Shining and Screwball Y2K. Too much stuff has been influential to mention. New stuff now seems to influence me a lot. I’m a fan of alot of music.

When you say you’re a fan of a lot of new music, do you mean within the realms of hip hop, or do you draw your influences from other genres also?
I was talking mainly about hip hop. Obviously I listen to a lot of different genres in the process of digging and making beats. One day when I’m an old man, I plan to sit on my porch and give my record collection the listening to it deserves. For now I have to admit I often just listen for samples. If I’m playing music in the car or if there’s a new release I’m anticipating, it’s mainly been Hip Hop.

Have you been listening to much Australian Hip Hop lately, if so who do you enjoy listening to?
Nah not really so much. I struggle to find the time to check for much new Australian stuff. I copped the Kings Konnected mixtape which was nice and I was feeling that L-Flows & Verb-Ill mixtape. But that’s probably around three years ago now. Maundz – Mr Nobody lives on my car’s passenger seat at the moment. Been swapping between that and Cappo Genghis, and a year on, Cormegas Born and Raised gets a bump every couple of days still. Also from a couple of years back Ciecmates Pre-Emptive Strike Mixtape – probably the other one I got into, the first half of that was especially epic.

Your first official release was back in 2006 with Raven on the “We Are Animals” 6 track EP. It was also the first release to carry the now familiar Crate Cartel logo. What’s been the main evolution at Crate Cartel since that time?
Well it got better. It was more of a production name originally and raven said to put it on because he also liked it. It really kicked of when I started working with Fluent because he’s a pretty hungry dude and proactive the way he goes about getting things done. Discourse jumping onboard for the graphics keeps everything looking nice and consistent. Most importantly we’ve grown the team and it’s now settled at Raven, Fluent, Maundz, WIK, and myself. It’s a good crew and everyone involved is motivated, working and improving everyday.

Two huge names in WIK and Maundz. We hear that Maundz is working on his next album, which will feature full production from WIK. Did you just have to have these two dudes on board?
Yeah. I put a gun to their heads haha. Nah they are both good blokes, we all get along well and I think it’s mutually advantageous. That’s it though we don’t need anyone else!

2009 was a big year for the Crate Cartel, releasing your entirely self-produced debut album ‘The Crate Cartel’ and also Fluent Forms – ‘The Furnace’. Were you happy with the response to these albums?
My album didn’t really make a lot of noise but the feedback I got from it had been mostly positive. Thats really what you hope for with your first solo. You have to build it up. The Furnace got a really good response. Kind of put us on the map as a label.

June 18 this year will see your sophomore production album Crate Cartel Radio drop. Is production taking a front seat?
Well I’m still rapping on it a fair bit. But not on every track. I definitely see myself as a producer firstly and I’m more comfortable behind the boards. I’ll always write verses but I plan to focus more on production in the future.


Tell us a bit more about the concept behind Crate Cartel Radio and what you’ve wanted to achieve by releasing this album?
The concept was formed from wanting to do an album where I didn’t rap as much originally. The whole radio idea is sort of a nod to radio shows like The Formula, that were really important in getting good hip hop to us before the internet came along.

Crate Cartel Radio has been pushed as an album that encompasses everything good about independent local hip hop. What do you find are the most important aspects of good local independent hip hop?
Well, primarily independence. This album doesn’t have any work other than  the guest features outsourced. The artwork, mixing, recording, video clips, mastering and production is done in-house. With the team we are working with its as professional as those people out there throwing huge coin at their projects, if not more so. We are building our reputation on our skills not on marketing campaigns or support slots for overseas artists etc. Hopefully in the future all that comes our way because of the hard work we put in early.

Killer cover for crate Cartel Radio, it’s already had such a great response. Do you think it’s important to have a professional looking package when all things are said and done?
Haha. Funny you mention that because it was a last-minute switch. Yeah definitely good to get a professional graphic designer to do your cover ideas. Even if the artist has a drawing, a photo or a good idea, you really can tell if the person that’s done the final layout knows what there doing.

