1.Growing Up
My parents aren’t really musos; my old man’s probably the furthest thing from one, with horse racing and Alan Jones being pretty much the only things he listens to. My mum on the other hand is French, from Egypt, so not only did that provide a bucketload of funny ‘ethnic mum’ stories but it exposed me to French and Middle Eastern music and culture (and especially food) from an early age. Through that, I’ve learnt an appreciation for all kinds of music from all kinds of places.
2.Inspirations
I was ten when I got my first solid introduction to hip hop, when I first heard The Slim Shady LP by Eminem. I was a pretty mischievous kid (and nothing’s changed) so when I heard all the cursing, swearing and crazy shit he said I was hooked. I got into all kinds of hip hop from then on, but never really knew about Australian hip hop until my mum bought me an Ecko brand singlet for Christmas when I was about 12 and it came with a promotional CD full of Aussie hip hop (naturally, she counted it as two presents). On the CD was Brad Strut’s ‘Intro 01’, which became my favourite song for ages and inspired me to want to rhyme as well.
3.Your Crew
Right now I’m working with a solid crew of people, like DJ Skae, on The Hip Hop House Party, a monthly hip hop night with major headliners (like Mind Over Matter, Daily Meds and The Tongue) mixed with support act slots for talented up-and-coming acts, along with battles and comps – basically trying to make it an awesome night of hip hop while helping build the scene in Sydney.
4.The Music You Make
I’m working on my new release, the Still Waiting mixtape. It’s a change from the style I had on my first mixtape, The Late Tape, which had a really raw rap style and old-school flavour. On this new tape I’ve strayed from that, which I think reflects how I’ve matured as a rapper and a person. The beats are different, topics more substantial and the vibe is more chilled. That being said, I’ll still have a couple raw tracks on there just to not let maturity get in the way of a good boast and brag, or to stop me spitting lyrics so rude my mum would have to get the old wooden spoon out again if she ever heard them. It’ll be out mid-Feb; I’m keen to see how people like it.
5.Music, Right Here, Right Now
I think hip hop in Sydney needs The Hip Hop House Party to help build the scene and get hip hop heads together to network and relate on a regular basis. That’s why I’m so happy to be on board with it. The next one will be on Thursday February 27 at The Standard with The Tongue as a headliner, then we’re back at Oxford Art Factory on Thursday March 20 with a surprise guest. Should be dope!
Sleazy Greazy plays at theThe Hip Hop House Party withThe Tongue atThe Standard onThursday February 27.
