2011 has proven to be a huge year for one of Australian Hip Hops newest labels, Big Village. 2011 saw the release of a label collaboration album, Big Things Volume 1which saw new and exclusive tracks from the entire Big Village line up, Daily Meds, Loose Change, True Vibenation, Tuka, Jeswon and Reverse Polarities. This album showed that nothing but big things for this small Sydney based label in the future. August saw the release of Big VIllages's main man Ellesquire's debut solo album, "Ready" which has received nothing but love from fellow hip hop heads and was added to the rotation on the J's. September came and October passed but not without several insane gigs form Ellesquire on tour after releasing his debut album. Finally November came which saw the release of True Vibenation's debut album, " The Sunshower Phenomenon".
But the question ponders in one's head, "How do you wrap such a successful year like this up?" Well with a christmas party to out do all christmas parties of course. so make sure that this Friday the 23rd of December you head down to Sydney's Annandale Hotel for a Block Party style christmas party like no other. The line up features the entire Big Village crew, True Vibenation, Ellesquire, Tuka, Daily Meds and Rapaport and a whole heap of extend fam including, Ozi Batla, Joe New, She Rex, Herb, Ruthless, DJ Migz and High Tops Brass Band. Tickets are just $10 presale and $15, Doors open at 7pm so be sure to get down for a Merry old night of celebration of the year that has been and the year to come.
Well its that time of year, yep you guessed it! Its time to vote for Triple J's Hottest 100. This year the list is jam packed with Australian Hip Hop and we have gone through and pulled all the Hip Hop out of list to make it that much easier for all you hip hop heads out their. Make sure that you get your votes in by January 16 and then come Australia Day make sure that you've got the radio tuned to the J's while sitting round the barbie sinking a few bevo's. Congratulations to all the artist who were shortlisted for the hottest 100! So get your votes in NOW! http://www2b.abc.net.au/votecentral/Client/Login.aspx?E=82
After producing an album that was truly "State Of The Art" that pushed the limits of Australian Hip Hop once agin some may ask the question weather the Hoods will be able to out do them selfs agin? Well if the release of the Hilltop Hoods new single "I Love It" Featuring Sia and produced by One Above it has held down the number 1 spot on the Australian iTunes Hip Hop Charts doesn't do it then releasing not only one killer video for their first single from the forthcoming album "Drinking From The Sun" but three insane clips should show how the Hilltop Hoods are going to push the bar higher once agin with the release of "Drinking From The Sun"
The three film clips were directed by three different directors who through their clips all convoy a unique interpretation of the single however in one way or another each connecting reference still exists between them.
Animal Logic is one of the worlds leaders when it comes to design, animation and visual effects, all of which can be seen in their version of the song. The direction that Animal Logic chose to take with their film clip was to allow the viewer to see the world through the eyes and imagination of a child. We see the transformation of turntables into fascinating landscapes and entryways into and underground imaginative worlds.
The second version of the song was brought to life by Blue Tongue Films. Directed by Nash Edgerton we see the Hoods embark on a journey through a majestic rainforest equipped with all that they need. This version of the song has a real professional film feel to it, more as though it was the opening scene to a full length feature film. It is a truly magical interpretation of the song.
Carl Allison and Nick Kozakis took a very dark approach when shooting their version of the song. Shot guerrilla stype on a tight budget we see what some would call a more traditional hip hop or old school film clip as the Hoods roam the highways picking up unfortunate hitchhikers.
What started as a bunch of friends collaboratively coming together to promote one another under a local crew name IFS (I Forget Sorry) has now seen the release of several successful releases from all five artists. The next step for this crew come label, distributor and artist management hub is a free mix tape from all five artists once the clock strikes 12AM on Christmas Eve. We were lucky enough that our good friend at I Forget Sorry, Coptic Soldier did not forget to send us a early copy of his mix tape. Check out our review of a few of the tracks below.
Amazing Grace
I don't think that I would have ever though of Amazing Grace as a hip hop track, but Coptic Soldier has done the unthinkable. This traditional Christian hymn that carries the message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit. We see in the opening lines of the track that Coptic Soldier looks at the modern world and how it judges all aspects of our life. "I don't know if grace is gone, cause all i see is mirrors placed that are placed in front of our blemishes, so each face is judged as if that would inspire change in us." This is juxtaposed by the traditional chorus "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now I see." which talks of a ever forgiving God who forgives all.
