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You may have noticed Sydney’s got a new street press on the scene, Music Feeds, and running Syn City like we do, are contributing the rap column. First off Johnny Rinser told ya’ll What’s Good, and this week the Twobukka drops some Ill Vernak for your ass.

Keep checking back for the regular knowledge drops.

We love rap… and we love the vernacular that comes with it right? Say word! What is it about this “ill vernak” that attracts us to rap, more importantly what actually makes us try and invent such slang and in turn push this jargon upon each other or onto other unwilling participants? I don’t have a definitive answer for that but this is a small insight into the wonderful world of speak that only you and a select few truly understand.

Let me tell you this, no normal woman wants to be told they rock a “balmy jootz”, no real man wants to be “sonned” or heaven forbid “siblinged” and don’t expect a real answer when you ask anyone if they wanna “get their grits on with a conch”. These are in house jokes… pardon me, phrases used by certain eye dub parlay peepers on the come up, jerry that! We are not trying to confuse you but fuse crew, nahmeen? Can you ever expect this type of speak to ever catch on? Who gives a fuck! Rappers like Ghostface Killah have been putting it down in a similar vein for years, Camp Lo’s vernacular is so pimped out they actually talk with a limp and then there’s Kool Keith… What?!?!? By the way that’s not what like what? But what like WHAT!

The insertion of slang into popular culture has always been a favorite pastime of us rap heads and by no means are we the only sub culture testing the waters with these lil diddies nor is exclusive to people of our generation or to people with such short attention spans as ourselves. Every group has its own exclusive language in which it communicates- pesh pesh penadlocks, I’m looking at you! Every band of brothers converse in their own unique way but please get creative in your speaks- don’t recycle some bullshit you heard from a drunk 29 year old waiting for the venga bus outside some Broadway pub last weekend. The struggle continues.

Here are a few tips on the science of creating and coining some of your very own “ill vernak” to be put on rotation amongst close friends and associates.
Firstly, for your vernacular to be picked up and inducted into your own circles you must believe in it. Secondly, pick your spots in the conversation and drop with such conviction people can’t help but notice it. Make sure that the new slang is so tough people need only question it once. Finally, reiterate the new vernacular in another unrelated statement then kick back, relax and wait for your “ill vernak” to come back to you. Let me tell you that once it does, the problem will not be do people understand it but who was actually king enough for that initial insertion into their vocabulary. Vernacular pimps know what I’m talkin ’bout!

Stay off the key ends.

Don’t fuck up your slang, kid.

We continue to bring it correct on Fridays. . .

What’s good peoples? Rap’s good. Rap’s been good, rap still is good. So let’s get to it.

Sydney rap is riding a wave of dope parties, dope acts and dope releases at the moment so if you haven’t got familiar the time is ripe to get ya kicks wet. Let’s start with some live shit. Reverse Polarities’ launch at the Annandale a coupla months ago was exactly how Hip Hop shows should be, packed to the rafters with thirsty kids, good sound and acts feeding off the crowd support. Additional props must go to RP for their relentless promo hustle which saw flyers stuffed in hands at countless different venues round the city in the months leading up to the gig.

I stumbled into the Spit Syndicate album launch a couple of weeks ago at the Oxford Arts Factory and was blown away by the energy in the room that night. Perhaps it was the severity of the all-night binge I was embracing but they seemed to have matured into the real deal, the boy’s stage presence was commanding, the crowd was frenzied and their material was strong. Rumpunch also had their launch a short time ago and though I didn’t catch it first hand, my mail is the turnout was excellent and the band defied the often crappy sound at the Gaelic and brought the house down. WOOP WOOP.

In the last few months, release wise, I can’t go past Chasm’s Beyond The Beat Tape. Shit is bangin son. Horrorshow’s The Grey Space is out on Elefant Traks and has been creating a massive buzz on the internet with plenty claiming it’s on some next shit. I haven’t copped it yet, but from the little I have heard AdiT’s beats are heated and Solo comes correct on the mic. In terms of upcoming releases, I urge you all to watch out for D-Trix’s full length solo LP dropping soon which is bound to be on some other shit for real, the kid got raps! Sleeping Monk, that ubiquitous denizen of the Broadway Struggle, has FINALLY completed his solo and is pushing it hand to hand until mid-September when it’ll be in stores and available online, Basic Equipment reprezent! On top of that, Obese’s latest signing Thundamentals got a joint on the way too so don’t snooze, we’ll have more details as they come to light.

Some people might take the position that my affiliation with the LookUP juggernaut compromises my ability to talk of our recent successes and contributions to the local scene without bias. Some people ain’t shit. For those that have been hibernating, the LookUP crew has been busy as hell this past year putting on a string of parties and gigs. We’ve brought to Sydney artists from interstate such as The Optimen, Mantra, A-Love, Ivens, Axe Aklins, Rainman, Tommy Illfigga and Purpose, and D’Opus and Roshambo. We’ve hosted local favourites 13th Son, Brass, Chasm, HerbRock, and Two Toes. LookUP has also orchestrated the heavily anticipated return of the MC Battle with the ‘Feeding Time’ nights as well as created a first for Sydney Hip Hop with the ‘Beatfighter’ events, which have given up-and-coming producers an avenue to show-off their beats on a soundsystem outside of their bedroom as well as giving renowned masters such as Sereck and DanielSan a night to flex skills without a limelight-hogging rapper in sight. You know what else? We’ve done all this for free! Why? Coz its all about the love!

The LookUP team ain’t just nice with the parties we’re nice with the raps. Fact. And we’ve just completed a compilation to prove this entitled LookUpInTheSky (mixed by DJ Mathmatics) which is launching at the UTS Loft Bar on Friday August 29th. You can expect to see some minds get blown as the LookUP roster of Bingethinkers, Scott Burns and That’s Them combine for the first time in one show to knock you all out of your respective boxes with high drama, superhuman space-rap and arse-shattering beats. YA HEARD?!? A copy of the compilation is free upon entry and is better than 99% of the shit out there so get on down. Do I have to even let you know that entry is free? It is.

On other fronts, Sydney’s Hip Hop superstore Soul Clap has reopened across the road from the Gaelic Club on Devonshire St and the talented artists from IM crew have an exhibition entitled ‘Don’t Sleep’ at the Somedays Gallery in Surry Hills. That and I’ll be attending the Toe-To-Toe Vs Def Wish Cast hardcore punk / rap mash-up gig of the century this weekend before this edition goes to print. So if you’re reading this in the future (which is a mathematical certainty)…you’re already too late. Suckaaas.