Once again, the cream of the crop of Australia's hip-hop community has banded together to offer some rare and exclusive items up for auction in benefit of a good cause… This time for our good friend and fellow musical brother in hip hop; MC, DJ & turntablist, DA MASTA who has been enduring a long-term battle with cancer. 100% of the profits (amount raised minus ebay & paypal fees) of the items sold in this auction will go directly to the DA MASTA to help with medical bills, living expenses and aid in the release of his forthcoming album.
A lot of the items up for auction are one offs and rarities kindly donated from all corners of Australia, friends, artists and peers have all chipped in… so reach deep, as cancer is a horrible disease that has a further reach than just the hip-hop community, along with the recent loss of Australian hip-hop icon MC Hunter (RIP).
The support and donations have been overwhelming and your bids are appreciated. If you do not happen to be able to bid, and want to make a donation, alternate details will be posted soon where you can directly contribute to DA MASTA. This auction was put together by DJ Sheep and being overseen by Reason and AliaK.
We'd like to send our special thanks to all who have donated items for these auctions:
360
Bigfoot
Blue Corner Records (DJ Damage & DJ Sheep)
Chris @ Soulmate Records
Chris Kelly (Adicts / Sunday Scratch Jamboree)
Crate Cartel Records
Debate (Train Of Thought)
DJ Damage
DJ Sheep
Down For The Count Records
Elefant Traks
Evolve
Evolve & Mids
Face (SSF / Smoke Screen Family)
Fizzy Fizz
Funkoars
Hams
Hilltop Hoods and Golden Era Records
Horrorshow
Jacquey (Weird Gear)
Joe Resetar
Kevin Riddell
Lau and MarleyBear on behalf of SBX
Len-1
LookUP crew, Bingethinkers, That’s Them & Sarm
Mata & Must / Pang Productions
Matty Fresh & DJ Damage
Media Fortress
Minimal Aesthetics Records
Mortar / Clandestien
Nikk-C
Porsah Laine
Ran MC
Realizm
Smokescreen Family (Da Masta)
Soul Clap Records
Soulmate Records
Southside Custom Ink
Stealth Collection (Mark Pollard via/& AliaK)
Steven Baillie
The Masta (SSF)
The Brisbane turntablists and hip hop community are organizing a fundraiser for The Masta (The Master / Da Masta / Jason Belzer) (twitter tag #Funds4DaMasta) who is also suffering from cancer. Initially they are asking for people to donate items for the eBay auctions - details below.
the auction has started! all the profits will be sent to The Masta to help ease his battle with cancer - already an amazing response - from such high quality & often rare donations, to people spreading the word, and bidding on items. still a few items to put up, but the majority are there. thanks so much to everyone involved - it feels like the whole Australian hip hop community has come together to help with this. (I will add more to the tumblr site over next few days) auctions run for another 9-10days - there's a range of items (& some aren't hip hop, if that's not your thing). I think there's something for everyone. single items & packs - if you can't afford one item, maybe consider doing a 'joint bid' with another/few people. &/or help spread the word. all help is greatly appreciated!! http://search.ebay.com.au/?sass=aliak77&ht=-1 is the direct ebay link
I remember seeing The Master DJ at gigs and in competitions (eg DMC & ITF) in Brisbane in the 1990s and early 2000s. He always had the flair to entertain the audience with crowd pleasing moves. At the time there was a fair bit of rivalry between some of the turntablists - there were battles between DJ Angus / Bribe and The Master. Angus was a friend of mine so I always went for him of course, but I thought The Master was a good turntablist too - his skills often had the crowds cheering. I remember seeing them battle it out on the decks at Rics in the Valley and at the bar in Paddington (which I've just forgotten the name of, will update when I remember).
:::
I have a copy of his "From Dole Cheques to Rolex" album also, which I'd discovered a couple of years after its release (as I'd left Brisbane officially in mid 2001, though traveled back there often throughout 2001 on weekend trips) - it's a great cd, once again, very entertaining. He's also one of the fastest Australian rappers that I've heard. His raps on this album are very funny, but in the same way a little sad in that there always seems to have been something going wrong in his life or a quirky situation in his lyrics. It's good he handled it with humour though. He used to have really long hair back then - a Samson-like character. Or an Australian version of a Philip K Dick book character, the Aussie battler.
