Enter Enough Rope. Two heads sharing their story and intrinsic thoughts through hip hop music. ER is made up of Skwid Roc, a b-boy who grew up breaking with the likes of Tommy Illfigga and the Skill at Will crew, aswell as Thomacide Daley, a skateboarder first and foremost drawn to hip hop, recognizable through his style of skateboarding and everyday life.
This brand new duo from Brisbane met in 2009, developing a friendship which would turn rapship in 2011 where they began making their first recordings. Fast forward to Late 2012, the duo have released their debut self titled project the Enough Rope Mixtape under Born Fresh Records. The Enough Rope Mixtape features 4th (Vegas Aces), Tommy Illfigga and Joe Average.
You grab the mixtape online here, hard copies are available at gigs, Skatebiz, Laced and Rehab Records.
re•al•ism/ˈrēəˌlizəm/ Noun: 1. The attitude or practice of accepting a situation as it is and being prepared to deal with it accordingly: “a new mood of realism”. Realizm is an obscure lyricist and producer from Adelaide, Australia. After his debut verse on the original critically acclaimed Battlehoggs Official Mixtape Volume 1, Realizm has been steady on both the live circuit and in the studio.
Performing alongside long time collaborator K21, he has shared the stage with acts such as Jedi Mind Tricks, Celph Titled, Ill Bill (Non Phixion), Evidence (Dilated Peoples), Brad Strut, Funkoars and more. Studio wise, the past 4 years have seen him feature on and assist in the making of numerous local and international albums and most recently his solo 12” record Nasty Ill Filthy, produced by Amayze.
His debut LP Idle Hands is well under construction and features production by Suffa (Hilltop Hoods), Trials (Funkoars), Sesta (Funkoars), K21, Tommy Illfigga and Megatroid. The track Before You Seem Dead will feature on the album. Realizm will release a free production mixtape through his website in July as a prequel to the LP and also recently featured on K21′s track Poison (Prod. Sesta). The production mixtape will feature a host of local hip hop remixes including Clandestien, Trem and many more.
Mention Rainman amongst the initiated and the respect attributed to his name is palpable. Recognised nationally as one of Queensland’s finest, Rainman’s list of collaborations, support slots and guest appearances reads like a who’s who of Australian hip hop.
Rainman is poised to drop his second album Bigger Pictures, in stores Friday 4 May through Obese distribution. The album sees Sammsonite (The Optimen) return for the lion’s share of the production but also features some of Australia’s finest beat – smiths including the APRA and AIR Award winning, ARIA nominated Count Bounce (TZU/Urthboy), DJ Bonez, Mangohig (Sietta), Chasm (Astronomy Class), Cam Bluff (Spit Syndicate/The Tongue/Vegas Aces) and Calski. Guest MCs on the record include Muph, Tommy Illfigga, Yuin Huzami (The Coalition Crew), and many more, while Laneous (Laneous & The Family Yah) and Kel on Earth (Bankrupt Billionaires) lend soulful vocals across the album.
Tracklist: 01. Welcome (Intro) Production: Cam Bluff 02. Can’t See You (Feat. Laneous) Production: by Chasm 03. A 1000 Words (Feat. Muph) Production: Rainman & Sammsonite 04. WTF (Feat. Kel on Earth & Yuin Huzami) Production: Sammsonite & Rainman 05. Duck Face (Feat. Kel on Earth) Production: Rainman & Sammsonite 06. Muse Sick (Feat. Laneous) Production: Sammsonite 07. Big Night (Feat. Tommy Illfigga) Production: Rainman & Sammsonite 08. The Valley Production: Rainman & Sammsonite, Cuts: DJ Butcher 09. Everything Ain’t (Feat. Leah Carr) Production: Chasm, Cuts: DJ Butcher 10. Count Blessings Production: Count Bounce 11. The Buzz (Feat. pear) Production: Cam Bluff 12. Darlin’ (Feat. Calski) Production: Calski 13. Move! (Feat. Seven & 4TH) Production: Calski 14. Too Much (Feat. Youka) Production: Mangohig 15. The Bigger Picture Cuts & Production: DJ Bonez
Rainman is also proud to release the brand new film clip for the single The Valley. An ode to Brisbane’s notorious night spot of the same name, the tune and clip were inspired by and filmed amongst the grit and circumstance found in abundance on any seedy inner-city nighttime adventure. In Rainman’s own words: ‘It’s a pretty jaded and sarcastic portrait of the epicentre of Brisbane’s nightlife that is Fortitude Valley. It’s a place I definitely have a love/hate relationship with, having had some of the best times in my life there, along with the worst – and a whole heap in between.’
