allaussie hip hop’s spotlight on: Fraksha

As a member of the UK group Nine High, Fraksha has consistently displayed a level of skill to put him up there with the big boys. Playing shows extensively around the UK alongside most of the scene’s heavyweights including such artists as Skinnyman, Klashnekoff, and Blak Twang has given him the ability to hype crowds of any kind impressing fans and peers alike with his wordplay and presence in the live arena. In 2006 after having sold out two well received mix-tapes in the UK, Fraksha and Nine High made the move out to Australia where they had previously made … Continue reading allaussie hip hop’s spotlight on: Fraksha

M-Phazes produces another banger

M-Phazes is at it again, this time hooking up with Brooklyn-based emcee Frank B, for his forthcoming album Just Being Frank. Frank B is the Marine Park,  Brooklyn-based emcee & former contestant on Missy Elliot’s television series The Road To Stardom which aired in 2005. The Other Side Of Brooklyn is the debut single to Frank B’s forthcoming album Just Being Frank. This track is produced  by M-Phazes and features scratches from Coalmine’s C.E.O. & founder, DJ Dutchmaster. This record pays homage to the ‘other’, lesser referenced neighborhoods in the county of kings and includes features and production from Sean … Continue reading M-Phazes produces another banger

Decked Out TV

There has been a few changes to the line up schedule for Decked Out TV. Due to a lack of funding, they guys have decided to run 3 live shows instead of 5, and put all our headline act’s on the 3. On the last show we saw Mystro headline with the Indigenous Intrudaz. Below you can check out some of the Decked Out TV highlights plus the promo vid. The next show penciled in for April 9, will feature some of Queensland’s finest. On the line up we have DJ Sanchez (SA), PJ, Pure Product, Sneaky T, Rainman and … Continue reading Decked Out TV

Inside Plutonic Lab

Here are some pics we thought you may find interesting. Thrown up by the man that’s responsible for some of the dopest production in this country – Plutonic Lab. Please note pic 4: Melbourne-based soul artist Jess Harlen debuts her anticipated full length album Neon Heartache, the first release from the freshly launched Plethora Records. Titled Watch The Water, this song is the first sample of music from the heralded musical collaboration between Harlen (named ‘Best Unsigned Artist’ at the 2007 Urban Music Awards) and 2008 ARIA Nominee and 2009 Mercury Prize Winner (for his work with Speech Debelle) Plutonic … Continue reading Inside Plutonic Lab

Phunnymoney – Cypher Round Vol.1 ; Droppin’ Shit

Phunnymoney is a Sydney based, born and breed beat maker with a lifelong passion for music, collecting rare records and finding those breaks that make it all worthwhile. Phunnymoney’s new CD: Cypher Round Vol.1 ; Droppin’ Shit is available now as a free digital. The CD has many elements that are typical of the style Phunnymoney is known for like heavy drums, deep booming bass with a warm analogue sound. Back in 1999 Phunnymoney was competing nationally as a battle DJ. Proving to himself and the Hip Hop Australian scene what he is capable of. Not only with his scratching, … Continue reading Phunnymoney – Cypher Round Vol.1 ; Droppin’ Shit

Man faces court charged for bumping Kid Selzy album

An interesting articled was pointed out to us today, involving Melbourne emcee Kid Selzy. The article titled ‘Come listen to the creep show’ by Matt Neal, appeared on ‘The Standards’ (newspaper) website. Now it’s worth a read as Kid Selzy is asked for his opinion on the matter. One of the highlights from the article is Kid Selzy’s stance on the music that he finds offensive, good stuff. It is reported that this is the first time anyone has been charged under Australian law with offensive behaviour for listening to music. Article below: A WARRNAMBOOL court case could have ramifications … Continue reading Man faces court charged for bumping Kid Selzy album

Torcha & B-Don – Frozen State LP (Out Today)

A work ethic unmatched, Sydney emcee Torcha teams up with producer B-Don for his third release in less than a year. Following new albums under the Hyjak & Torcha name along with the debut of his rock group A Broken Silence, Torcha & B-Don round out the trifecta with the new LP Frozen State, a hybrid hip hop album influenced by its elements of hard rock, classical, and chart topping tunes. Stay tuned for a full review of Frozen State, coming soon. Track listing: 01. On the Map 02. Road Rage 03. Internet Age 04. Waiting 05. Smoke Circles 06. … Continue reading Torcha & B-Don – Frozen State LP (Out Today)