Tell us in a few short words how you’d describe your production style?
Shit. Id say It’s a mixture of classic hip hop production styles I guess. I’ve just tried to break off elements of all the producers that influence me and that melting pots my style. It sort of changes from time to time anyway.

Some big names have put their hand up to be on the album including Bias B, Fluent Form and Maundz, just to name a couple. Whats it like being able to call on guys like these to help out on the album?
Well its new because I haven’t been making noise as long as a lot of the people featured on the album. 2 years ago I couldn’t have reached out to a lot of them, they wouldn’t have known who I was. I’m honoured to have worked with every single person on the album. Everyone of them is talented and really came with some top quality shit. Good people too. Hopefully I’ll work with everyone more in the future.

Now the first video clip from the Crate Cartel Radio was released early last week – Titled Memories featuring Fluent Form, filmed by Discourse and Heata. Tell us a little about the clip, where it was filmed and how long it took?
It’s all just filmed around our way.  It was shot over 2 days. But then the editing took a lot more time. A lot of work went in.  Heata’s a professional he’s got his craft on lock and gets the job done real efficiently.  And Discourse is a mad talented dude. This and the Every Step clip are his first clips he’s been involved with so you can see he’s got something.

What should  people expect from Crate Cartel in the next few months, we hear some big things are in the works, Raven’s new album etc?
Yeah. Ravens album next. Ravenous 2010. He’s got it all recorded so wrapping that up next. It will be coming out later this year, as the title suggests. Maundz albums out now obviously, it’s a classic, he did Mr Nobody before we were working closely but he’s Crate Cartel fam from here on in. Fluents staying busy on collaboration’s and pre-production for his next joint well underway.
Also I just found out today we might have an opportunity to put out the Field Trip album that was completed several years back but never saw light of day.

That’s some exciting news regarding the Field Trip LP, how did this opportunity arise?
I’m friends with Aetcix. I mention that he should put it out sometimes when we catch up for a beer. His relenting, it’s a dope album. Thorts was still on a raw tip then and all the productions tight. Would have done really well if it had gotten out at the time as It was a notch above other shit at that point.

Any final words?
I’ll be touring this album with Maundz and Fluent Form, hopefully Raven. Crate Cartel Radio/Mr Nobody Tour. We’ll have more details soon on that. cratecartel.com   Merch coming soon man. There will be merch for this album. But our whole catalogues up there basically.  Yep. Even just dropping the clip I’ve had a great response so  big ups to all the people checking for us. Crate Cratel Radio June 18th!!!. Peace.




You can pre-order a signed copy of Geko’s - Crate Cartel Radio by following the link here.

Crate Cartel Webpage

Entirely produced by Geko, Crate Cartel Radio encompasses everything good about independent local hip hop. This release includes a stellar line up of guest emcees, strategically picked to add multiple elements of class to this impressive sonic backdrop. Over these 13 tracks, you can find some of Australia’s most renowned and respected veterans including Bias B, Bigfoot and Ciecmate, alongside exciting and anticipated local emcees Kings Konekted, Maundz, Jake Biz, Fatty Phew and many others.

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Categories : allaussie hip hop exclusive, allaussie hip hop interviews

allaussie hip hop Interview with Ozi Batla

29 04 2010


We catch up with Elefant Traks emcee Ozi Batla to chat about his upcoming debut solo LP Wild Colonial (May 14).

Wild Colonial is the title of your upcoming debut solo LP, dropping next month on Elefant Traks. It’s a great sounding title, whats the concept behind it?
“Wild Colonial” is from the old Irish/Australian folk song “Wild Colonial Boy” about the legendary bushranger and his fight with the authorities. It captures the rebelliousness of how I like my hip hop. The colonial is me, not just of this country but also of hip hop – so the “Wild” relates to “Wild Style” also. The album’s partly about me coming to terms with my place in hip hop and in Australia.