On Edge ft Koolta
Track 2 features Koolta and discusses how we continually live life on the edge, out of nothing more than curiosity to see what will come next. " We live on the edge just see the view " Coptic Soldier reflects on his premature entrance into the scene due to this "On Edge" lifestyle that he talks about. "My first release was a false start mix tape, it didn't put me in a good light, i don't know what they expected me to look like but they were just my first tracks, in hine sight i wish i didn't put them out, but a label signed me and i was off on tour, they had a bad rep, i had a rookie sound, first impression counts and I lost that lure."
Words I Never Said
Words I Never Said see's Coptic Soldier take a crack at the media for the way they portray Coptic Christians and how they seem to always twist stories or only tell half the story to ensure that it is politically correct. "Well go and turn on TV Charlie Sheean and so and so blabbering about such and such, but that ain't Women's Day, homie thats the news, and these are the same people suposiably telling us the truth." He focus's on the recent revolution in Egypt and how all media agencies from Australian to International did not manage to get the full picture of what was going on. "western world response to egypt was a bunch of bull, from CNN to Channel Ten they couldn't get the full picture." The chorus of the song see's a plead with both the public and the media to wake up and look at the truth. "Its so loud inside my head with words i should have said wake up now look up now"
Lordy Mary
Lordy Mary sees Coptic Soldier take a step back and analyse where he is in life at the moment and what he is really doing with his music. "They say this scene is a chess game, I'm a pawn just looking for my next break, musical is spiritual but am i just using it to fetch fame." We see that as the track progresses we see that he appreciates what he has and that music is a spiritual outlet for him and not a quest for fame. "I don't want to spend my life chasing this fame, but many one day ill write a song for the sake of song, and then i might see all the joy i can claim form it or the change it could bring"
12.12.11
Last week saw the release of yet another rapper tag from RINSE but as many of you would be aware there is now many other "rapper tags" going on from the underground rapper tag to the Under 18 rapper tags. However many people just right these other rapper tags off just because they were not the original one and nothing more than a rip off. Lately I have taken great interest in the U18's rapper tag after the release of Sydney emcee Stories For Nothing dropped his rapper tag which is the first Accapella rapper tag (to my knowledge).
A few months ago now we sat down with Kelton from Stories for Nothing in our first feature artist. Check out both the rapper tag below and our interview with Kelton below.
Each month Bottom Of The Atlas will feature an artist or group starting this month. This month we are going to get the ball rolling with Sydney based artist, Kelton Muir (Stories For Nothing). I managed to catch up with Kelton for a brief chat on his institutions, works and aspirations.
Group Name: Stories For Nothing
Members: Kelton Muir
Releases to date: First Book of Rhymes
Idol: Nick Briant-Smith aka Solo from Horrorshow
BOTA: When did you officially decide to release works under the title “Stories For Nothing”?
Stories For Nothing: There wasn’t a precise date as such when it started, I guess that it was sometime last year during year 12, it just happened. That shit was all a blur really.
BOTA: Your first release, First Book of Rhymes. What inspired these tracks.
Stories For Nothing: First Book of Rhymes is literally that, my first book of rhymes combined into a short album. The inspiration for this collection of songs came from my very early introduction into aussie hip hop combined with my introduction into kidulthood. I was finding my feet in both, and that is strongly represented in the music.
BOTA: Who and or what would you say is your biggest inspiration for you when creating your music?
Stories For Nothing: The biggest inspirations for music would have to be fellow Sydney artists, Horrorshow. I also draw inspiration from Tupac and various other artist.
BOTA: What do you wish to achieve through your music?
Stories For Nothing: My ultimate life time goal would be to make an impact on peoples life. I want my music to inspire people and spread infectious emotions through the audience. If I can achieve that, even if only with a small group of people, I will be a happy man.
BOTA: What best describes your music?
Stories For Nothing: My music is an exhibition of my emotions and the thoughts, feelings and actions of those around me through musical expressionism, poetry and witty lyricism.
BOTA: Why did you start to make music?