Hunter used to speak about him very fondly on twitter - we had a few chats about his CD and DJing and Hunter would sing his praises. I found some of his tweets from 6th & 7th April 2011 - this was one occasion - I'd sent Jason a message on facebook to see if he'd like to do a video for turntabletag and had mentioned it to Hunter - he told some stories and talked about some music they were working on together. I know he wanted to help the Masta also, and mentioned that he spoke to him on the phone often. The Master lives in Melbourne now - MC Reason has posted on twitter too that he's gone over to Jason's place to help support him, and I've heard Bigfoot has been a great support also. It's just a heartbreaking situation, and we've already lost too many good people with Hunter's passing.
Hunter's new charity cd is available today "Australian Hip Hop Supports CanTeen". 100% of the money goes to CanTeen to help kids with cancer. he would have loved to have seen it released, I'm sure. I hope you can all support it. the lineup is great too, so you'll get a double cd of great music from some of Australia's best hip hop artists - it's so great to see everyone in the hip hop community pulling together to help Hunter and others with cancer.
& remember his msg: "As I depart this world with a song in my heart, I just want to say, Love each other! Love will make you happy, Love is the answer to all your questions… I got mad Love!" --HUNTER SBX.
Hunter & Mortar - Fear and Loathing—a few words with Hunter SBX about his new album with Mortar—this was originally an article for ozhiphop.com : article in forum & on http://officialozhiphop.tumblr.com. by AliaK 31/05/2011. Thanks very much to Hunter for taking the time to answer my rambling questions
:::
Hunter and Mortar released their new album "Fear and Loathing" in May 2011—the guys seem a perfect match to release an album together. Written over a few years, there's a range of styles, and fans of either of the two will not be disappointed. My personal favourites are the more introspective songs, such as Mortar's "Expecting to Fly" and Hunter's "Love and Fear" but there are also plenty of hardcore rap songs for the fans to play at parties and bars around Australia. Hunter answered a few questions and replied to comments about the new release. You can find the album in all good stores supporting Australian Hip Hop, and I'd encourage you to buy all of Hunter's and Mortar's albums, including this one—the latest chapter in the Hunter SBX story.
>> AliaK
Hunter SBX
>> I love the samples in the album tracks—both the ones from Fear & Loathing film and the songs based on the titles—they're quite varied in styles—some I wouldn't expect to hear in a hip hop track, which made me like them more (The Sound of Music, Tom Jones). did Mortar do all the music. and how did you go about putting it altogether—in person or remotely? I noticed your Hunter & DJ Vame album mentioned you hadn't met in person, but this sounds like a different approach. I read in the liner notes, that Mortar suggested the theme, and you went from there. did you decide on a sample/topic then start writing for that, or write, then find the sample to fit later.
Hunter: Most of the songs were written to the beat, like "It's not unusual" and "Favourite things", yeh so most of the samples used, sort of dictated the way the lyrics went for sure. Mortar made all the beats, and we wrote some of it together, or at least put skeletons of songs together, together, then I'd go away and polish my lyrics at home. We think Mortar came up with the idea—we aren't really sure, as we were both drunks when we started making the album.
>> hardcore rap—"nothin’ nice"—battle raps, drinking raps, cunt raps. on your albums there's a mix of these and the more introspective songs. do you have a preference in writing them or are do they just represent the different sides of you/your personality? and what does hardcore rap mean to you? any influences you'd like to mention (eg is it from the 80s "hardcore hip hop" style)
Hunter: I grew up listening to NWA, Ice T, Public Enemy and Geto Boys, so my influence is definitely with that hardcore edge. we swear a lot in our day to day lives, and we reflect our day to day lives in our music. Mortar and I aren't the kind of fellas who take girls out on double dates. Back in the day when we started the album, we were the kind of fellaz who went to the pub and got as drunk as we possibly could. We took our shit to the extreme, we didn't like things—we loathed things. But in saying that, we are smart and intelligent men. we are both well-read, and we may not be educated much past high school, but we aren't dummies either. We are also not afraid to express ourselves—we got nothing to hide. if people don't like our music, they don't like it—we used to that. we make music for the people who do like our music. we aren't trying to garnish or seduce new fans—this stuff is for people who dig it, ya dig?
>> in your albums, you shout out to your friends, Syllabolix crew—saying thanks. I love how you're showing your feelings/love for them in your songs—"hell & back" & "love and fear". I think you're very blessed to have such a great support network, both for music and life. what has having such a crew meant to you/your life.