You have teamed up with Sydney producer Sandro – (ex-Good Buddha) for most of the album, what was it that originally attracted you to his style of production?
I’ve always been a fan of Sandro’s, from “Skillathon” to “Some 6000 Sighs” with Sinus. Sandro has a real crate-digger’s aesthetic which I feel is rapidly being lost in modern hip hop. He digs deep for the records he samples, and he has a broad interest and understanding of a vast range of music. Everything’s sampled off vinyl, straight into either the SP1200 (for the drums), the MPC3000 or the S950. If you know your shit you know this is real equipment for making real rap music!

Can you give us a quick snap shot of some of the themes and issues present on Wild Colonial?
Reflections on 15 years on stage and making music. The contradictions of being artistic and being ambitious. The melancholy of lost love, loneliness and spiritual emptiness. The key things in life that keep me motivated and happy. The history and future of our country.

What’s it been like working on a solo album compared to say The Herd or Astronomy Class albums, was the process easier ?
This album is much more personal than previous outings with The Herd and Astronomy Class. In some ways it has been easier. Sandro and I were very open with our criticism as we made the album. Sandro’s got a good ear for lyrics and flow, which is not always the case with producers. I’ve got my own musical ideas as well and it’s a credit to Sandro that he was open to some of them. Working with more people is cool because you move in some unexpected directions, but I really enjoyed the creative control this time. Apart from DJ Bonez and some backing vocals from SistaNative, it’s all me and Sandro.

Just recently you played the “Before Too Long” shows, what was that experience like and how did it compare to the normal Australian hip hop gigs?
The “Before Too Long” shows were the highlight of 2009 for me. It was an extraordinary challenge to be alongside some really great singers and backed by Augie March. I was definitely the outsider but built some great bridges with the rock side of the scene. It also gave me the confidence to really attack all the singing on “Wild Colonial” with gusto – I realised that I can sing and I don’t always need to get someone else to sing melodic hooks.

You have been described as a veteran of the Australian Hip Hop scene. What’s it been like watching the scene evolve over the years into what it is today and being a part of that?
It’s rewarding to see young acts like Thundamentals or Horrorshow doing so well. There’s some paths and networks established now that weren’t there when we started. Tour circuits, radio shows, street press columns, a number of record labels, web forums and blogs – it’s easier to get out there but harder to make a mark. But even when I started there were people who’d been doing it for years. The idea at the heart of the matter hasn’t changed: You do what you love as well as you can and if you have some success, that’s a bonus.

You are a big supporter of the community, conducting hip hop workshops for disadvantaged youths in aboriginal communities and the inner city for many years now. Tell us a little bit about that great work and why you think hip hop can have a positive effect?
It is rewarding work, and it can give you a bit of a boost when the music game is getting you down (which does happen!) It’s taken me to some amazing parts of Australia and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to understand more about different cultures, be they indigenous or non. Hip hop is an immediate and easily understood form of expression that can break through with young people who have retreated into their shells because of the lives they have led. Hip hop asks them to tell their stories.

Your renowned for your often politically charged lyrics, in a recent blog post you mentioned that 77% (The Herd) may need a rewrite. What do you think about our current leaders and Government?
I think the Labor Party are doing good things at a federal level, but it disappoints me with regards to race and immigration. It’s like the big obnoxious elephant in the room that no one dares to deal with. Astounding because you know it grates on a lot of those politicians to make populist declarations like “we decide who arrives and the circumstances blah blah”. Then they turn around and say Australia is not a racist country. If it’s so tolerant why can’t they make these hard decisions. Putting a hold on Afghani refugees at the moment is so hypocritical I don’t know where to start. We started the war in their country that they are fleeing from but they can’t come here. Unbelievable.

Caught any decent gigs recently that we should hear about?
Saw Lupe a few weeks ago, was pretty cool. He’s a lot more ripped than I thought! Played with Ash Grunwald at a festival and caught his set – always great – junkyard percussion and drum machines. Going to see Space Invadas and Koolism next week.

Be sure to grab your copy of Ozi Batla’s – Wild Colonial dropping May 14 on Elefant Traks. You can check out the first single Put It On Wax below, and for a short time grab it free over at the Triple J site.

