Mic Pompei is hip hop’s Charles Darwin – an evolutionary theorist delivering cutting rhymes and raw personal content, analysed through an eye constantly seeking the grey area. Partnering with Melbourne producer, Dazed, together they bring us his debut LP, Shift.
Over an eclectic mix of sample-based and self-composed production, this talented MC uses his gift of the gab to deliver complex lyrics, eloquent flow, and a tale about a turning point. Pompei is an MC fighting for an evolution of the human psyche, for a change in our mentality.
Born and bred in Glebe, raised by Greek Cypriots, white Anglos, and Indigenous Australians, Pompei spent his life going from multi-storey terraces to commission house flats; one Nike Air Jordan in each of the two worlds that make up this inner western Sydney suburb. Under the roofs on either side of a storm water drain he found the same thing – young people who lived and breathed hip hop culture.
Pompei has watched from the sidelines and stood in the foray. He’s been around gang culture, painted life onto Sydney walls, filled his tank and burned through youth with a young man’s rage. Life was the issue; rap was the outlet. From politics and economics to the environment, love and loss to rebirth, rage and rejection to tolerance and empathy, this is an album that will change the game. Dazed’s production will have you bumping Shift on repeat, Pompei will inspire you to join the revolution.
Shift means a lot to me. After losing my hearing, I spent a year not listening to, or creating music. Prior to this happening I had sent Pompei rough stems of beats, a foundation for his writing. Once I thought I was mentally and physically ready, I got to work evolving these stems into songs based around Pompei’s vocals. This process became my rehab. I experienced a number of challenges, learnt a lot about myself, and came out of it a better person. In the end, my life was different, and for the better. – Dazed
“In May 2010 my Mother was diagnosed with stage two colon cancer. After the severity of the circumstance set in, I became irate. I would ride the back car of the train to work every day with my fists clenched just waiting for someone to bump me. Soon I realised that this reaction was the full capacity of my ego. I knew inherently that I had to change; for myself and for the life of my Mum. Shift outlines the earth’s potential. It’s also a story about my personal evolution from a reckless, egotistical boy, to a conscious, accountable man. Enjoy the ride. Peace“. – Mic Pompei
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