The release also comes with the announcement that Rainman has officially become a newly minted member of the Born Fresh Records family, joining label mates and album co-conspirators including producer Cam Bluff and MC’s Tommy Illfigga, Yuin Huzami, Seven, Mr Hill and more. The Valley follows on the success of recently released first single Darlin’ which was received strongly across the country; receiving triple j airplay, FBI Radio (Sydney) rotation and widespread praise for what critics are calling a “classic slice of hip-hop” (Sherlock Ohms.org).
Catch Rainman launching the clip at the following dates: Calski (feat. Rainman) supporting Joelistics (TZU) and Diafrix for the ‘Running to Shine’ Tour: Thursday April 12 Beach Hotel Byron Bay 18+ Free Show Friday April 13 Alhambra Lounge, Brisbane 18+ Saturday April 14 Sol Bar, Maroochydore 18+
Calski (feat. Rainman) supporting Dialectrix for the ‘New Generation’ Tour: Friday April 27 The Annandale, Sydney 18+ with Ellesquire Saturday April 28 Great Northern, Newcastle 18+ with Ellesquire Thursday May 3, Juicy, Brisbane 18+
Mention Rainman amongst the initiated and the respect attributed to his name is palatable. Recognised nationally as one of Queensland’s finest, Rainman’s list of collaborations, support slots and guest appearances reads like a who’s who of local hip hop.
Rainman is poised to drop his second album Bigger Pictures, in stores Friday 4 May through Obese Distribution. The album sees Sammsonite return for the lion’s share of the production but also features some of Australia’s finest beat – smiths including the APRA and AIR Award winning, ARIA nominated Count Bounce, DJ Bonez, Mangohig (Sietta), Chasm, Cam Bluff and Calski. Guest MCs on the record include Muph, Tommy Illfigga, Yuin Huzami and many more, while Laneous (Laneous & The Family Yah) and Kel on Earth (Bankrupt Billionaires) lend soulful vocals across the album.
The first official single off Bigger Pictures is Darlin’. Featuring and produced by Calski, the track was available as a free download at the end of last year limited to one hundred fans only but will now be available on iTunes from Fri 23 March.
Rainman deliberately wanted Darlin’ to set the scene for the new album. In his own words: “Darlin’ is a love song. An ode to lady hip hop, a soul drenched Australian take on Common’s ‘I Used to Love H.E.R’ classic – with a twist. The initial demo of the beat from_Calski inspired me to flip the hip hop-as-lover idea from Common and put a fresh take on it. I didn’t want to just leave it at that though. I’ve been pretty interested in how passionate we all are about hip hop, those of us that grew up with it as kids, and how even for those of us as white kids from Australia, from all that distance away from hip hop’s origins, literally_and culturally, can still feel this whole-hearted connection and even a sense of ownership_of this music. I wanted to try get into the character of what hip hop – the lady – might have to say back to those of us that call her out. I figured she had to be a bit pissed off and wouldn’t be afraid to say it”.
It’s this lyric writing approach – taking songs to that next level of depth – that sets Rainman apart and sees him attract high praise from peers and fans alike. He paints bigger pictures. To launch Darlin’, Rainman will be touring nationally with Calski supporting Joelistics and Diafrix on the Running To Shine National Tour.