Elefant Traks blog
Ozi Batla Facebook


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Categories : allaussie hip hop exclusive, allaussie hip hop interviews, Elefant Tracks

Bigger Than Hip Hop Radio Show – Interview Preview With Suffa MC

2 03 2010


Last week Paul from Bigger Than Hip Hop Radio Show spoke with Suffa MC from the Hilltop Hoods, this all went down during their tour of Canada just as they cool off from doing interviews for a while. Here’s some of what the guys had to say.

Paul: Whereabouts are you guys at the moment?
Suffa: We’re at Calgary Airport in Alberta

Paul: Are you playing a couple of shows up there at the moment?
Suffa: Yeah we’ve just done six shows here, and we’ve got two left on our Canadian tour. We’ve got a big show in Ottawa tomorrow night (18th Feb) and Toronto on Friday night (19th) and then we come home.

Paul: Awesome. Now you’ve toured Germany, Korea, New Zealand and Canada where you are at the moment. How have the shows in Canada compared with other international shows?
Suffa: Outside of Australia, Germany and Canada are probably the strongest for us where we get the most heads along. This tour has been crazy, I mean we’ve nearly sold out this whole tour so it’s just been amazing for us. Loads and loads of people in Canada. Xpats as well, [Festival in Toronto] we always get our Xpats along the way! This tour’s had a shitload of Canadians which is nice.

Paul: Awesome. So do you get distribution over there now? How do they hear about the Hilltop Hoods?
Suffa: Yeah we’ve actually got a release for State of The Art in Australia, Switzerland, Germany and Canada, so it’s actually the first time we’ve had a release outside of Australia, so it’s great.

Paul: You guys have started their own label Golden Era Records and you’ve just added The Funkoars to your roster. Are you looking to sign any more artists soon?
Suffa: Yeah Briggs will be on there as well and Vents will be putting out a record with us and maybe other groups too, but it’s just going to be our family, our circle of friends putting out records on that label. It’s perfect for us and we just want to be collaborative under this one banner.

Paul: Now Suffa you do a lot of production for the Hilltop Hoods, how do you go about making a beat?
Suffa: Man we do a tonne of different ways! Where do you start. The software we use Logic Audio. It’s great to record and mix. As a suite for everything it’s perfect.

Paul: It comes with nine discs of samples doesn’t it?
Suffa: Yeah but you don’t F with those. You get your own drum sounds. In my opinion the best thing you can do as a producer is build your own sound library and that sort of gives you a cohesiveness. You know when you hear a 9th Wonder beat, you know it’s a 9th Wonder beat, or when you hear a Pete Rock beat, you know it’s a Pete Rock beat. It gives you your own signature when you build your own sound library.

Paul: Now you’re about to stop touring for a while, what will you be doing when you get back to Adelaide? And please don’t say retirement!
Suffa: Hahaha! No first thing I’m going to do is sleep for like four days and then we’re going to put a DVD together and hopefully get that out by the end of the year.

Paul: Wicked. Do you have a name for it?
Suffa: We’ve just got some ideas floating round our heads at the moment. We don’t want to do another live concert DVD for this one, we want to do something special. What that is at this stage we don’t know but we’ll be doing something different for sure.

Paul: Do you have any dates in mind for when you’ll start recording the next album with the Hilltop Hoods?
Suffa: Already working on it. We’ll be doing some recording in April and May in between working on the DVD. Probably be out late 2011 early 2012 at this stage.

Paul: Cool. Now every year you and the Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) give an award and $10,000 to an up and coming Aussie hip hop artist. What’s your role in the program?
Suffa: Basically we go halves with APRA. They put in $5,000 we put in $5,000 and we choose the judges who will decide the winner of the initiative, but that’s about where our involvement ends, apart from promoting it.

Paul: Sounds like an awesome award.
Suffa: Exactly! And it’s not a hard application process. So any artists out there looking to get ten grand to put out a record should look into it.