Hunter: SBX means everything to me, they are the reason I do what I love, and the reason I love what I do. We have all worked together to get ourselves the recognition as one of the dopest Crew's in Aus! We may not be the hardest working, but we are surely one of the most skilled, most varied, and most productive crews going around... what other other Aussie Crews have got nearly 30 releases under the belt? and they all different! we got political shit, party shit, hardcore shit, we got the fuckin' works I tell ya!
I was really excited to hear that Brisbane band Step It Up had a new EP, "Push", out in 2011 on Zyl Records, as I'd loved their earlier work on their self titled album released in 1996 and I'd seen them perform in Brisbane when I lived there in 2000/2001 or so. The new EP has different versions of the song "Push"—which includes a sample from their popular song "Flex" with mixes by Obese Bass Beast and Unison Sound System. There's also a new song called "Nudge" by Blunted Stylus (aka Geoff "Jigzaw" Blunted/ex Resin Dogs/Hydrofunk). The musical lineup has changed slightly over the years, but there's still a range of music styles and techniques explored on this release—from house, to jazz, to drum'n'bass, to bass-music and beats'n'squelch styles. All in all, it's a pleasure to listen to and I'm looking forward to hearing their future sounds, as well as the cache of songs yet to be released. Des Reid was kind enough to answer a few questions about the band and its future directions. Keep an ear to the ground for their live gigs in Brisbane and elsewhere—you'll be in for a treat from these talented musicians!
>> for the "borrowed moog and juno mix", song #1 on Push—what's the story here? who'd you borrow the moog and juno from and can you keep them for a while?
> The Moog Prodigy belonged to Manny, our old keys player. I should have bought it when he sold it. The Juno 60 was DJ Damage's. They're both killer synths. I've since acquired a Juno 60 and JX-3p.
>> are there any favourite gigs, or memories of them that you'd like to share?
> The "Vibes on A Summer Day" festivals were always great. They were before festivals became commercial and unaffordable. Bondi Pavilion was a great venue. It's always nice to see a thousand people jumping up and down to your music in the sun from the stage.
>> for your live set: "Their new show has wide variety from instrumental hip-hop through Asian and Arabic influences to banging house". can you talk about some of these influences? particularly, the Asian and Arabic ones
> I have been learning some Arabic music and playing with some great oud players. We have an unreleased track called "Ïntefada" and a new one called "Free Gaza". I've always been interested in Indian music since seeing the Mahavishnu Orchestra, although I haven't studied it thoroughly and authentically. One of our best new tunes is an Indian groove tune called "Only One I know". That's partly because it's the only raga I know properly! Rohan plays in proper Indian ensembles in recitals at the Hindu temple in Virginia up here in Brisbane.
>> who are the band members of Step It Up?
> We've had some fantastic players in the past who have left town like Craig Hanicek, Darren MacPherson and Gavin Manikus on sax, Godoy and Steve Falk on percussion and DJ Frenzie. Terepai recorded the drums on "Flex" for us too.
The current line up is :
Steve Francis—drums
Steve is a great drummer and is in great demand in Brisbane. He tours with James Morrison too.
Neil Wickham is our great new sax player. He has a brilliant fusion type sound. The sax can't be too mellow in this type of music or it loses the edge and blands it out a bit.
Rohan Somasekaran is on keys. He is an awesome piano player and leads his own straight-ahead jazz outfit too. We're adding more synth to the live sound too.
I [Des Reid] play bass mostly live, but also a bit of guitar and guitar synth. I want to start contributing to the percussion too, but only in a support role—I'm only a simple player.
DJ Damage does the cuts on the EP. He's also in Terntable Jediz and The Optimen. He's one of the best turntablists I've ever seen.
Roger Gonzalez is our percussionist. He is a conga and cahon specialist, and a fantastic groove player. Marcelo, who played on the "Push" EP moved to Canberra unfortunately. We have loads of percussion recorded by him in the vaults though. Also heaps by his brother, Luis Schiavi—a killer timbales player.
Overall we have a giant backlog of tracks which we will be finishing and releasing soon. Although we haven't been playing out as often over the last few years, we never stopped writing and recording. We're sitting on a few albums really. The new label—Zyl Records will be our outlet now that we're organized.
>> do you improvise during the live sets too?
