How You Been!

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.

Calm Before The Storm - Sceptic & Dseeva

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”.




Available online @ Waterfront Records - http://www.waterfrontrecords.com/artist/21694 & iTunes - http://itunes.apple.com/au/artist/sceptic-dseeva/id329416477 


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

The Herd - A Thousand Lives Tour

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

Eloji Feature Artist of the Month - December

Feature Artist of the Month - December - Eloji

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! 

Been A While by Eloji

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. 

Don't Cry (Official Snippet) by Eloji

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. 

Peace, and remember One love. 

ELOJI . 

Ellesquire - On The Prowl

Check out Ellesquire's film clip for his lead single On The Prowl form his debut album "Ready". If you haven't already copped it, its now now through Big Village Records so head down to your local hip hop store or download it now on iTunes. 

Tripple J - Live at the Wireless

Did you manage to make it down to Tripple J's Aus Music Month's Tribute to Nick Cave Shows? If so you will know what a performance it was. If you didn't then make sure that you tune into Live at the Wireless on Tripple J tonight at 8pm. Tonight you will hear the first half of the show and next week at the same time you can hear the second half of the show. Make sure that you also check out these photos, thanks to Urthboy who carried a camera around on tour.

"My favourite versions on the tour were Alex doing Shivers, Adalita doing Straight to You and Lanie doing Jack the Ripper. But I enjoyed every single version performed each night and I had an unreal time on the tour!" - Urthboy

Forbes Merch

Well its been a few months now since Forbes dropped his ep, Kid Been Waiting which has been more than an success launching Forbes into the next stage of hit career. Forbes has recently supported Pez and 360, Justice and Kaos and will be playing at The Jump Off U18's Festival alongside some of the greats, Mantra, Reason and M-Phazes. Local Melbourne clothing company Bad Meet Evil who look after 360's merch have just released a very limited run of 200 Forbes shirts and singlets. The design is amazing and bridges the gap between merch and fashion. The first 40 orders will come with a limited edition signed print of the artwork by Forbes himself. Head over to www.badmeetevil.com and order yours now.

You can catch Forbes at The Jump Off Festival on the 10th of December in Melbourne and the 11th Of December in Sydney. Head over to http://thejumpoffu18.com/tickets.php for tickets. If you havn't already copped Kid Been Waiting check it out here http://forbes.bandcamp.com/

CD + MP3

Are you hesitant to buy your music off iTunes? figure that if your going to buy your music you at least want the hard copy? Well Elefant Traks are once agin paving the way with an industry first for online album sales. When you purchase either a CD or Vinyl, delivered to your letterbox you will also receive a digital copy in your inbox. This means theres no waiting time between purchase and listening to those sweet tunes.

Many choose to purchase hard copies for the feel of the album, the album booklets or the signed pre orders and higher quality sound, but the MP3's are in full 320kb sound meaning there is no wait for quality. So make sure that you head over to the Etracks Store and pick up your next album.

Urthboy - Exclusive EP

The Elefant Tracks headquarters is filled with hundreds of stories and tracks that many of us may never know about or hear. However Urthboy has been doing some digging through the hard drives and released his "Exclusive Ep" to the Urthboy mailing list. The Ep includes 9 unreleased tracks which span Urthboy's carrear from pre Signal and post Spitshine. It features remixes from Joyride and Platoniclab. This exclusive ep is available for free download below via sound cloud. Urthboy is currently preparing for triple J's Aus music month tribute to Nick Cage.


URTHBOY EXCLUSIVES by Elefant Traks

Pegz - Priceless Film Clip

Have you checked out emcee Pegz' new film clip, Priceless the first single of his recent album Drama.

Horroshow Reflect On BNE's Running On Air Tour

A few months back Horrorshow supported Bliss n Eso as they hit the road for their Running On Air Tour. The tour took Aus hip hop right across the country and to the say the turnout was average with a few packed out gigs here and their that packed out is an understatement! The majority of the shows on tour were sold out including the Queensland gig which saw the largest crowd at an Australian Hip Hop gig with an audience in excess of 8000 people. It was said that it was the biggest thing to roll through Mt Gambir since ACDC played their back in the 1980's. Horrorshow took the opportunity to take some time out and talk to some kids at Music Indstury College about getting their stuff out and his personal experiences as an artist. The Sydney gig was defiantly a tour highlight for both Horrorshow and Bliss n Eso, both Sydney Boys. The show sold out and they put on a second gig the Saturday night as well. I guess you get the vibe that this tour was one of the biggest things to happen for Horrorshow and set the bar just that little bit higher for next time. Check out the full interview below.