Monster House – Hunter and DJ Vame – COMING SOON

Will be in shops and iTunes this week, running late. In 2008, old school Australian hip hop legend, DJ Vame (Def Wish Cast, Cannibal Tribe) emailed another Australian Hip Hop legend Hunter, from Western Australia’s Syllabolix Crew, (Drapht, Downsyde, Layla, Clandestien, and Matty B) and offered him some beats. Hunter liked the beats so much; he immediately asked Vame if he would be interested in doing a project, collaboration, or even an album together. Vame, who had been putting together a collection of mad slamming beats, and really only letting them out to a certain few, jumped at the chance … Continue reading Monster House – Hunter and DJ Vame – COMING SOON

Mata & Must + Rezadent – Dual Album Launch

QLD heads are in for a treat when Mata & Must team up with with Rezadent, for an all out dual album launch, featuring some of QLD’s finest in support. Continue reading to get the full low down on this big night. Mata & Must (Paradox of Minds) In 2003 Mata & Must released their first EP on their own imprint established out of necessity. Six years on with an ever growing fan base, Melbourne label Pang Productions are celebrating their tenth release with Mata & Must’s long awaited debut full length album Paradox Of Minds. Leading up to the … Continue reading Mata & Must + Rezadent – Dual Album Launch

Swarmy (Overproof) – Mixtape Downloads

Swarmy is noted as one of the fiercest emcees rolling around Sydney . If you’ve seen his live show, you can testify that Swarmy can rock a crowd, with backing from PSYKEone on the turntables and beat machines, get yourselves ready. Swarmy released a mixtape last year titled Fed Up But Still Hungry and he finally uploaded it to Soundclould for us. You can also download the mixtape direct from the link found below. The link to download: Swarmy – “Fed up but still hungry” Swarmy is also a member of Overproof. Overproof consists of Fame, Abuse & Swarmy, 3 … Continue reading Swarmy (Overproof) – Mixtape Downloads

Simplex’s – Solo Joint

Emcee Simplex will drop his long-awaited solo joint on Obese this year. One of this country’s most talented (and under-rated) hip hop talents to grace this country. Simplex’s solo album is slated for a mid-year 2010 release. The album is pretty much a collection of tracks that Simplex has been working on for a few years now, ideas he had wanted to get out from inside his head and inside his computer. Simplex also admits that he is using a bunch of beats that span around eight years of production styles. He is trying to keep the album as varied … Continue reading Simplex’s – Solo Joint

Chalkfest

The next Chalkfest held on Sunday March 7, will feature an impressive line up of hip hop acts, graffiti demos, emcees, DJ’s and guest breakers. All of this molded together for a visual and sensory experience like no other. With Resin Dogs as one of Chalkfests headline acts, its going to be another big Sunday at Chalk. Resin Dogs, Seth Sentry, Winnie Coopers, The Optimen, Omni Anti, Surecut Kids, Cutloose, Jungle Traffic, Fattal Brothers, DJ Solo + More acts TBA. Tickets $22 + BF Available through all moshtix outlets and on the door on the day. CHALKFEST and its featured … Continue reading Chalkfest

Hip Hop @ The Fringe This Weekend

This Friday (March 5) we have a a big hip hop line up at Adelaide’s Fringe Festival. Catch Level Headed, After Hours and then Curse Ov Dialect, all for the bargain price of $10. Times are below. Get there. Presented by Higher Ground. Shimmering West is the  brand new outdoor venue, running on Light Square. A fantastic array of live music acts will be appearing on the Shimmering West stage throughout the Fringe Festival. Shimmering West Tickets are available through Higher Ground – 9 Light Square Adelaide. Phone – (08) 8410 5599.. 10:00 – Level Headed 10:45 – After Hours … Continue reading Hip Hop @ The Fringe This Weekend

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

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

Fluent Form – The Furnace Review

We take a look at one of the top releases from 2009, Fluent Form’s – The  Furnace. Released mid to late last year under Obese Distro, The Furnace caught a few people sleeping, including us. After selling out his independently released debut album, Chapters Of Substance, Fluent Form wasted no time in returning to the front lines with his sophomore LP. Across 14 tracks, Fluent continues to demonstrate his ability as a lyricist to combine concepts with complexity. To add to this release, Fluent has recruited a stellar line-up of guests including veterans Brad Strut and Ciecmate alongside Melbourne’s Mata … Continue reading Fluent Form – The Furnace Review