To catch the full interview (as this was just a snippet) and listen in to the Hilltop Hoods special on Bigger Than Hip Hop tune in this Wednesday 9-10 EST on SYN 90.7 FM if you’re in Melbourne, or you can podcast the show live on http://syn.org.au/


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Categories : allaussie hip hop exclusive, Golden Era Records

Fluent Form Interview

1 03 2010

So man last year we seen you drop the album the Furnace, and it’s had a massive reception. Fans have been going nuts for it, with it selling out in a lot of places over the country. Did you expect this much of a response?
I definitely didn’t expect this kind of response at all. I knew I had a bit of a fan base and people checking for my shit, But I definitely didn’t expect this. Goes to show that with some hard work and a lot of patience, you can be rewarded. It’s really helped keep me hungry and the fire burning. You ain’t seen nothing yet!


So you grew up in South East Melbourne, Frankston area, and you we’re involved in the battle scene quite early on. Did you have any classic battles with anyone we know?
Ha. Yeah I battled a few people everyone knows, But I wouldn’t go and call them classic battles. Most of the battles held down that way back then, were just ya standard local emcees trying to get their name out there. Easy victims to pick off. Nothing major.

When was the moment you realised you wanted to get out of the battle scene and become a fulltime recording artist or was it more of a natural progression?
Well, I don’t think I ever really was in the “Battle scene”. I would just enter for a bit of fun and enjoyed the cash prize battles. You could rock up with 20 bucks and leave with 300. I always planned on recording music from the start. Battling is a good way to get ya name out a bit, But you can just as easily impress the heads and get noticed if ya got skills in the booth. Recording songs is where it’s at for me. If you can battle, But can’t make a dope song, what’s the point?

So you’re a part of the Crate Cartel Crew, with Raven, Geko (Hungry Humans Collective) and Discourse, the label/crew has had a huge past year how did the concept of Crate Cartel come about? Basically Geko was using the name for his production credits and we started making some music together and we decided we should run with it as a label/crew. Raven was part of the same group as Geko, so naturally he was on board from the jump too. Discourse had done the artwork for all our albums and was Djing with us for live shows, so we recruited him to the team. He can bang out a mean beat too.

Did the crew have an overall vision of what you wanted to accomplish or bring to the scene? Just doing music we like. Music we know is dope. We’ve got a very strong work ethic and I think that helps us stay consistent. We don’t fuck around either. There’s always some Crate Cartel project in the works. I think we’re at the right point now for shit to really start popping off.

One of our top videos from last year would have to be the Every Step film clip, which was done by Discourse, it came up looking great, tell us a bit about that one? We imagine scenes of staff trailers, drink bitches and an endless budget to film with. Ha. Total opposite. Discourse just came to me one day with this idea he had in his head, which involved using  the green screen effect. We didn’t have anything to use so we just used a green blanket and tied it up on the front porch. I did my thing in front of the blanket and the rest is history haha. Most simple but effective clip. The result was fucking insane. major props to Discourse on that one. Although, we did have to drive around for a while taking pictures of buildings and shit around the city and our local areas. All those pics in the background, we took ourselves.

So your battle style comes through on the album a fair bit, but you’ve got this great ability to be able to deliver some real personal shit, you really give the listener an ability to relate to the track, do you think that this is important aspect of your style of hip hop? Most definitely. Very important. I love the braggadocio type shit, But nothing beats reaching people and sharing parts of your life and thoughts through music. That’s powerful shit, Bringing messages across to complete strangers all around the country, or the world for that matter. I need to vent through my music. Everyone has a story to tell, I try to tell mine with skill. Ha.

So what are you working on at the moment I’ve heard rumors that you’ve started on your next album? Can you tell us anything about this project yet? Yeah, I’m about to knuckle down and begin work on my next project. Can’t really give anything away just yet. But I got some real surprises coming in terms of the guests featured on this next one. I always want to outdo my previous efforts. You gotta keep it moving and show growth in your work. I don’t wanna make another furnace album, I wanna knock it out the water and keep people hungry for my music.