Graffiti At The Island - Outpost Festival

Comming up towards the start of next week is the outpost project at Cockatoo Island with will see the largest collection of Bansky artworks in Australia also amongst many other street artist, live music and much more. One of the highlights of the festival is set to be the concert Graffiti At The Island featuring Skryptcha, The Next Step, Phatchance, Johnny Utar, Dutch and more.

Coptic Soildier - Amazing Grace Cover

I never thought that i'd hear a cover of Amzaing Grace especially a hip hop cover. But Coptic Soilder as always is mixing it up as scene throughout his work in the past, including Sounds Of Wings Acoustic. Check out his remix of this classical song below.

Crochet Crooks

The Crochet Crooks are a Sydney duo from the Inner West that like so many others in the scene are changing Hip Hop as we know it. Their music picks up from the likes of Horrorshow, Thundamentals, Spit Sydnicate and the like but takes it to another level beyond. With an amazing fusion of acoustic guitar and jazz. Added to this are the catch hooks with vocals that will blow you away. Check them out on unearthed here, and make sure that you head over to their Facebook page and like their page, deffinatly a group to watch.

All Roads EP by CrochetCrooks

Hermitude have recently released their latest single Speak of the Devil from the forth coming album due out early next year. The video features some amazing break dancing and awesome editing. Check it out its defiantly worth the time. Hermitude are due to head out on an east coast tour starting late november and into december. Make sure that when they hit your town that your there!

Friday 18th November - East  Burnswick Club, Melborne

Saturday 19th November - Pyrenees Ranges, Vic

Saturday 3rd December - Riverwood Downs Mountian Valley Resort, Barrington Tops

Friday 9th December - The Standard ( ex-Kinselas), Sydney

Sarurdat 10th December - Dickson, Canberra


Head to http://hermitude.oztix.com.au/default.aspx?Event=23186 for tickets.

Rest In Peace Hunter SBX

Today is one of the saddest days in Australian Hip Hop with the death of true legend, Hunter SBX. Hunter led a very public fight with cancer after being diagnosed in november 2009. He is truly a veteran of the scene starting out as a freestyle and battle MC in the early 1990’s before going on to host a radio programs in Perth well before hip hop had its “explosion” in Australia. As part of the SBX crew he released a total of four albums. His latest, which dropped this year saw him team up with producer, Mortar. The album saw the two reminisce on the past and the present, exploring the change from the the carefree days parting and running a muck to the truths of life, ill health, depression and relationship struggles.

Last year we saw the scene rally together from right across the country in support of Hunter and ultimately his son in an eBay auction that lasted a little over a week raising well over $11000. The auction saw rare limited edition items from local acts to some of the biggest names in the scene.

We saw in the past two years since Hunter was diagnosed with terminal cancer that he collaborated with a team of film makers as they followed him through his hard times. He had been pushing for the documentary to be screened on the ABC but as of now it hasn’t happened. Without knowing Hunter personally, it’s the only project that he had going that did not get to the public. So if there was one last thing you could for Hunter is to head over to the campaign on Facebook to get some air time for the documentary. Lets do it for the King!

On behalf of SBX, we regret to inform you all we lost our brother this morning. @HunterSBX, we love you and we always will, but we're glad you're no longer in pain. You have always been such an inspirational force in our lives and will continue to be. Our thoughts and love go out to Marley, Laura and the rest of Hunters family.

- Drapht

So sad to hear the news about hunts this morn. R.I.P brother you are a king and forever in our hearts and headphones. Thanks for the lessons and the memories...as Hazy as some of them were. I fell privileged to of played a show or two with you mate and to of spend some time. You will
Be truly missed.
 - Sec. - Soul Clap Records

RIP Hunter. Long Live The Kings.

 - Illy

Really sad to hear Hunter passed away today, he always struck me as a lovely guy and it was really sad watching him suffer so publicly, but also inspiring seeing how brave and open he was about the whole thing and how much his friends and the local hip-hop community got behind him. I have a lot of fond memories of listening to SBX when I was first getting into local hip hop and owe a lot to him for that. I really hope that documentary gets released. R.I.P.