Fluent Form Interview

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 … Continue reading Fluent Form Interview

The Sneakquel Tour with special guest Mantra

In the name of late nights and lost mornings, Urthboy is coming to your town on the Sneakquel Tour throughout April and May 2010. Nominated for this year’s Australian Music Prize (one of the only artists nominated twice) Urthboy is joined on stage by the incandescent Jane Tyrrell and DJ/producer Elgusto. Their Spitshine Tour in Oct/Nov 2009 was a huge success playing to over 10,000 people. After successfully navigating their way through the Australian Summer Festival collision course, the time for a headline tour with visuals, dance moves and new tunes has come. In support is gun-lyricist Mantra, whose debut … Continue reading The Sneakquel Tour with special guest Mantra

Choose Mics – Beggars Can’t Be Choosers (April 9)

Choose Mics, the duo comprising emcee Haunts and DJ/Producer Mules, would have to be a couple of the hardest working geezers in the biz. With their debut album Beggars Can’t Be Choosers hitting stores in April, Choose Mics have also just wrapped up a massive east coast tour with aussie heavy weights Phrase, Bliss N Eso and Muph & Plutonic, the timing couldn’t be better for them to drop their first official release. Now based on the Gold Coast, Birmingham born Haunts brings a fresh new flavour to the local hip hop scene. Described as a hard nosed and in … Continue reading Choose Mics – Beggars Can’t Be Choosers (April 9)

Mantra – Power of the Spoken (March 26)

Through his early work with Equills and acclaimed Melbourne outfit Illzilla, Mantra has been blazing a name for himself since 2005. Boasting a captivating flow and intelligent lyrical work, Mantra has risen in status to become one of Australia’s most respected MCs, as touted by artists and fans alike. His debut album, Power of the Spoken, is driven by the importance of the verbalized thought; a way to paint ideas, thoughts, and opinions in its most effective form. In the opening title track, he breaks down the very word “mantra” as a concept- chanted and recited through history as “phonetic … Continue reading Mantra – Power of the Spoken (March 26)

D’Opus and Roshambo – Past Time (2010)

D’Opus & Roshambo are set to unleash some new material, and are spearheading it with their new single Come Find Out, featuring Chanel Cole on the hook (alternatively, off the hook, depending on how you look at it). Ross Garrett (D.Opus) and Rowan Thomson (Roshambo) met in 2003; D’Opus already an established DJ having supported everyone from the Jungle Brothers, Q*Bert, Mr. Thing and De La Soul, while emcee Ro had built up an impressive reputation for spreading the hip hop gospel through his long-running show on 2XX FM. Taking inspiration from the golden era of hip hop, classic funk … Continue reading D’Opus and Roshambo – Past Time (2010)

Illy – Pictures 2010 Tour + New Acoustic CD

With Illy’s single Pictures landing at #66 on Triple J’s Hottest 100, Illy has lined up a spate of shows through the month of April in support of its success, dubbed the Pictures 2010 Tour. The tour comes on the heels of the recent announcement that Illy will be one of the few hip-hop acts to be part of this year’s Groovin’ The Moo festival set to take place through May. With a new set that will include previews from his upcoming sophomore album, Illy has tapped local Melbourne hip hop crew BBS to support. Illy’s set will be accompanied … Continue reading Illy – Pictures 2010 Tour + New Acoustic CD

The StatesMen – Sean B & DJ Dcide debut single feat. Lazy Grey

To many Brisbane locals, The StatesMen’s Sean B & Dcide (aka DJ Dce), are synonymous with the city’s hip hop scene. They’ve not only spent 18 years collectively on radio and behind the boards with 4zZz’s PhatTape Hip Hop Show, but have also appeared as artists on a wide array of Australian Hip Hop releases, many since revered as pure classic’. Two years in the making, The StatesMen’s debut album, Drama To The Finish authentically defines the process for these two pioneering creatives, as the road here has been brutally long and seen many adventures, all of which are wrapped … Continue reading The StatesMen – Sean B & DJ Dcide debut single feat. Lazy Grey

Horrorshow Ticket Winner!

