by Hazard (courtesy of Planet Urban, www.planeturban.com.au)

Hailing from the somewhat unlikely Hip Hop area of semi-rural New South Wales in Australia, producer Slap618 and emcee TBoogieRay (collectively known as 1Point618) are set to put their area and brand of unique music on the map with their self-titled debut album. Now based in Melbourne, the lifelong music fans take some time out to speak with Planet Urban about the evolution of Hip Hop in Australia, what inspired them to start recording and the advantages of being independent.

You guys both came up in semi-rural NSW, some may not think that Hip Hop would be very present in an area like Wollongong. Tell us about some of the acts that have come from the area and what it was like growing up there?

Slap618: There were very few artists making noise in Wollongong since the early 90s. They paved the way for artists making noise including Absorb, DJ Force1 and Free Agent Crew. Growing up in a coastal town dominated by footballers, surfers and grunge music? It meant there was a small yet tight hip hop community there were a lot of good times, great gigs and memorable moments.

What first made you gravitate towards to Hip Hop and made you want to be a recording artist?

Slap618: I’m from the Beat Street, Wild Style 1980s generation AKA the pre-packaged four element effect from New York. So the whole struggle and raw energy of 1980s hip hop is what grabbed me. As for recording, the home recording/computer revolution made production a lot more affordable and fun.

TBR: I was initially influenced by my brother (Cable Tasman) who was into hip hop and I used to hear it around the house a lot. Then along with my brother and some friends I immersed myself in multiple facets of the hip hop culture like graffiti and breakdancing and then as a consequence of being in the scene and culture, I made the move to MCing. I first experienced recording as an MC on Sean Sheep’s ‘Golden Fleece’ which started me on the path to where I am today with 1Point618. After the Argonauts ‘On a Journey’ was released, I knew that I wanted to release my own individual effort and so the last few years on top of living life has been geared towards this.

Slap618, you have been on the scene for quite a while and have contributed beats to some high profile projects, tell us about about some of your previous work…

It all started in Wollongong with The Argonauts. A collaboration between three Wollongong crews. When the CD was released I had just moved to Melbourne and started promoting the crew down there. From this new base I reconnected with artists I had met over the years at gigs etc and started make new connections most notably the crew at Obese Records. I submitted a track for Culture of Kings 3 with Myspherical (my crew since 1998). Friendships grew and I found myself working alongside including Bias B and Muph & Plutonic as their tour DJ throughout 2005 to early 2008, one of the best experiences in my hip hop career.

TBoogie, your bio states that you were very shy as a kid, how does someone of a shy nature overcome that and become a performer/MC?

I figured that being shy got you nowhere in life, and that the biggest limitations in life are the ones we put on ourselves. I have always written, thought, and conceptualised my own perspective of this world, and as opposed to letting my music and lyrics fade into obscurity, I wanted to give it a sound, a voice and a platform to be heard. So being shy had no place in the master plan. I guess we create our own reality, and TBoogieRay and 1POINT618 are two of my realities.

Slap618, your production style is unique, with heavy drums and different rhythms/melodies, what has inspired your sound and do you purposely try to cater your beats to suit the MC you’re working with?

My style is heavily based in the traditions of boom bap hip hop incorporating current music production techniques. Every track on this album contains a multitude of samples that range from a simple loop or something absolutely chopped to pieces and replayed on the MV8000. I also use MIDI and VSTs to compliment these samples. When making a track I want to make it sure it can stand on its own merit as an instrumental piece. From here a good MC is able to listen to that beat and be inspired to write to that beat.

TBoogie, at first you began writing/performing spoken word poetry, do you think that this gives you an edge as an MC and makes your style different from everyone else?

I couldn’t really say if it gives me an edge as an MC because my writing and style is something particular to my upbringing and philosophy on life just as every MC has in their own defined style. Spoken word/beat/Jazz poetry is basically the same as rapping in hip hop, it is just a different sound with potentially different rhyming topics - in essence it is still the art form of MCing and projecting thoughts and concepts vocally. In terms of whether this makes my style different from everyone else, I would say yes, but I guess it is up to the listener to make the judgment on if that is a good or bad thing.

Hip Hop artists in Australia, particularly on an independent level, seem to be becoming more professional and business savvy, is that something that you are noticing and how do you feel about it?

TBR: It is just an evolution of the industry in what it takes to get your music heard. I remember when The Argonauts released ‘The Journey’ back in 2001, it was such a different industry. Now, you have to plan and execute your group’s strategy in a professional manner, otherwise you are limiting your chances to getting your music heard.

For all of the aspiring artists out there, particularly those looking to start their own labels, what are some of the advantages and disadvantages of going independent?

Slap618: Independence is a great thing. You are in control and responsible for every aspect of what goes on. It’s hard work and if you’re a recording artist it can take time away from being creative and making music but still rewarding.

Finally, what the readers out there expect when they pick up the new album?

Slap618: Musically it’s a collection of contemplative and head nodding beats covering several styles including deep funk grooves, orchestral epics, and prog rock influenced battle tracks.

TBR: Lyrically it is a thoughtful and considered tapestry of songs that have the loose underlying theme of ‘Legacy’ we tried to carefully craft each song to create a solid album So to sum up I would say, expect to hear some good hip hop.