- Phatchance

Our thoughts and prayers are with Hunter (of Hunter & Mortar) and his family. A truly inspirational member and innovator of the hip hop scene.

- Obese Records

We'd like to send our love to our WA bro Hunter and his family. Hunter always gave us time from day one. He loved 77% (although he used to say that we stole his thunder when we got notoriety for using the word c**t in our songs). Bro, you never saw the Dockers win that premiership and that breaks our hearts but you'll shine on brother and we'll raise a glass to you when it finally happens. RIP.
- The Herd

Feature Artist of the Month - Mantra

BOTA: When did you first start to record your music and have you always gone by the stage name of Mantra?

- I started recording in about 2002 (in a very humble fashion), under the name of Mantra. I did have another name very early on but I never released anything under that name. And I'm not telling you what it was!!

BOTA: Growing up who was your favorite artist and what sort of music did u listen to?

- There's no way I could pick a favourite. I've always listened to lots of different styles of music, but Hip-Hop was there from the start. I got my first Public Enemy tape when I was 7 and I never looked back. From there I got into heaps of different Hip-Hop artists and my tastes would constantly change.

BOPA: What inspired your first full length album, Power of the Spoken.

- I'd been working with groups for a long time so I just felt it was time to do a solo record. Peeps had been asking me about it for so long I didn't wanna wait any longer. I also tried to represent the full spectrum of my song writing style, so the album had lots of different themes and ideas lyrically.

BOTA: Your signed to Obese Records, how did you get noticed by obese. 

- Pegz had been onto me for a while. He'd expressed interest in my first crew Equills, and Obese actually distributed Illzilla's first EP. He'd call me every now and then asking what I was up to, and if I'd ever consider doing a solo record with Obese. So when I finally had the album finished I hit him up and he was keen. It was great having a label be so supportive from the get go, it definitely took some of the pressure off me as an artist.

BOTA: What do you wish to achieve through your music, and what is your biggest goal for your music career?

- I'm gonna take my music as far as it will let me. All I want is for people to hear it. If they like it and can take something from it, thats brilliant. If not, thats ok too. Really for me music is the only thing I've ever been good at, so its all I want to do.

BOTA: Your music has a unique sound to it, how would you best describe your music?

- I hate this question, I find it really hard to sum up my own musical style. So all I will say is this: every artist should have a unique style. If people wanna check out mine, I'd love them to, so they can make up their own minds about what it sounds like.

BOTA: Your second full length album Spoken Volume dropped early last month, how was the response to the album?

- Its been unreal. All the feedback I've got so far has been amazing. It also feels like this album is appealing to more people than the last one did. I've always been good at talking to the Hip-Hop heads, but now I think some other crew are feeling it too which is cool.

BOTA: What was your inspiration for this latest body of work?

- This album came together much more easily than the first one. I was really motivated after we dropped Power of the Spoken so I was keen to get back in the lab as soon as possible. I had a much clearer idea of what I wanted the record to sound like and who I wanted to work with so I just wanted to get it cracking.

BOTA: I believe that there is a tour coming up for Speaking Volumes. Where will the tour take you and who's coming along for the ride?

- I'm gonna be joined on stage by Wasabi and Bam Bam. At selected shows we're gonna be supported by the incredible Tommy Illfigga, and at most of the VIC shows we'll be joined by In Good Company, who have just dropped their debut album. Its gonna be fun.

SPEAKING VOLUMES ALBUM LAUNCH TOUR DATES:

• SATURDAY 15 OCTOBER SPRUNG FESTIVAL @ RIVERSTAGE BRISBANE, QLD Tickets from www.ticketmaster.com.au

• THURSDAY 20 OCTOBER KAROVA LOUNGE BALLARAT, VIC Tickets from Oztix - 1300 762 545 www.oztix.com.au

• FRIDAY 21 OCTOBER HQ COMPLEX ADELAIDE, SA Tickets from www.venuetix.com.au or (08) 8225 8888

• SATURDAY 22 OCTOBER THE LOFT, WARRNAMBOOL, VIC 

• FRIDAY 28 OCTOBER LEVEL ONE NEWCASTLE, NSW Tickets from venue (02) 4929 3067 or www.bigtix.com.au or Oztix - 1300 762 545 www.oztix.com.au

