heads to kick it and learn. A lot of crazy cyphers and live rhyming at Street Science has helped my confidence in rocking live. It’s good to see a down to earth place where people can do it all, from Breaking, Rhyming, DJing, Painting and now Beatmaking! A lot of the younger heads that have swung through Street Science have really developed and benefited from meeting other people in the same lane as them personally and musically. Big ups the Street Science massive!
WITH
ILLUMINATE
PEAK STREET
ISSUE ONE
SCRATCH THE SURFACE
Interview by dOtbOy Photo by Discourse
Illuminate might be young in years but this Melbourne native hasn’t been sitting on his arse waiting for a record deal. He recently released ‘The Shoestring Sampler’ off of his own bat and dropped more reflective lyrics in one EP than some veterans do in their entire careers. Expect to hear more of this kid, both on the mic and behind the boards, real soon. Your influences are pretty gully, with heads like G Rap, Immortal Tech, Lo Lifes, Jedi Mind Tricks. Yet your lyrics are a lot more introspective and thoughtful. What’s up with that? The Shoestring Sampler was made late 05 and early 06 at a point when I was really just wanting to make a chilled out moody CD, but I’ve always loved listening to the raw, classic MC’s. Since the majority of the Sampler was banged out, a lot of the newer material I’ve been toying with has been more rugged and intense. My music will always adapt to life at the time. Since I grow and learn a lot more of a full on, raw, political edge has come out in the newer work. Who was “Ode to the Wild Thorn” inspired by?
It was inspired by the hardships of girls I’ve known just blended together. The mad at the world, drugged up princesses out there that I see and deal with all the time. When the song was written, I took a real poetic type way of looking at the issues and it was me, as a young lad, kicking tales of young girls caught up in the cycle of growing pains and pressures. You got Nuff Said affiliate and New Jersey native, Shawn Luv on the track “Spilt Milk”. How did that collaboration happen? I’d been a massive fan of Shawn’s since Nuff Said brought him out with Blackout Of 77’ and I’d been chatting to him a little trying to get a copy of his massive back catalogue. One thing lead to another and I sent him a couple tracks of mine in their early stages and he was feeling it and offered to lace a track together. He picked a beat of Custodian’s (Custodian of Records) and laid down a verse and I took it from there on my end. Definitely expect more music from me and Shawn together and pick up his latest joint – ‘Waiting For A Ghost’. How beneficial have the Street Science Workshops been for younger heads like yourself? Street Science is a chill atmosphere for the younger and older
You worked with some of Aussie hip hops most respected, with Trem recording you and Prowla mastering. What did you learn from these two? From sitting down with fellas like those 2 and recording and mastering, it’s crazy to see how professionally they operate. I’ve learnt a lot of the bizzo side of things and recognized the work ethic they have and it made me realise that if I’m going to be releasing product, I got to conduct myself sharp. I’m not one to praise another at the drop of the hat, but it’s personally inspiring to watch the way Trem and Prowls work and I’m grateful to have worked on the project with these 2, especially coming from being a fan before I’d ever met the both of them. Discourse lays down most of the beats, and they suit your flow perfect. But you also produced a couple of beats too. Is this something we can expect more from you with your next release? Yeah I definitely plan on using a lot of my stuff in the future. A lot of my beats are on a more grimey, “classic” tip and I’ve got a stockpile of records to illegally abuse and thrash for future projects. I got the itch for everything from soundtracks to soul pieces to library bombs, anything that can be chopped and arranged. I got a few skeleton concepts for beats in the production line popping up soon for myself and other compadrés. Look for Illuminate’s – ‘The Shoestring Sampler’ at your local or cop it from him online at www.myspace.com/illuminatemusic
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21/12/2007 4:51:56 PM