> There is a lot of improvising live. We follow the jazz tradition of arranged head—improvisation—head. We try to keep some tightly arranged sections too. One big feature of our sets is the breakdowns. We don't just have horn or keys solos—we have big sections where the drums, percussion and DJ are improvising together, feeding off each other. According to Cuban tradition, when two or more percussive players are resonating, that's when the spirits come. We're a bit tribal really.
reflections on Hunter’s first three albums
“Done DL” Hunter and Dazastah (2002)
“Going Back to Yokine” Hunter (solo album) (2006)
“Monster House” Hunter and DJ Vame (2010)
When Walter Benjamin said in 1936 that “the art of storytelling is coming to an end”—due to the rise of the printed novel and the lowering value of experience—it is clear to see he didn't anticipate the later rise of the hip hop emcee to partly revive this craft in our modern world. In all of his albums, Hunter shows his skills as a wonderful storyteller—in the traditional meaning of the term—sharing with the listener the stories from his life. Of course, not all the stories are happy, but all have an undercurrent of hope to them. There are tales of growing up, getting into trouble and later returning to his hometown of Yokine, Perth in the songs “Adolescence”, “Going Back To Yokine” and “Yokine (Drugs + Crime)”. These are stories of self-discovery, and of changing his life—giving up old ways that were not working for him and focusing on music, rapping and a hip hop infused life instead. “What I Do Best” has the feeling of “coming home” to a community of supporting people and finding your place in the world. There are stories of mateship and the value of community with his Syllabolix (SBX) family and crew. There are stories of having children and the specialness that can bring to one’s life in “Ultrasound” and “Kids of the Future”. Also, there are stories born from remembered advice from his father littering his rhymes—as it seems his Dad is always close to his thoughts and words—“Kids of the Future”, “The Big Issue”, “Me Old Man”.
Hunter has great comedic sense too—with the songs about relationships bouncing along at a steady pace. The stories of lust, the virility of youth and some of his experiences with women are some of his more popular songs. In these songs, which he describes as “nothing nice”, he tells of the women’s role in the tales. Often these stories are the most explicit, in language and description, yet there’s an undercurrent of humour to them, often hinted by the light and playful melodies that waft over the beat, which leads me to think perhaps they shouldn’t be taken too seriously at their word. The stories of relationship breakdowns and coping mechanisms in “Never Trust a Woman” are as tense as the subjects, and show that we often end up hurting those we love the most. “Coming Home” is a song about making mistakes and some of the consequences, and suggests (to me) that it’s related to “Zed”.
“Zed” is the most powerful and emotive song on his albums so far. He describes the depths of despair—taking yet another fall, thoughts of suicide, and saying good-bye. Hunter’s rapping style changes during this song—to a softer tone, almost spoken word—the enthusiasm has left his voice, to match the sombre words he is sharing with us. Upon first listen I wasn’t sure if it was him rhyming—I had to check the album liner notes to confirm—he sounds very dislocated from his normal voice and self.
I’m not even sure if I was meant for this place
so after I’m gone, please let them know
that I didn’t want to feel pain
I didn’t want to cause it
so I had to go
couldn’t swim against the flow
kept getting sucked down to the depths below
where the sun don’t even show
not even a distant glow
and we all need some sunlight to grow
it’s like a chain hanging round my neck, dragging me down
after a week you probably won’t even notice I’m not around
I used to love the sound
of waves crashing down
I want to get so lost that I can never be found
under the ground
or maybe high in the sky
nobody knows where we go when we die
so I guess this is good-bye
Hunter ponders “The Big Issue”—a mixture of his own thoughts with some long-remembered advice from his father on how to live your life, and how to cope with what life brings. There are words on pain and what it means, and of course, his ideas on the meaning of “The Big Issue”. The lyrics in this song show a higher level of consciousness, connecting the soul and mind to the heart,
I want to hear the sound of people supporting
The soul is the emotional organ
your brain has got the thought in
your heart feels the distortion
where your mouth keeps talking
and your legs keep walking
pain is just a warning, a caution
and everybody gets served a portion
The powerful and moving “Say a Prayer” says thanks to the “best friends a man could have“. It also sounds like a message for his son and those close to him—it’s at once an apology, confession and explanation of his life. For me, this is one of his best songs—Hunter has summarised his life and beliefs in these few stanzas—he has distilled his life into this one song—and shows the spiritual side of his self in a subtle and beautiful way. Be prepared to shed a few tears over this song.
please, understand what I tried to do
is be strong enough to walk alongside with you
. . .
you know I made mistakes, too many to mention
now I need to be forgiven without condition or question
my confession, yes, I made a fucken mess
but I wanna get it back to become one of the best
and I’ve been blessed
with the best of friends a man could have
and I damn should have
thanked them before this time
so I’ve gotta take the time
in the middle of this rhyme
to say Thanks
. . .