Some of the other guys in the Crate Cartel crew are doing some things at the moment, we have Crate Cartel Radio from Geko and also a new album from Raven, which I hear your doing a verse on, got any news you want to share about these releases? Yeah, Both those albums will be dropping this year. Both are actually not too far off from completion either. I don’t want to give anything away about those gems either, But get ready for some serious heat. You can find me on both of those albums.

Now back to The Furnace you have a few features,on the album including Brad Strut, Ciecmate, Mata, Maundz are we going to see you work with any of these guys again in the future, whether it be on your next release or featuring on one of their tracks? Yeah, I’m a guest emcee on the new Maundz album which is dropping in May. I’m doing some stuff for a Ciecmate project which is still hush hush for now. All the featuring on my album are mates of mine, so I’m sure we’ll work together on some shit in the future.

One of the tracks on your album that has been talked a lot about is the track Loco-Motive featuring Fatty Phew and Maundz did you expect this track to do as well as it’s done?
Yeah, I knew it would be a favorite with the fans. Once I got my hands on the beat, I had a think about which emcees could really bring that aggressive shit to the table, so I got Phew and Maundz on it, knowing us three together, would make for a fucking full steam ahead banger.

You teamed up with producer Doc Felix on the track Authorized and it really highlighted your ability to mix it up on various beats, did you let Doc run wild on the beat or did you have a vision in mind with the track? I loved that horn loop when I first heard it and wanted to get my swagger flow happening on it haha. I didn’t need it to be played with much in terms of messing with the loop or anything. Just knew it would make for a nice uplifting song to be placed in between my more darker joints on the album. Felix kills it on those cuts too.

Any upcoming shows or final words?
Pretty much winding up on the show tip for now. I’ve had the pleasure of joining Lazy Grey and Bias B for some really memorable shows in Melbourne and Brisbane. I did a joint launch with Ciecmate & Newsense too for our albums, plus a few others. Just settling back into the writing part again. Making albums can really fuck with ya head and take years off your life, But it’s always worth it.

Tracklist:
1. Spit Surgeon (Prod Discourse)
2. Every Step (Prod Geko)
3. Lead Pipe Languages (Prod Geko)
4. Loco Motive (ft. Fatty Phew & Maundz) (Prod WIK)
5. Short Stories (Prod K21)
6. The Furnace Cometh (Prod Geko)
7. Paper Chase Days (Prod Geko)
8. Take Notice (ft. Brad Strut & Ciecmate) (Prod Ciecmate)
9. Repent (Prod Ciecmate)
10. Endless Road (Prod Geko)
11. Authorized (Prod Doc Felix)
12. 4 Aces (ft. Mata, Must & 1/6) (Prod Must)
13. Capo Regime (ft. Raven & Geko) (Prod Geko)
14. Bright Lights Dark Shadows (Prod Must)


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Bigger Than Hip Hop Radio Show Interview

2 02 2010


We recently spoke to Pete and Paul over at the Bigger Than Hip Hop Show on Melbourne’s SYN 90.7FM. If you haven’t heard of this show, don’t sleep for much longer. It airs live Wednesday nights, 9 – 10pm, across the city as well as the Mornington Peninsula & Geelong.
These guys have only recently started the show and already have delivered some huge nights of hip hop, live to your radio.
Recent shows included some top interviews, including the likes of Solo from Horrorshow, Jes Won from Thundamentals, plus a host of DJ specials, and a shit load of raw hip hop.

Here’s a few questions we threw at the lads from Bigger Than Hip Hop, we like to call this article getting to know your radio hip hop radio emcee.

What’s your main concept behind the show that is ‘Bigger Than Hip Hop’?
PAUL: The idea behind the show is that there is so much good hip hop out there that we couldn’t limit our playlists to a time, place or style. So what our show tries to do is play hip hop from all around the world (and locally, of course) whether it was released thirty years ago or last week.
PETE: Yeah, I’d like to think that we source a slightly different brand of Hip Hop than what most people would be used to and completely comfortable with. Paul and I have very different tastes in music and I think we take a broad approach to the show.

