What a treat Illy gave Sydney last night, ‘delivering a killer set’ at SOSUEME’s Sideshow Wednesdays at Bondi’s Beach Road Hotel. The one and only DJ Joyride kicked the night off with a killer DJ set as per usual. His selection of hip hop ranging from old-school boom-bap to newer material got the crowd buzzing and rearing for fellow One Day Crew members, Jackie Onassis, to jump up on stage and kick their set off.
As per usual Kai and Raff took over the stage and took the whole venue to another place. Kai’s stage presence and delivery set the crowd alight with energy. No matter how small or big the crowd, every time Jackie Onassis get up on stage they play as if there are 1000+ people in front of them singing along to every lyric. It’s a skill that many up-and-coming emcee’s and hip hop acts struggle with, especially playing to smaller crowds where the vibe and energy from the crowd is lacking, and it’s a skill that is going to take these two a long way in the future. Jackie Onassis released their debut EP not long ago as a free download which is available here and is definitely worth a look at for those who heard them last night or any other curious ears out there.
Illy then graced the stage with his presence to deliver his show to a packed-out room. Playing material from all three of his albums, he captured the attention of both old-school hip hop heads and the newcomers to provide a set that cannot be forgotten quickly. As many of you will know, his latest album ‘Bring It Back’ features a track titled ‘Where Is My Mind Part 2’ which is made up by cleverly placing together lyrics, track titles and various other hip hop lingo. Not only did Illy play Part 2 but he took it back to 2009 when he wrote Part 1 of Where Is My Mind for his Triple J Like A Version.
Towards the end of the set Illy took the time out to dedicate a track, It Can Wait to one of the audience's members mates who had passed and had It Can Wait played at the funeral a few years back to the day. It was a nice way to begin the business end of the set and I’m sure that it meant a lot to her to hear it a few years on to the day to have it played in honour of her mate and for Illy to have had the song played at the funeral.
As the set finished, Illy announced that he had just signed a new contract for his next four albums, and with much talk about the future direction of Obese Records and their artists, the question must be asked - has Illy signed to a new label? I guess we will find out in the coming days so watch this space for updates.