• SATURDAY 29 OCTOBER ANNANDALE HOTEL SYDNEY, NSW Tickets from www.annandalehotel.com or 02 9550 1078 

• SATURDAY 5 NOVEMBER SURF COAST SPORT & REC CLUB TORQUAY, VIC Tickets available on the day

• FRIDAY 18 NOVEMBER STAR BAR BENDIGO, VIC Tickets from venue (03) 5441 8222

• SATURDAY 19 NOVEMBER EAST BRUNSWICK CLUB MELBOURNE, VIC Tickets from venue: 03 9388 9794 www.eastbrunswickclub.com, or via Corner Box Office 57 Swan Street, Richmond

• SATURDAY 10 DECEMBER JUMP OFF u/18 FESTIVAL BIRRARUNG MARR, VIC Tickets from www.thejumpoffu18.com

MANTRA

Speaking Volumes

Available: September 9th 2011

Obese Records | Premier Artists

facebook.com/mantrahiphop | myspace.com/mantrahiphop | twitter.com/mantra_mc

Illy, Spit Syndicate, Sietta and Phrase Rock Sydney

Well what a weekend it has been for Sydney and Australian Hip Hop. Friday night saw Illy sell out the Factory Theater in Marrickville with local boys Spit Syndicate alongside and supported by Sietta who have recently signed to Elephant Tracks. Saturday night saw Phrase launch his new album Babylon at oxford art factory backed by a live band to mix it up from the typical hip hop he has been know for in the past.

Spit Syndicate as always brought their A-game as they mixed their set up, between their new mix tape, Best Intentions - Part 1 and their previous two albums, Towards the Light and Exile. The show attracted many other Sydney artist to the crowd including Skryptcha, Dutch, Crochet Crooks, Stories For Nothing and Horrorshow duo Solo and Adiddy. During the middle of the set Solo picked up the mic and jumped on a few Spit Syndicate/One Day tracks and then played one of his own, Choose None with the help of Nick Lupi, Jimmy Nice and of course Joyride on the vocals. As always the boys made plenty of time for the fans, chilling at the merch stand taking photos, signing various items and just having a few drinks with 
the fans. 

The night would not have been complete without producer, M-Phazes provided an entertaining hip hop set with a compilation of Australian and international hip hop which included tracks from his own album, Good Gracious. 

Illy headlined the gig and rightly so, with the crowd responding to his enthusiastic stage presence. It is no wonder that Illy is turning heads in the scene and attracting new comers to Australian Hip Hop. The Chase and Same Number Same Hood were highlights of the set but Red Light Green Light was definitely the crowd favorite for the night with Illy bringing up the majority of the One Day Crew, Jimmy Nice, Nick Lupi, Joyride and Solo to help him out.

Saturday night saw Phrase back up from playing at Spring Hip Hop Festival in Queensland earlier that afternoon to officially launch his album to the Sydney scene. As you would be aware Phrase took a completely different approach to this album with no sampling or traditional hip hop beat making processes. Instead taking it back to his musical rock roots. Therefore there there was no questions to be asked when he announced that he would be taking a line up of rock bands on tour with him as support along with a band of his own for backing. 

His set consisted of tracks from his new album, Babylon and his second album, Clockwork. It was great to finally hear the new album live which showcases how phrase continues to evolve as an artist. Tracks like Burn It Down, Clockwork, Sky Light and his encore track Spaceship from his second album Clockwork were all exceptional with the live band backing him and his wife on vocals adding a new sound and appeal to these classics which we already know.

Forbes, Sprung Hip Hop Festival

Since forbes released his latest ep, Kid Been Waiting all that come from it is good news and a whole heap of hype. His ep has had noting but a great respond from his fan base which continues to grow by the day. The next big step for Forbes is to play at Sprung Hip Hop Festival in Queensland. In the video below we hear some words from the man himself on what's going on with all things Sprung and an inside into what his got planned in the future including working along side Pez to get his first LP album out some time next year. Check him out on Facebook here.

If you missed, Kid Been waiting head over to Bandcamp and cop that shit now, you won't be disappointed.

Mind Over Matter - Off The Chain Official Vid