Stories For Nothing: I actually wrote a rhyme about that today... “for most of my life-time, hip-hop has been my life-line, so late one sour night-time i picked up a pen to write rhymes”. I guess I just felt the need to express myself and music was simply my outlet. Plus, hip-hop has been so influential to me and my life, I feel like I should give something myself to the genre.
BOTA: Are there any future works and performances planed/in progress?
Stories For Noting: I just finished a string of live performances supporting the likes of Phatchance, Coptic Soldier and the Electric Elements Crew as well as doing a few small shows of just my own work (well, my work and the work of my amazing acoustic band). I have a few shows on the radar including a few local festival slots and the "Hologram" shows, so my schedule is continually busy. My "Second Book Of Rhymes" is going to drop soon, it’s in the mixing process at the moment. It should be considerably stronger than my First Book Of Rhymes and is going to be something that I will be very proud of when I release it. Busy times ahead – stay tuned.
Download First Book of Rhymes for free here and in the meantime check out this track below called What's Going On produced by Jae Moon and mastered by Phatchance.
Get excited for the release of Thundmentals new video clip for their latest single "How You Been" from their latest album Foreverlution! For now heres a little teaser.
Self confessed addicts of rap Sceptic & Dseeva are the frontmen of Sydney's KWITS Crew (3 releases from 2006-2008) and founders of Sub Conscious Records (13 releases from 2007-2011). Their impressive catalogue of Psykotik Realm Rap indulges in an array of styles to suit any mood; from their well known strut mentality, obscure sound and topical choices, to revealing their heart-felt emotions and insecurities.
Sceptic & Dseeva received local love with their debut Hip Hop Psykosis LP in 2007, acquiring rave reviews and radio-play nationwide. Consistent energetic shows backed by DJ Skae and presence on Sub Conscious Records releases and Sydney compilations (including Bring It! with the legendary Sereck and Lightsounds' Circuit Breaker 2), has confirmed Sceptic & Dseeva to be "definitely ones to watch in the near future" [3D World]. The duo gained international recognition featuring on Grimz' Global Warning LP (UK) and Krhyme Syndicate's The Lyrical Suspectz LP (Canada).
The Sub C Baby Mixtape by Sceptic & Dseeva dropped in 2010 - 26 tracks deep with remakes over hip hop classics and production by Dseeva, Myth 4 and Scott Mackie, with cuts by DJ Skae. Sceptic & Dseeva continued to oversee various releases from the Sub Conscious Records roster, featured on Stealth's Tenth Anniversary Compilation and performed at countless shows Australia wide.
2011 sees Sceptic & Dseeva's proudest work to date, their sophomore LP, Calm Before The Storm - with 13 producers from all over the globe and an equal amount of local features. The boys demonstrate an ever evolving, mature style of hip hop over 19 tracks, although still spitting their infamous harsh, brutal and somewhat humorous lyrical assaults they are so well known for. Dseeva brings a raw, energetic and almost narrative-like deliverance to compliment the complex, street-conscious and rhythmic wordplay from Sceptic, showcasing extreme musical diversity to all hip-hop audiences and enthusiasts. Tracks range from the partying, rock influenced "Hip Rock", smooth, radio-friendly "Hey Girl", to the street feel of "Omerta" and the loop-driven beat on "Pants Round My Ankles." One side a listener can be lost in the conceptual tales of sheer clever lyricism (“Shut My Eyes”, "Realisation" and “Middle of Nowhere”), feel Sceptic & Dseeva's pain on solo tracks such as "Miss Ya" and "Untouched" and gee up to the murder-rap sounds of “War” and “Iceman”.
