Ellesquire blends humorous, self deprecating lyrics with more traditional hip hop style braggadocio battle raps while exploring topics from reflections on life and heart break to visions for his future. But not one to confine himself to just rapping Ellesquire also shows some singing talent handling hooks with a clear ear for melody.
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia based True Live formed in 2003. They're a unique ensemble that cross boundaries of genre and style while engaging audiences with songs of passion and meaning. With performances and recordings of musical and lyrical depth and a line-up consisting of a three-piece string section (cello, violin, double bass), percussion, keyboards and vocals, the group create a contemporary, organic sound that could only be described as monstrous.
Clandestien are a hip hop group hailing from Perth, Western Australia. The group consists of MC's Graphic and Tomohawk, and DJ Mortar. They are part of the Perth hip hop crew Syllabolix, who's artists appear on many tracks. Clandestien are widely known for their raw, abrasive lyrics and beats, and violent often disturbing content; though their songs are often full of political and social messages.
Diafrix is one of Australia's most explosive and eclectic live acts. Following on from their hugely successful EP in 2006, their debut album Concrete Jungle has taken Diafrix’s iconic concoction of African rhythms, dance hall, funk, Australia hip hop and reggae and developed it into a truly world-class product while still maintaining the same raw energy they’ve carried since they formed in 2001. This trademark style transcends any specific genre to create a totally unique, but entirely harmonious sound.
Infallible adj. Incapable of error; certain
Stratosphere n. An extremely high or the highest point or degree
“Rap isn’t real music!”
Try telling Infallible (aka Jose Barroso) that. Defying the propaganda of a high school teacher who ripped up one of his rhymes when he was a youngster, the rising star of Australian made hip hop has been building an art form out of his deft rap style.
There is more than one band called The Herd. 1. The Herd is a hip-hop group from suburban Sydney. They have released four full-length albums since 2001's self-titled debut. Unusually for a hip-hop outfit, The Herd's full band format permits dynamic live shows. The Herd's members include MCs Ozi Batla, Urthboy and Berzerkatron, Unkle Ho (beats), Traksewt (piano accordion, clarinet and beats), Sulo (beats and guitar), Toe-Fu (guitar), Rok Poshtya (bass) and singer Jane Tyrrell. Their songs often feature politically-oriented lyrics.
Now residing in Sydney, Luke Dubs and Elgusto grew up in the Blue Mountains where they took up musical instruments at a young age. They’ve played together with Elgusto’s sister Aja in a funk/jazz group called Funk Injection since their early teens. Elgusto has DJ'd and played percussion with Paulmac and The Dissociatives... He’s also played with The Bird, Wes Carr, Explanetary, The Herd, Upshot and Paulmac. You can also check his DJing at various events and clubs.
The Optimen are an Australian hip hop group, originating from Brisbane, Queensland.
The crew consisting of Sammsonite, Datsun, K-West and DJ Damage released their first album "02 Breath Control" in 2002. The album 02 Breath Control is a solid Hip-Hop journey with little emphasis on the battle style that seems to be so prevalent in Aus releases. They tend to focus on entertaining picture painting style tracks with solid but not too technical flows.
Heralded by many throughout the scene as Australian hip hops next big thing, Spit Syndicate, comprised of MCs Just Enuf and Nick Lupi, have garnered a wealth of hype in recent months. The Sydney duos brand new promotional mixtape, The Futures Bright, showcases the reason for this, presenting a refreshing, high-quality and truly promising collection of music which is sure to only accelerate the buzz.
Drapht is a solo hip-hop Emcee from Perth, Western Australia. Drapht (born Paul Ridge) is from Perth, Australia. His father, Gary Ridge, a jazz drummer, introduced Drapht to music at a very young age. Paul had his first taste of hip hop at the age of eight. The name Drapht is based on a Swan Brewery beer, Swan Draught, which was displayed on a watch that his father brought home when he was 13 or 14.