I try to do the right thing
and time and again
I keep fucking it up
and I really don’t know when
I’m going to get it back
on the right track
and I’m sorry to you all
but I want you to know that
I forgive myself
‘cause I found the connection
that forgiveness and atonement leads to redemption
every second, every step and every breath
brings us one step closer to death
and what’s next
do you love the life you live
and do you live the life of love
and is that going to be enough
to get you going, through the times ahead
because it’s going to get rougher like the Good Book says
I had a revelation, that God will move Heaven and Earth
and we’ll all get exactly what we deserve
in the end,
will Kharma be a foe or friend
please Say A Prayer
as the dark descends
Hunter writes from the soul—he shares his soul with those who listen—especially with those who listen to more than just the upbeat, party songs. There have been ups and downs in his life-story, just as there have been in each of his listener’s lives. The difference is, that Hunter’s life is laid out for all to hear in his rhymes as he contemplates life, and the experiences of his life. This reminds me of the lines highlighted by David Toop, in Seamus Heaney’s poem “Personal Helicon” which are uttered as the subject looks at himself in the reflection of water at the bottom of a well: “I rhyme / To see myself, to set the darkness echoing”. (2010: 134)
Step It Up are a premier funk and new jazz band, creating music since the 1990's in Australia. Their releases include the classic self-titled first album, plus numerous compilation tracks on labels including Ubiquity, Creative Vibes and One Movement. The band have received much airplay on Australian national broadcasters JJJ and ABC, and also on UK Jazz FM. Their instrumentals have been found to be a perfect match for movies, tv and multimedia synchronisations.
Step It Up's live credits include supports for the legendary Gil Scott-Heron and Ronnie Jordan plus appearances at Vibes on a Summer Day festivals. You can catch them live around Brisbane.
They are back with a developed sound – more electro, more uptempo, more driven & danceable. Their new show has wide variety from instrumental hip-hop through Asian & Arabic influences to banging house.
At the MF Doom gig on Friday 1st April, DJ Sheep led a turntablist battle revival in Brisbane. Prior to this gig, there’d been words – DJ Butcher had posted “dude.. u know i’ll beat you on the decks.. ur an idiot..” on OzHipHop.com (24/03/2011). DJ Sheep, following the hip hop code he lives by, raised a challenge to battle on the decks. Unfortunately the challenge was turned down, so spectators only saw one side of the battle, but they left charged. I wasn’t there to see it in person, but I saw the video and on Sunday morning, DJ Sheep said on Ozhiphop.com, “I’ve never felt better in years after a gig, i got so many daps, and props from people, it felt like the old days again for once…”, so it sounded like it was a night to remember. The only way I could imagine it being better (in my head), is if there *had* been a battle, or if there had been two sounds (sound systems) on opposite sides of a fenced off outdoor basketball court or a Jamaican dance hall like back in the early days of hip hop DJ battles.
Kodwo Eshun, in his book “More Brilliant Than The Sun”, coined the term “Sonic Fiction” when writing about one of the pioneers of hip hop DJing, Grandmaster Flash, and his album “The Amazing Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel”. I suggest that the turntablist battles could also be thought of as Sonic Fiction on multiple levels – in the sounds produced and performances of the actual turntablist set, and also in the stories behind the battles – in some case they’re personal, in other cases they’re for competition and showcase. In all cases, they are related to the DJs career and reputation. DJ Battles are the opposite of “Fight Club” – everybody (in the DJ community) talks about the battle, and the rules are set. DJ Sheep commented, “the hip-hop code is that when you call someone out or get called out, you either step up or admit defeat. if you say you’re better and back out, you’re reputation goes down the drain, that’s hip-hop. It’s been like that since the inception”.