Calski first started producing jams in 1998, and has since worked with the likes of Impossible Odds, Rainman, Shawn Lov, Binge Thinkers and more. It is not uncommon to find Calski rocking his MPC at b-boy jams and comps all over Brisbane, representing with Elements Collective.
Set to release his debut production album entitled Love Drive Commission through Obese Distribution next month, Calski describes the album as ‘sonically diverse’ with tinges of West Coast smooth, Detroit inspired grit, and New York drums. The LP will feature spots from Dialectrix, Rainman, Tommy Illfigga, DJ Butcher, Rinse and DJ 2Buck among others. Love Drive Commission drops Febuary 24. Calski has also jumped up on Brisbane emcee Rainman’s latest singleDarlin feat. Calski
Hailing from Adelaide, Australia, One Above (Andrew Burford, 24) is one of the finest upcoming hip hop producers in the country. His highly accessible, melody driven style fuses a unique blend of sampling and original composition with orchestral and grass roots elements.
As both a song writer and beat maker, his ability to cross musical genres has garnered him interest from many in-demand artists. Currently working on the highly anticipated Hilltop Hoods album Drinking From The Sun, and producer of the first single I Love It feat. Sia, 2012 will see him brought to the attention of listeners nation wide.
At present One Above is assembling an ambitious production compilation in the form of a full length debut album which showcases the next generation of Australia’s emerging independent artists. After a week of exclusive play on Triple J, the track I Love It feat. Sia is available from iTunes now! The song was produced by One Above and also features orchestral arrangements from Jamie Messenger performed by the Bacchanalia String Quartet. The full length Hilltop Hoods album Drinking From The Sun will be released February 2012.
You can check out further work from One Above on Prime – Good Morning, Tommy Illfigga – Walk A Mile, Seven EP, Phatchance – Inkstains + more. One Above recently hooked up with Phatchance once again to do a remix of Gotye – Somebody That I Use To Know check it out below.
From Brisbane’s urban jungle comes Tommy Illfigga with a sure-fire ripper of an album entitled Walk a Mile.Tommy Illfigga is a pure-blood hip hop native. Since ‘99 the wily emcee has been skulking the scene in many capacities, earning many accolades to his names (plural), together Tommy Illfigga and his alter ego Tom Thumb are taking the world by storm.
Tommy’s aptitude is apparent not only through his exceptional word-harnessing abilities, but also in his proficiency as a respected producer, B-boy, graff writer and Beat Boxer. His first release The Unfiltered EP hit shelves in 2007, stirring the scene with a demonstration of his producing abilities (together with Sammsonite) and his cutting-edge wordplay. ‘You wouldn’t pigeon hole my music into any one particular style of hip hop. Perhaps it’s one of my greatest virtues -to be flexible with the music I make. I am well and truly in my comfort zone spitting anything from story tracks, to battle rhymes on boom bap, to double time beats. So there’s not much I feel restricted by or could consider my only style.’ – Tommy Illfigga
With production by Trials, One Above and K21, Tommy imbedded himself in the trenches of the Adelaide Hills to work with some of Australia’s best beat makers. Bringing a personalized flavour to the fore only he can generate, this wiz-kid has the scene abuzz in a big way.
Track Listing 1.Intro 2.Game Face 3.Crack Music 4.Walk A Mile 5.The Unholy Spirit 6.Comin Down The Block Feat. Purpose 7.Course Of Action 8.Forever Feat. K21 9.Ghosts 10.Aint Gunna Leave 11.I Just Wanted To Say
Released by: Born Fresh Records Distributed by: Obese Records Available: August 12th 2011
This is the first of many mixtape joints over jacked beats that Tommy Illfigga is releasing in the lead up to his debut album release in mid August.Tommy’s album Walk a Mile is dropping August 15th – Let your mothers know about this heat!
