MR MORGZ

(VICTORIA)  

Corinthian Morgan aka Mr Morgz was Born in Shepparton, Victoria raised in Melbourne and is a proud Indigenous Yorta Yorta M.C. Morgz started writing and rapping in 2001 while incarcerated as a way to stay motivated.

He continued practicing his flow and vocab creating his own style and has now been writing for 10 years! "I'll never give it up, rapping and writing are my healing"

Morgz is now with PAYBACK RECORDS thanks to his brutha boy NATRAT. In 2008 he recorded his Debut Album "LIFE ON THE RUN" in the INDIGITAL CENTRE Studio with the help of Cappa Ak which is currently being finalised including his track "PLAN PLOT" with Young Noble (The OUTLAWZ) and a list of other bangers with the Payback Crew.

Recently Morgz rocked the stage along side Alter Egoz as the Opening Act for one of New Zealand's Biggest Hip Hop Artists 'SAVAGE' The show was a Huge success and was a great way to promote some of the songs from "LIFE ON THE RUN" 

He is now working on his second album with more fire to come... STAY TUNED... MR M-O-R-G-Z  

SNEAKE1

(QUEENSLAND)  

Around the age of six, he started Rhyming with words that his mum had said. For example; "Go and get a fork" she would say, then he would try and rhyme something with that. As he grew up, he listened to artists such as N.W.A, Grandmaster Flash and 2Live Crew. He saw these rappers rap about their lives, which inspired him to put his Rhyming abilities to action..... He is Townsville born and bred, from Far North Queensland, and there he writes and records about the struggles of life, looking for the 'Sunshine', and “Forever looking for a change”. .... He is THE SNEAKE1..... SNEAKE1, Started getting serious about his writing and recording from the age of seventeen. His first recordings were (on in the inside) when he was locked up, where there were no recording studios. Under pressure he was forced to improvise. All he had was a CD/Cassette player with a built-in microphone. Sneake1, looped an instrumental from 'The Dogg Pound' and from there his raps began. .... Being locked up in a small space was like a live recording studio for him. In time, Sneake1 was released back into the world, with one hand he had his freedom and in the other, hand recorded demos. His locked-up-made demo's, were released to the Hip Hop underground, and the response would inspire Sneake1 to push on with his writings and recordings..... Early 2004 Sneake1 lived in the Western Suburbs of Sydney, Liverpool. He walked into the Hip Hop music store "Kool Sounds" where he heard an instrumental playing, while MC's were free-styling over the music. From then, Sneake1 jumped on the mic, and started to free-style. People walking past, stopped and listened, and within two minutes, a large crowd was singing along with Sneake1. Yet again this would inspire him to go on, and this would spread the word that Sneake1 is recognized as a genuine 'Rap Artist'..... His experiences grew furthermore from 2004, after being on Australian Pay Television channel “FOX8” with Australian R&B producer J-Wess (hosted by Australian Test Cricketer Brett Lee). .... In March 2005 Sneake1 competed in the Townsville Heat of the Channel V “Aussie Friggin Hip Hop” competition hosted by Andrew G and James Matheson, whilst also appearing in the 2005 Triple J Hottest 100 DVD Special Features. His performance prompted positive national feedback on the Triple J Hip Hop Show website. During the 2005 Stylin' Up Concert, Sneake1 rapped alongside other concert performers such as Joel Turner & The Modern Day Poets..... In 2008, Sneake1 signed an Artist Development, Production & Entertainment Management deal with Gutter Made Entertainment, which is based in Brisbane. The team believes in Sneake1 as a person and as an artist and producer. Songs that the crew are producing with Sneake1 and with Featured artist Dada Murray are; 'SUNSHINE', and 'LOOKING FOR A CHANGE', and WISH, There are 15 tracks in total that are in production in 2006-2007. We are all looking forward to the music that is to come. All songs produced three in total, are getting National air play on the National Indigenous Radio Servers and Triple J with Maya Jupiter Hip Hop Show. And now as of 2007, Sneake1 has also signed with Dark Chocolate Entertainment and has released ‘SUNSHINE’ ON ITUNES AROUND THE WORLD on the world wide web......... .... .... ..BUY SNEAKE1'S NEW SINGLE "SUNSHINE"

JOHNNY MAC & MZ HOOD

(VICTORIA)  

Mz Hood

The Queen of PAYBACK Records. Meriki has been performing and writing music for 7 years and is now ready to release her first solo album. Influenced by Missy Elliot, 2Pac and Bone Thugs and Harmony. Highlights also include meeting and collaborating a song with the OUTLAWZ in 2008. 

Completed a Sound Engineering course through Songlines, involved in music workshops and mentoring young indigenous children with the Indigital Program and attended the music program at the Kangan Batman TAFE. 

Performed at various Indigenous Community events through out Victoria and now ready to perform around the country. 

Meriki started listening to rap music when she was 8 following in the steps of her big sister who was also a fan of rap music. Happiest moment in music was meeting her partner/boyfriend on stage (Johnny Mac) and having her beautiful daughter Lyrik. 