What’s the best thing about hosting a show like BTHH?
PAUL: One of my favourite things about BTHH is the opportunity it gives for us to reach out and interview some of our favourite artists in hip hop at the moment, both locally and internationally. We’ve been lucky enough to talk to Solo from Horrorshow, Jeswon from the Thundamentals as well as Thes One from People Under The Stairs and One Be Lo from Binary Star. Those guys are definitely a handful of guys I think are ahead of the curve in the hip hop scene.
PETE: I’m constantly hearing new tracks or learning new things, whether it be through Paul, researching segments or even from listeners who text in. It’s also a great platform to get a range of opinions on issues and topics, which is something we do every show.

What kind of hip hop will you be playing?
PAUL: Anything and everything good. Every week we’ll play something different.
PETE: As I mentioned before, we try to keep it broad. If we can put a listener on to even one group or rapper they’ve never heard before then the mission is complete. In saying that, we’re always going to be chucking in a few loved classics for the heads.

What kind of content will we see on the show?
PAUL: Each week we play a brand new track that’s just been released, look back at an era/album that was monumental, discuss a ‘topic’ in hip hop & ask for people’s opinions, play a song and the song it was sampled from, give away CDs, give shout outs on air and if there’s time, play some requests. If you’re really lucky we’ll play an interview as well.

How did you personally get involved/set up the radio show?
PAUL: SYN is a really good station to get involved with. We just signed up for radio training that runs every few months and then we pitched our idea for the show to the station’s organizers. They liked our concept and we’ve been hosting the show since.
How important do you think it is to have your type of independent
radio show in Australia?
PAUL: Personally, I think its pretty important. Without student and community stations there’s not much room for diversity in music. I get tired of hearing the same songs on commercial radio and in the end, they’re running a business so they cater to their consumers, but we’re trying to do something different. We want to give musicians exposure, we want to show listeners groups who wouldn’t get heard any other way.

In your opinion who should we be on the lookout for in 2010 (musically)?
PAUL: Where to start… I’m really hanging out for The Roots ‘How I Got Over’ CD, I think Mantra and Spit Syndicate are set to make a big splash in 2010 as will The Tongue & Lyrics Born. I think the Beastie Boys are set to make a big comeback too. I’m hoping Lupe Fiasco and Common’s new albums will be better than their last and I’m intrigued to hear how Andre 3000s new one and Doom & Ghostface’s collab will turn out. Then again, the best act of 2010 could always be a newcomer.
PETE: I’m really looking forward to seeing if Low Budget get around to putting out anything new this year. Their release last year was pretty killer. Digging a bit deeper underground I’d be watching the Crate Cartel crew. As a collective they’ve been coming though with some really top-notch production lately on both Fluent and Geko’s releases. The quality production level of some of our underground releases is in Melbourne is astounding.

How do you see the current state of Australian hip hop internationally
and locally?
PAUL: Aus hip hop has definitely started getting acknowledged and respected in the wider community. Personally, I think the majority of our releases coming out are better, on average, than the majority of American rap at the moment. As for other nations, there’s a lot of stuff from Europe that I’m really digging at the moment like Pete Philly & Perquisite, Fettes Brot, Looptroop etc. I mean most countries have their own scene now which I think is great.
PETE: I think there’s still a lot of room for growth in the Australian for hip hop scene. I feel that the more money there is in an industry the more people you are going to have doing it for the wrong reasons, like in the U.S. That’s why Australia has maintained such a genuinely dope hip hop scene, because there’s no money in it!

To contact Pete and Paul, you can reach them on ther Facebook page, “Bigger Than Hip Hop Radio Show” where you can give us join in discussions, listen to past shows and interviews and links to free mixtapes

The Photo above was painted by Pete in Frankston 23/1/10

BTHH Radio Intro Samples: Pete Rock, Lyrics Born, Ugly Duckling, Nas, Pegz, Beastie Boys, Talib Kweli, Common Low Budget, K-Os and our interviews with Thes One, Solo and Jeswon.


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