Now back to the set – in traditional style, Sheep gave props to the fallen, shouting out RIP to Angus, Jeeps (750) and Sabre (BWP) before he started. Then he got down to business with his message explaining to the crowd that DJs used real records. “In the history of beef, it’s usually the Butcher that slaughters the Sheep, but today we’re going to see the Sheep slaughter the mutherfuckin’ Butcher”. Sheep then launched into his set – beat juggling, chirps, transform moves such as flares and orbits, and the crab. From the video, you can see a brick and sandbag on the table – DJ Sheep and Brisbane beat-maker Tigermoth highlighted the large springs in place of the table legs which caused the table to move around, and some skipping of the needles during Sheep’s set. I think the crowd probably wouldn’t have noticed this had it not be pointed out. In any case, Sheep took advantage of the moments and paused, giving space to his set and acknowledging the crowd. They gave him plenty of love in return.
Monkey Marc's studio was recently broken into and his equipment was stolen. You can help support him replacing his gear by purchasing one of his albums.
As The Market Crashed, his 2009 release, is an 11 track album
Solo instrumental hip-hop, dub, future dub and dubstep by monkeymarc. Recorded on Solar Power.
credits:
released 01 December 2009
Mixed at Sumroom Studios Paris, France by Matthias Froidefond and at Headgap Studios, Melbourne by Rohan "Infernal Machine" Mansell and mixed by Monkeymarc at all the above and at Monkeys Solar Studio, Melbourne. Mastered at Transition Studios, London, UK.
via @jean_poole's tweet : Help the lovely Monkey Marc raise $ to replace music gear stolen from his solar powered studio. Donations get his album http://is.gd/3xrYIF
@Peakstreet Also make sure to check our second #Ciecmate leak straight outta the @BrokenToothEnt HQ. This is some catchy shit www.peakstreet.com [via @Peakstreet tweet]
A massive day and night of free hip hop entertainment - welcome to Freak the Technique.
From 12pm until late, this free event delivers the best breakers, MC’s, graf artists and beat boxers, with comps and activities where you can get involved, display your talent or learn new skills. A hip hop style playground for serious players and families alike, Freak the Technique is about amping up and checking out the action, thriving in the energy of Australian Hip Hop culture.
Popping, locking, breaking, Next Gen, Beat Box and MC battles fill the day. Outside, the best graf artists and writers compete in a huge mural competition, and you can get involved in throw-up and tagging comps in a safe and legal environment.
Last but not least, the shakedown and finals of PLATFORM’s Freak the Technique Breaking Battle – expect massive moves and death defying tricks as the best crews from all over Australia battle it out for a heaving crowd and international judges: B*Boy Blond (Korea), B*Boy Storm (Germany), and POE 1 (USA).
It’s one of the largest events on the Hip Hop calendar. People come from all over the country to compete and check out the action at Freak the Technique, part of thePlatform Hip Hop Festival.
the Flood Money Auction is a fundraiser that is bringing together the Australian hip hop community to support those who have suffered after the devastating floods in QLD. The biggest and best have all donated some amazingly rare and valuable items to be sold with all proceeds going towards the Premiers Flood Appeal. visit http://floodmoney.org for more details and to see the items up for auction. as at 13th feb, @PeakStreet mentioned "$4,500 rustled up for this #FloodMoneyAuction already & counting!" great work everyone
Fri 4 Mar Cambridge Hotel Newcastle NSW
Sat 5 Mar Tone Surry Hills NSW
Fri 11 Mar Republic Bar Hobart TAS
Sat 12 Mar Workers Club Fitzroy VIC
One Day at The Basement is an entirely acoustic show starring Horrorshow, Spit Syndicate and Joyride. Sunday March 6 at The Basement in Sydney. http://elefanttraks.oztix.com.au
The Tongue is performing at Summer Rhythms Festival in Canberra on FEB 19, PUSHOVER in Melbourne Sunday March 13 as well as Sydney’s Manning Bar on April 7.
The Last Kinection are very close to completing their much anticipated 2nd record but the sad news is it won’t be released this March as promised. We’ll keep you in the loop but all we can say is we’ve heard a few songs and there are some KILLER tunes coming.
Urthboy is performing one of his last solo shows for 2011 when he storms The Espy in Melbourne this Saturday Feb 12. Tickets moving very quickly.
The Australian hip hop community is holding a fundraiser on ebay for Hunter SBX - organized by Len One & Bias B with records & cds donated from various hip hop DJs, MCs and groups. Please help raise money and get the word out. This is one of the reasons why I love the hip hop community - the guys really look out for each other.