Lyrics I spit in cyphers and I’m known to rock My rap songs are so smoking hot they could catch on to frozen blocks n liquid nitrogen The flow I drop is that strong you listen twice n its like a Tyson hit ya Slippin vicoden n dozing off I’m Wind atop a cliff if ya slippin my drift’ll throw you off off the precipice until your restin just below the wash the lesson I guess is look below the surface trying to catch a shark my hooks sharper than your verses rewind it back to start so you can scrutinize complexity of text that he can use in lines to prove that I am next to be shining in the rough tough as diamond I’m dropping gems ya canary droppin yall miners (minors) wanna watch the men I’m tough as nails I’m poundin em I’m driven deep You lot are tough as nails with calcium deficiency Yer I’m droppin lines but I’m fishin in a vicious seas A lot of little hits but nothing fit for me to dish a feed
The lyricist is I Fuck the little fish bigger fish to fry when I deliver this bigger disc bigger plan bigger fish bigger pan bit of this I wanna spit for the fans
So as I tackle books I’m expanding my contacts till write the gaffer hooks that’ll land me a contract rappers shook every stanzas that tom rap like Heavy handed contact with every bandit in ong bak Oh u plan to be grander than gods wrath? That’s like an amputee standing to Jackie chan in a hand to hand combat Unarmed I gotta sick sense of comedy I wanna be flown globally in a throne n no economy I wanna be known for the rap that I say Cross the map stray from the big apple to bay and then travel back to the African plains I’m one chap in the game that just has to remain phat When spitting rap but theres little that is actually attached to my frame Catch on to my name better latch on to a bigger net My written text on a track is express and graffed on to a train The flow I wrote is locomotive non stopping direct So don’t approach him when he’s droppin his sets
aahh: The history between Vegas Aces goes way back to the days when Cam was working with Publik Relationz and you (4th) were apart of Pure Product, are we right? 4th: Yeah, I started sourcing beats for the Pure Product album and got put in touch with Cam through Mr Hill and Seven (Publik Relationz) and was just blown away at his beats, even back then. At the time I think he was just 18 and had only just started making beats, so I knew he was going to be someone to watch out for.
aahh: Fast forward to 2011. We now have the Vegas Aces partnership in full swing. Tell us a little about the new EP VA All Day? 4th: The EP really just started out us making a couple of songs and seeing how they turned out – which were Boomtown Shuffle and Two Sides. We really liked the sound that was coming out so we decided to do a whole thing. Originally we were just gonna make a few songs and chuck them out for free but as we made more, some friends of ours egged us on to release it properly.
aahh: Vegas Aces is an interesting name, are you both massive gamblers or does it go a little deeper than that? 4th: Haha not at all! No gambling here – it was more so at the time there were a lot of those sorts of references in what we were doing. And the fact that we were in the same circle it was sort of ‘shuffling of the deck’ to be super-corny for us to work together. To be even more corny, it’s also a nod to Bris-Vegas. Corn.
aahh: How long how you guys been working on the VA All Day material for this EP? 4th: The actual music didn’t take that long at all. Everything on there was the culmination of Cam sending me a beat and immediately I knew what it was going to be about and wrote it in a couple of hours. If it didn’t work like that – it’s not on there. All the other behind-the-scenes shit is what took the most time. I’m pretty picky so there was a lot of back and forth tweaking etc. Sorry guys!
aahh: The depth of this EP is impressive, Are you guys strong believers in the old adage of quality over quantity? 4th: Without a mother-effing doubt! We really wanted to put out something really solid to make a good first impression. Because obviously we were a ‘new’ group we had to start from scratch again and really turn some heads to get the name out there. There are so many great acts these days you need to bring something special to the table to stand out.
aahh: What have been the some of main challenges you’ve faced in bringing this release to the people? 4th: The generic ‘being-on-a-small-label-and-lacking-a-big-budget’ one is pretty obvious as a factor. I don’t think being in Brisbane geographically is a hurdle in getting our music around the country though, for most part the scene here has been really supportive. I dunno, maybe because we started from scratch as a new group was our biggest hurdle? Hurdles have also been a pretty big hurdle.