The buzz around Horrorshow is staggering: they’ve swept up everyone from Triple J kids to purist heads and indie hipsters. Their new album Inside Story was JJJ Album of the Week & Hip Hop Album of the Year (SMH) and their joint launch with Urthboy sold out the Metro Theatre in Sydney. The evocative brand of earnest, ego-free hip-hop announced by their debut album The Grey Space, earned them an ARIA nomination for Best Urban Release. Coupled with acclaimed recordings is their growing reputation for explosive live shows, most recently winning over a swag of new fans during 25 shows (over 7000 payers) on … Continue reading Horrorshow Ticket Winner!

Thundamentals ‘Mic Silk’ Live

Thundamentals have had a huge run of live shows and performances over the last 6 months, this continues with shows still to come on the My Lady Tour. To get everyone in the mood….well Melbourne and Brisbane more specifically, check out the two vid’s posted.  Both of these videos were taken from the Thundamentals album launch, held at The Gaelic Club, Friday 30/10/09. The first video features a track that Thundamentals really only perform live, Mic Silk. Check it, you can also cop tickets below by following the links. Get down if your in Melbourne or Brisbane, quality supports for … Continue reading Thundamentals ‘Mic Silk’ Live

The Optimen Update – The Out of Money Experience (April 10)

It’s been awhile since we first heard about The Optimen’s next project, The Out Of Money Experience and finally after all this waiting, the guys have locked in a release date. April 10 will be the day The Optimen unleash The Out Of Money Experience on the nation with a few tracks floating around already (Myspace and free download),  things are sounding large. Here’s what the guys at Red Tape had to say about the whole affair. We got some good news here at Red Tape! From the people who brought you Boomtown and The Red Tape Renegades, The Optimen’s … Continue reading The Optimen Update – The Out of Money Experience (April 10)

M-Phazes – Goodbye Gravity (1st single)

The first single off M-Phazes’ debut album Good Gracious is titled Goodbye Gravity. M-Phazes work is met head on by Muph & Plutonics energetic live setting; resulting in a remarkable connection between live instrumentation (bass, keys & guitar with Plutonic Lab on percussion) orchestrated by M-Phazes and Muphs distinct vocal tone. Highlighted by Melbourne soul singer Candice Moniques choral hook, Goodbye Gravity is a certain achievement on its own. Stay tuned to your radio next week, as it’s been revealed that Good Gracious will be Triple J’s feature album of the week. You can also see from the pic below, … Continue reading M-Phazes – Goodbye Gravity (1st single)

mdusu – new album + free mixtape

Hailing from Hobart – Australia’s southern-most capital city, mdusu (pronounced muh-DOO-soo) is one of Tasmania’s premier hip hop artists. Since his first live performance as an emcee in 2003, the MC/producer has built himself a reputation Australia-wide for quality recordings and raucous live shows, a feat which is all the more remarkable considering the isolation of his home town. In just a few short years, he has performed alongside acts such as De La Soul, Jurassic 5, Jungle Brothers, Z-Trip, Swollen Members, The Herd, Drapht, Funkoars, Muph & Plutonic etc. and can even lay claim to having shared a stage … Continue reading mdusu – new album + free mixtape

Urthboy nominated for an Australian Music Award

Sydney artist Urthboy (Elefant Traks) aka Tim Levinson has been nominated to join the shortlist for this year’s Australian music award, The Amps, for his new album, Spitshine. Urthboy, also known for his work with The Herd, worked on the new album with fellow stable mates Hermitude. Levinson makes up one of the nine artists on the shortlist for the Australian Music Prize for outstanding album of 2009, the second time he’s been nominated after The Signal made the cut in 2007. Now in its fifth year, the music prize is not just the most reputable of the gongs handed … Continue reading Urthboy nominated for an Australian Music Award

Debut solo from Ozi Batla – Wild Colonial (2010)

Ozi Batla is one of Australia’s best known emcees, fronting both The Herd and Astronomy Class. He is best known for penning anthemic tunes such as “77%”, “Starship Troopers” and “A Bright Tomorrow”, sharing credits on “We Can’t Hear You”, “Only 19” and the early Australian hip hop breakthrough “Scallops” in 2003. Renowned for his often politically charged lyrics, he also been involved outside music, through direct activism, fundraising and conducting hip hop workshops for disadvantaged youths in the outback and inner cities. Far from a one-dimensional emcee, his vocal range is as evident live as on record. He is … Continue reading Debut solo from Ozi Batla – Wild Colonial (2010)