If you've got some spare cash, please help raise money for Hunter SBX - one of the hip hop guys in Perth who's battling with cancer. The money raised goes to Hunter & his five year old son, Marley. Even if you don't want to keep the records/cds you buy or aren't into Aus hip hop, you could re-sell them later as they get crazy prices on ebay these days (do a search), and the money would really help them out.
http://shop.ebay.com.au/wordburner/m.html has the list of items - more info in the item descriptions (pls pass on to others who might be able to help) (organized by LenOne & BiasB)
more details is available in the item's descriptions :
HEAT 4 HUNTZ
Are you ready to witness the most amazing collection of local Hip Hop ever listed for auction?
The cream of Australia's talent has pooled together for a once in a lifetime eBay listing, offering some extremely rare & desirable bits n' pieces from their own collections for our friend HUNTER-SBX.
The "HEAT 4 HUNTZ" eBay auction begins Sunday the 8th of November 2010 to help the Perth, Western Australian stalwart who has been battling with Cancer. 100% will go to Hunter & his son Marley!
As a huge fan of the Oz scene, Hunter is an avid collector of the vinyl releases this country has offered, so it's only fitting we offer a massive selection of some of Huntz faves from over the past 10 years. Most of the pieces on offer are long out of print collectibles with many personalized for this auction by the artist, making the items majorly rare! So.....bid accordingly!
This auction will be run by "Wordburner" a.k.a. Bias B, so you can trust the auctions will be 100% legit!
Peers of Hunter's who've helped out with items from their own collections are:
750 Rebels
Bias B
Brothers Stoney
Def Wish Cast
Delta
DJ Bonez
DJ DCE
Hilltop Hoods
Koolism
Lazy Grey
Len One
Muph
Pegz
Plutonic Lab
Reason
Resin Dogs
Stewbakka
Trem
Turntable Jediz ([sic] Terntable Jediz)
Please note: this auction ends 10 days from the starting date 7th November. This is a one off event with no repeats on items offered. We'd also love to thank all those who've offered their hard earned time, efforts, filed back catalogs & support in getting all of this together in such a short amount of time.
some of the Aus hip hop MCs are taking part in #rappertag - it's like an online cypher / circle, where one rapper takes their turn then tags the next person in. then that person uploads their video & this repeats. it's getting/is (?) quite popular, so for today's #vlomo10, I'm mixing the twitter memes a bit and made a quick video showing you some of the #rappertag clips & details. check it out if you're interested. today's #rappertag #14 by Suffa from Hilltop Hoods got a great reaction, so we're waiting for the next installment now. (anyone else thinking a little along the lines of William Gibson's (@greatdismal) pattern recognition video-on-the-net-footage? not exactly the same, but along similar lines?)
ARKS - BRISBANE SHOW, DIGGIN' RELATED
Arks & DJ Sheep - SPECIAL SHOWCASE
"one of Melbourne's finest DJs goes head to head with Brisbane's own DJ Sheep to bring you the best in soul, funk and hip hop on 4 turntables and 2 mixers! ONE SHOW ONLY!"
Rumpus Room (Cnr. Boundary Rd & Russel St, West End)
Saturday 29th May 2010
Free Entry. 8pm - 2am.
*Arks will also be the special guest at Weird Gear on Sunday 30th May @ Rumpus Room playing dusty gems sourced from his worldwide travels...
ARKS - MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
Hailing from Melbourne, Arks has been DJing for just under a decade, and is recognised locally as having mastered the ability to mix, scratch and blend hip hop with soul, funk and disco without ever missing a beat. He has accomplished the following milestones during his career;
DJ'd and held down residencies at some of Melbourne's most prestigious venues including; Honky Tonks, Revolver, The Croft Institute, Bimbo Deluxe, First Floor, The Espy, Hi-Fi Bar, Laundry and more!
Did a 1 year stint in Tokyo which included gigs in Tokyo's nightclub hub, Roppongi and residency on the top floor of Tokyo's Grand Hyatt Hotel.
Shared the stage alongside Mr Thing, DJ Spinna, Cut Chemist, ?uestlove (The Roots), Steve Spacek, Harmonic 313, The Beat Junkies (Rhettmatic, Shortkut, Melo-D), DJ Revolution, Rahzel, Tim Dog, A-Trak (Kanye West), Klever and loads more!