01. Hey Girl (Sceptic & Dseeva Ft. Grouce) Produced by Peeks One
02. Mad Flavour (Sceptic & Dseeva) Produced by Myth_4
03. Hip Rock (Sceptic & Dseeva) Produced by Boomkat
04. Behind The Scenes (Sceptic & Dseeva) Produced by Ben Rosen
05. Omertá (Sceptic & Dseeva Ft. Stals, Nihilist) Produced by 2.L.O.C.O. In Crime
06. In The Place (Sceptic & Dseeva Ft. Big Dave) Produced by Dseeva
07. Nothing Personal (Sceptic & Dseeva Ft. Braydead) Produced by A-Drone
08. Nightwalkers (Sceptic Ft. Grouce, Kaye) Produced by Dseeva
09. Pants Round My Ankles (Sceptic & Dseeva Ft. Kaos) Produced by Myth_4
10. Realisation (Sceptic) Produced by Dseeva
11. Middle Of Nowhere (Sceptic & Dseeva Ft. Toni Bird) Produced by Dseeva
12. Iceman (Dseeva Ft. Ovahand) Produced by Dseeva
13. Kiss Goodnight (Dseeva Ft. Grouce) Produced by Dseeva
14. Movie Tickets (Sceptic Ft. 2Rite) Produced by Dseeva
15. Miss Ya (Dseeva Ft. Toni Bird) Produced by Dseeva
16. Back Against The Wall (Sceptic & Dseeva Ft. Sky’high) Produced by Petes Beats
17. War (Sceptic & Dseeva Ft. ToFurious) Produced by Entyce
18. Untouched (Sceptic) Produced by Grouce 19. Shut My Eyes (Dseeva) Produced by Dseeva
Did you manage to catch The Herd on their last tour, Future Shade following the release of their latest album, if you didn't then theres no need to worry as The Herd are set for an action packed 2012 with the announcement of a cross country Elefant Trak style stampede tour!
The tour celebrates their latest single form the album, A Thousand Lives which shows The Herd at their story telling best. The recently released video for A Thousand Lives adds to the story behind the song with the use of multiple personalities projected onto a background which juxtaposes the previous lives lived.
The A Thousand Lives tour hits the road in March 2012 and promises to differ from previous tours as The Herd set out to weave their 10 year history into each night each in a unique way. Sydney's Thundamentals will join The Herd on the road after exploding in the scene with the release of their latest album, Foreverlution.
You can catch the herd over summer at both the Woodford Folk Festival and Pyramid Rock. Tickets for the A Thousand Lives Tour go on sale on December 15, so make sure that you get in and grab yours early.
Friday 30 March - MANNING BAR - Sydney
Saturday 31 March - CAMBRIDGE HOTEL - Newcastle
Friday 13 April - SETTLERS TAVERN - Margaret River
Saturday 14 April - THE ROSEMOUNT - Perth
Friday 20 April - THE GOV - Adelaide
Saturday 21 April - THE CORNER - Melbourne
Tuesday 24 April (Anzac Day Eve) - BRISBANE HOTEL - Hobart
Friday 27 April - THE ZOO - Brisbane
Saturday 28 April - THE NORTHERN - Byron Bay
So Triple J has announced the next crop class of 2011 and its great to see some Hip Hop acts in there. This year Sietta and Ellesquire have both been named as artist's to keep an eye on in 2012.
This year Sietta signed with Elefant Traks and released their debut album "The Seventh Passenger". The album features an amazing collection of songs from the duo that showcase their their diverse skills, Caiti's huge voice and James' beat making skills. You can catch Sietta this weekend in Melbourne on the 9th at "The Laundry" and on the 10th at "The Espy"
Ellesquire who originally began his career as a member of Sydney crew Loose Change before breaking away to release his doubt solo album Ready earlier this year, brings a fresh take to Australian Hip Hop. Teaming up with a producer slash jazz musician. Ellesquire has supported many big names while on the road including, Urthboy, Horrorshow, Ozi Batla and the Thundamentals. You can catch Ellesquire at the Big Village XMAS Party on the 23rd of December at the Annandale Hotel.
We caught up with Melbourne emcee Eloji (previously know as Arks) for a quick chat about what his up to and his latest release One. Make sure you download One if you havnt already done so. http://www.mediafire.com/?ks6dg9p47o4536p
BOTA: When did you first start writing and recording tracks and why did you feel the need to do so?
ELOJI: Yo! I first started writing when I was about thirteen after freestyling at house parties with my old partner in crime , Deafs. We started freestyling and writing tracks and then finally recording them at my mate Diaz’s with a shitty mic and a blanket for a booth. I started writing purely just for the fun of it, and then it eventually grew into something much more then I could have ever imagined. I felt the need to write everyday to express how I was feeling. My parents went through a rough divorce when I was about thirteen, So my outlet was the pen and the pad.
BOTA: You originally went under the stage name of Arks, but have recently changed the your name to Eloji. What do both of these names mean, that is if they have a meaning behind them and why did you decide to make the switch?