aahh: A lot of artists talk about their influences and how it shaped their musical development. With such diverse backgrounds what were some of your early influences? 4th: I can safely say my influences now are pretty different to when I was starting out, but with that said, those early influences were very important! A few years ago I was pretty anti-mainstream which I’m sure every teenager goes through. My biggest influences overseas were probably early Eminem, Apathy, Copywrite… shit there is seriously too many to name, now I am really into Jay-Z/J. Cole, Evidence and Fashawn are getting a thrashing too, again though – waaaaaay too many to name! Locally though the biggest were Lyrical Commission, Left One, Lazy Grey + 750 and co, they made me wanna do it.
aahh: What do you think the most important aspects are to consider when constructing a track lyrically for your audience? 4th: That they can understand it and can picture what I’m saying. I find myself doing that when I write now. I more want to write shit that someone can relate to as oppose to having the most technical verse now.
aahh: For the gear geeks out there, what kind of equipment set up do you have? Cam Bluff: Im currently rocking my good old mpc200xl along with a m-audio key rig 49. Primarily i did start making beats on my mpc, however nowadays as i branch off into larger compositions i rely on my mpc as more as a midi controller than a beat machine. Accompanying my mpc and keyrig are also a m-audio profire 610 audio interface, a pair of behringer truths, a pair of stanton T.150′s and a 27” IMAC. I use Native Instruments complete 7 which is fantastic for laying down vintage or orchestral sounds. Keys,organs, retro 70/80′s synths you name it this package packs a punch. Its pricy though it pays off.
aahh: We’ve heard you’ve already started work on the full LP. Is it true that Cam has sent you a pile of beats but only one has made the cut so far. Has that been the general way you guys work together? 4th: Yeah I can be pretty notoriously picky with music. Lucky Cam is a fucking incredible talent and we are on the same page. There are actually a few beats that are definite now. Pretty much if I don’t love a beat and have a feel for what the song is going to be about straight away, then it most likely wont get used.
aahh: Can you give us a little insight on how the album will compare to the EP? 4th: In the early stages its more musical I suppose, Cam’s production is definitely moving forward in this way. Fundamentally I suppose it will be similar to the EP but I guess just ‘bigger better more’ (yo Opees!). We know what we want to do with it for this release, which I guess is a good thing.
aahh: How far into the album are you and will we see a 2011 release? Cam Bluff: We have a few songs written and roughly recorded and a few more beats picked out. And yes we are aiming for a late 2011 release.
aahh: With the recent floods and cyclones to hit QLD, there have been numerous benefit gigs and money-raising efforts. Vegas Aces were involved in a Rap Relief track. Tell us a little bit about the track and how these disasters have affected you on a personal level and as a member of the community? 4th: That track came together through Chris at Soulmate Records and mutual friends Choose Mics, Seven and Syntax. I dunno? I kind of just jumped on board, Cam was making a beat with the same sample which was meant to switch up or be a remix but didn’t end up happening in time. Then Tom wrote and recorded the chorus after I recorded my verse and that was that really. I wasn’t affected directly by the floods but I know people who were and it was fucking horrible. As horrible as it was, it also showed how altruistic we can be as a city/country with all the donations and charity gigs and that was brilliant! The whole world seems to be getting reamed at the moment thought… shit is hectic.
aahh: What’s 2011 hold in store both as separate artists and for Vegas Aces? 4th: As Vegas Aces we are aiming to have the album out late this year. We want to tour. Tour. And tour again. Basically just stay building and making music. Hopefully I will getting up and finishing the Pure Product album. Cam Bluff: Damn so far 2011 has kept me busy. Along with the VA album i will be reconnecting with Spit Syndicate on their next release. I have another project im working on with Syntax. We’ve pretty much chosen all the beats and we are looking at a late 2011 release.