A long-time vinyl collector since his teenage years, Arks is widely respected as an authority on vintage vinyl, and has travelled the world in search of elusive dusty gems; Europe, UK, Asia and all over North America including Canada.
Founded MOTIF (Melbourne Open Turntablist InFluence) with DJ Selekt (Australian DMC Champion); a monthly turntablism showcase that saw Australia's best turntablists perform during the peak golden years of DJ battles in this country - past performers included Staen-1, Finatik, DJ Sheep, J-Red and more!
Produced beats and mixed down tracks for Terntable Jediz debut album "All Out War".
Collaborated on a series of battle records with Australian hip-hop legend, John Idem.
Supplied beats for the Liquid Pixel skateboarding video series.
Arks currently holds down monthly residencies at First Floor, The Croft Institute and Dirty Secrets, and is a monthly guest on cult Melbourne radio show "The Breakdown" with DJ Manchild on PBS 106.7 FM. Having accomplished his goals locally in Melbourne, he has set his sights around Australia in 2010 as well as returning overseas!
BC/DC PRESENTS: WEIRD GEAR - LAST SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH w/ DJ Sheep, Bruce Highway, Len-1, Chubba, Jacquey
The Brisbane Crate Diggers Co-Op presents - WEIRD GEAR - A monthly event (last Sunday of every month) where the BC/DC crew play their favourite and weirdest records...
The event is syndicated with the Melbourne edition of Weird Gear. The focus is not on the dancefloor, so come and let your ears have an orgasm.
The Weird Gear crew dip into their record collection monthly and play a range of styles and genres including 60s and 70s Pop, Psych, Space Prog, Moog, Folk, Electronics, Jazz, Proto-Hip-Hop, Soundtracks and other eclectic treats!
STRICTLY VINYL. NO MP3s, CDs OR COMPUTERS.
It's FREE entry, and it's on at Rumpus Room, so you know it's going to be chill. LAST SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH from 3pm - 9pm.
The address for your GPS: Cnr. Boundary Rd & Russel St, West End
Resident DJs, the BC/DC - DJ Sheep, Bruce Highway, Len-1, Chubba, Jacquey + a SPECIAL GUEST INVITED EVERY MONTH TO JOIN THE MADNESS!
Stylus, 45 adaptors and other record accessories proudly supplied by Rocking Horse Records.
Much love to Callum Flack for the lovely flier artwork!
Announcing the debut of the twice-yearly BC/DC RECORD FAIR in Brisbane.
BC/DC stands for the Brisbane Crate Diggaz Co-Op, a group of like minded record enthusiasts who are working towards a greater good for music in this city.
The fair is to be held on the same day as Weird Gear in APRIL, which is Sunday the 25th. You should be there if you're a vinyl head already!! But if you haven't checked it out by then, this is your chance...
The event kicks off at 3pm. And dealers will stay until 7 or 8pm. It's FREE entry, and it's a late start, so roll through whenever, it will be chill, no frantic diggin'... browse at your own leisure, in the comfort that is the RUMPUS ROOM. Portable turntables will be supplied with headphones, so if you need to listen, the gear is there... just bring yourself, your duckets and your mind.
The dealers at the fair are hand-picked because they are experts in their own field.... we will only be selling hip-hop, jazz, funk, prog/psych rock, soul, disco and food for the SAMPLERS...
All dealers come from a hip-hop/diggin' perspective and you can ask for what you need... Any requests for certain records or artists, please post them here and the crew will check it out and try bring stuff of that vein... lots of drum breaks, loops, rap singles, hip-hop records, etc. to be found. There will be cheap records, and there will be expensive records. But all of it will be priced reasonably, not eBay or popsike prices.
SELLERS;
DJ Sheep (Tasman Connection)
Bruce Highway (Moist Wreckers)
Milesago (Rocking Horse)
Blunted Stylus (Jigsaw Geoff)
Jacquey (Worldwide Grooves)
Chubba (Phat Tape)
DJ Damage (Terntable Jediz)
ARKS - BRISBANE SHOW, DIGGIN' RELATED
BC/DC PRESENTS: WEIRD GEAR - LAST SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH w/ DJ Sheep, Bruce Highway, Len-1, Chubba, Jacquey
Announcing the debut of the twice-yearly BC/DC RECORD FAIR in Brisbane.