ELOJI: The name arks, was a my name all mushed together and I used to go under the alias Arks when I was a young teen so that just became my name when I started rapping. I was proud of the name I had made for myself but then there was a little controversy with the Name ‘Arks’. There’s a veteran hiphop DJ called Arks, So after building a solid name formyself i changed my name to ‘Eloji’ out of respect for a fellow hiphop head. Eloji is simply a play on the word ‘Elegy’, meaning a sort of sad lament. So that’s what it was, “RIP Arks, But heres the Eloji’.
BOTA: Your latest release, "One" really steps up your music to a new level. The line "welcome to a musical journal of the passionate kid who started rapping" taken form the opening track What Is This? suggests that the entire release is based on personal experiences. What inspired the mix tape?
ELOJI: Appreciate that homie, cheers! The main premise of ‘ONE’ was I had one week to write enough tracks for a Mixtape and then recorded them all in one studio session. A few bumps were hit on the way to the final product but I was happy with the final product. It was more of a goal that I wanted to complete then me simply rushing the tape. That line was simply saying, you know, welcome, this is me, im here and this is what I do. And I aint budging!
BOTA: How do you feel that the mix tape has been received by the Australian Hip Hop community?
ELOJI: The tapes so far has had a good reception, standing at something just over 1000 downloads and all feedback has been good. Not too sure if many emcees have peeped it. But the fans seam to be enjoying it, so that’s always a good sign!
BOTA: Your ability to tell stories through your lyricism is one that can be compared to some of the grates. The track "Dear Me" sees you talk about your life now at the age of 17 form a future perspective, Who is it that guides you on your way and keeps you striving for more each and every day?
ELOJI: Yeah, Writing ‘Dear Me’ was one of those songs that I sat and wrote it in like an hour. Just came to me. Obviously I’m a fan of hiphop first, so all the big names inspire me to do what I do and what I aspire to be. My homies have a massive influence over my sound; Homies like, Dibe, De La Krem, Soliloquay, then the US heads Atmosphere, talib Kweli and all that! All the shit I’ve seen and been through also gives me that push to make good music. But in the end its all about the fans, So big ups to everyone of em! I do it for all of you.
BOTA: This coming Sunday (11th December) your supporting Illy in a one off u18 show along with Bam Bam who has just come off a national tour supporting 360. How did you land this gig and what can the audience expect from your live performance?
ELOJI: Yeah landing this gig was a massive surprise to me, a homie told me I should hit up illy and see if he needed support so I did, and funnily enough he was thinking of me supporting so shit just worked out. My homie Dibe will be joining me on stage as well as DJ Prequel and we gotta a pretty good set lined up within our half hour time, some new shit, some old shit, should be dope! We’re both very excited and can’t wait for it.
BOTA: Earlier this year you released a snippet of a track under your original named Arks titled Don't Cry. When listening to this track it sends shivers down your spine and tears from your eyes. It is clear that you have have your fair share of life experiences in your 17 years how have these experiences shaped you as a person today?
ELOJI: My experiences to this day continue to shape me to be the man child I am. Every little word I speak is true. The cancer, the car crash, all of it.Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I got it hard, fuck its simple compared to most but its defintly been a journey. I appreciate every day that I have on this earth and people take life for granted and should learn from this. I’m just trynna spread some wisdoms for the kids and hopefully they head my words. Be safe. Otherwise I’ll hunt you down.
BOTA: In late august we saw you drop your Under 18 rapper tag which shows the talent that is coming through the scene. How did you go about writing your rapper tag as rap ciphers are a very different style rap which many may not have been exposed to prior to rapper tag.
ELOJI: Yeah mixed emotions were felt with that. I mean it was all fun and games with that cipher, It was just something I wrote in 20 minutes and spat on the webcam. I remember the first 3 rapper tags were dropped in 24 hours. Yeah rappertag has opened many different styles, gimmics and jokes to serious wisdom being dropped. Each emcee has done their own thing and respect to them for that.
BOTA: What have you got planned in the way of future releases, will we see Danny Leever finally jump on Don't Cry?
ELOJI: We had planned for Dani Leever to do the hook but the final version is still in the hands of the powers that be. Can’t do much about it. But that track definitely changed the course of my life with something like 10,000 plays in 24 hours. For any relatively underground rapper, that’s absolutely crazy and it really got my name out there.
