1.Growing Up
My father is a musician and has played guitar and sung in various rock and country bands my whole life. My earliest memories involve running around and playing with other musicians’ children at huge jam nights/parties with lots of people and lots of alcohol. Many guitars were always around the house and I enjoyed playing with them. Hearing gangsta rap coming from my big brother’s room got me into hip hop.
2.Inspirations
The first time I heard the Wu-Tang Clan I didn’t get it. A couple more listens and I was astonished by the various styles of lyricism, their dark, grimy and slightly mystical musical themes. I became a huge fan and wanted all of their solo albums and spin-off projects; it inspired me to begin a long journey in making hip hop music.
3.Your Crew
Back in 1997 I became friends with another boy who would become the Nikzman. We shared appreciation for graffiti art and the same favourite hip hop artists. A couple of years later I confessed to him that I had secretly been writing my own rhymes, and he confessed he had been doing the same. We formed our own group, Kryptamstik, and began recording what we had written using any means necessary.
4.The Music You Make
If people are feeling the kind of stuff coming out from Big Village (Sydney) and guys like Thundamentals then they will definitely love my music. At live shows I may even have my band jamming along with me and the beats if the stage is big enough, or it may just be me delivering my lyrics with my DJ. There will be plenty of freestyling!
5.Music, Right Here, Right Now
I have never considered myself an Aussie hip hop artist. I am a hip hop artist. Hip hop is a global culture. It is great that since I have been involved in making this type of music it has been accepted by the wider Australian music scene and gotten commercial radio play. Now I think the next step is for us to make music that speaks to the world.
Catch Master Wolf, along with Skurge and Mars Madness, atHustle & Flow Bar, Redfern, onSaturday May 9.