DJ Butcher (born Alexander Steffan – 31/10/1987) is a long-time producer hailing from Beenleigh in Queensland Australia. Starting his hip hop career in 2000 in his parents garage freestyling with the likes of Toddy Montana and Truths he quickly equipped himself with a set of turntables, a computer and a stack of records.Through the early years, DJ Butcher had a knack for chopping breaks and samples from dusty records and inserting them into his own beats, giving him the nickname “The Butcher”. As time flew by the name stuck and now as a respected deejay he has honed the name and made it his own.
The Early Years (1999-2002): With much influence from Australian Hip Hop Artists such as Hilltop Hoods, Lyrical Commission and Lazy Grey and a long young history of graffiti, at the ripe age of 12 he started wishing to produce music himself. After failed attempts at becoming an emcee, as a longtime musician he found a stack of his parents records and started going through them. After a few years of making beats on Sound Forge 1.0, he soon discovered Fruity Loops in 2002 and later moved onto Sony Acid Pro. After recording a few garage bangers with childhood friend Toddy Montana and brother Truths, he realised that hip hop was no longer a genre of music, it was a lifestyle.
Hip Hop Took Place (2003-2006): After discovering the new program “Acid Pro” DJ Butcher’s production started moving to a new level and in 2004 decided to compile an album with Toddy Montana forming a two man crew named “Two-Ill”. Soon after completing the 16 track album “The Social Distortion of the Adolescent”, DJ Butcher turned 18 and broke onto the gig scene. At this point, he realised his lack of lyrical ability and love for deejaying, soon after he got a set of decks out of storage that he received as a gift many years before and started mucking around with up-fade scratches (as his mixer did not have a crossfader). Doing his first show at “The Shark Bar” at Miami on the Gold Coast on February 2006 his music was first heard by other members of the hip hop community.
Fall of Two-ill and Growth of Pure Product (2006-2008): Soon after starting shows in 2006, DJ Butchers older brother Truths joined Two-Ill and they started doing numerous shows around South-East Queensland supporting any act that would have them. Forming a solid fan base Two-Ill was set for big things until in early 2007 Truths left for England for a year and the crew eventually died. As the crew was dying DJ Butcher became a local at a hip hop night in the Valley where he met the likes of 4th Degree, Tendancee and Marvel who had already established themselves as “Pure Product”. Bandless, DJ Butcher was chipping away at his deejay skills and was adequate to start getting into some more serious business. Soon after meeting Pure Product, DJ Butcher did one show with them at Uber (West End) as a favor; months later, he became Pure Products official new deejay and worked on “Eviction Notice” and various other projects.
Rise of Crate Creeps, Eloquence and Truths and Rainman (2008-present): After doing hundreds of local and interstate shows with Pure Product, DJ Butcher started jamming with longtime friend Eloquence (from Winnie Coopers) and they soon decided to work on an album again. Soon after, again, Truths joined and they became “Eloquence and Truths”. Pumping out a demo EP “ET EP” they sold 100 copies and 200 downloads in one week over a SEQ tour supporting The Funkoars. Now almost completed a full length album, it is sure to bust onto the scene. The album was completely produced and engineered by DJ Butcher. The Crate Creeps. After collaborating with fellow producer and long-time friend Tommy Illfigga (aka Tom Thum), they sparked a chemistry and with a similar production style decided to collaborate and create a production team which would be called “The Crate Creeps“, now working on a full length album featuring US, AUS and UK’s best emcees, the album is set to be revolutionary on the Australian hip hop scene and will mean big things for both members.
Now just working to perfect his scratching and production techniques, DJ Butcher has become loyal to three crews Eloquence and Truths, Pure Product and friend/Emcee Rainman. Furthermore aiming to work on another compilation project aside from Crate Creeps to attempt to break the American scene. DJ Butcher is set to become a major player in the hip hop scene in the coming years so don’t sleep!