Meriki hopes to take the music industry by storm and show them what a real Aboriginal Female M.C can do.

Johnny Mac

Johnny Mac has been writing and performing hip-hop for the last 10 years, but made a living working as a radio presenter at 3CR community radio, where he has won numerous awards for the “Beyond the Bar” prison broadcasts as well as a Centennial Medal and a written congratulations from the Prime Minster and the Queen.

He also has a diploma in broadcasting and Journalism but his passion has always been hip-hop and rap music.

Johnny Mac never got into the music business to become a superstar or a millionaire, rather to inspire young and old in the lyrics he has written and to motivate young people to give rap music a go (he even used to get Tjimba on the stage with him).

Johnny Mac has performed at almost every koori event around Victoria also at numerous events and festivals in the wider communities but he has never recorded an album.

KARNAGE & DARKNIS

(SOUTH AUSTRALIA)

Karnage and Darknis turn out meaningful, inspiring lyrics with catchy hip hop beats.

The long list of running rhyming workshops for youth and performances at local and interstate festivals has, built a solid standing and much respect for Karnage and Darknis. 

Karnage is Western Arrentte, from the Hermannsburg community west of Alice Springs. He began rhyming at the age of 13. Darknis is a natural performer and song writer. She is of the Ngarrindjeri and Kokatha peoples from South Australia. 

Audiences are captivated by the unique and engaging style of Karnage and Darknis. Their debut album, Only Tha Strong Survive, was launched in mid 2010, is already a popular item. Their music encourages positive change for young people

KONECT-A-DOT

(NEW SOUTH WALES)

Commonly held wisdom is that actions speak louder than words; on rare occasions   

though, someone arrives that delivers both. Konect-A-Dot (aka Paul Penrith) -indigenous lyrical craftsman, performer and beat producer – is one such arrival.

Growing up in the isolated Australian Riverina town of Griffith in, Country NSW, Konect-A-Dot began injecting his beliefs and experiences into his music at an extremely young age and it wasn’t long before the rest of the country started taking note. Distinctively Australian, distinctively indigenous and distinctively his own, Konect-A-Dot’s music offers a lyrical flow and reality rarely heard amongst today’s generic brand of hip hop; it’s an honesty that has seen him break through stereotypes to set the underground buzzing

Backing up the words is an ever expanding string of awards and accl.. At the age of 18 Konect-A-Dot is named one of the Top Ten best new unsigned talents at the Australian Music OZ awards in not one, but two separate categories, both open ‘Hip Hop’ and ‘Indigenous’. 2006: Konect-A-Dot nominated for ‘Best New Talent’ at Australia’s Indigenous ‘Deadly Awards’. 2006: From amongst over 4000 nominations, Konect-A-Dot is awarded Australia’s best unsigned indigenous artist, taking out the ‘Indigenous’ category at the Australian 2006 Music OZ Awards

Konect-A-Dot has been travelling back and forth between Australian city Sydney and country town Griffith for over four years and establishing an enviable live reputation along the way. He started off performing with the Young, Black & Deadly program aimed at youth and has since gone on to build up a list of supports that includes the likes of well known Australian acts such as Savage,  Koolism, Kid Confucius and  Street Warriors. May 2007 saw him invited to play one of the headline slots at Australia’s 2007 Stylin’UP Festival, a slot that resulted in further Australian Triple J airplay and a feature interview with Australia’s former host Maya Jupiter on Triple J’s ‘Hip Hop Show. But now, the time has come to turn promise into fruition.

2009 Konect-A-Dot was  invited to performed at World Plant Festival in Toronto Canada along with other international artist from around the world.  2010 he perform at The Dreaming Festival in Woodford QLD in front of large crowds. Konect-A-Dot is also starting to be known as one of the hottest producers in the country producing other musicians, which is an indication the respect he gains from other artists.   

YUNG WARRIORS

(VICTORIA)

D-BOY (Left) TJIMBA (Right)

D-BOY

D-Boy doesn’t just share the stage with Tjimba but shares the blood that makes them brothers. He also has the desert blood of the Unugu, Lavitja and Majuta.

The spark and flow that rolls off the stage is a testament to the dynamic they have developed as brothers and artists.

D-boy was inspired by hip hop films and music as a young kid. When he realized Tjimba had also started to rap he knew that forming Yung Warriors together was going to lead to great things. D-Boy has also since learned how to produce beats and developed his own smooth style of vocal delivery. He draws inspiration from reggae, jazz, alternative rock and of course other hip hop, but sees the importance of diversity. Not just in music but also in community.

As a young indigenous rapper he is proud to represent his people and be a role model for the younger generation. Yung Warriors were nominated for ‘Best Hip Hop Act’ at the 2009 Deadly Awards and took the prize for ‘Best New Talent’ at the first Indigenous Hip Hop and R’n’B Bump Awards.

TJIMBA

Tjimba is a young man from the Yorta Yorta tribe, Barmah forest and also a Unugu, Lavitja and Majuta man from the Northern Territory.

He now lives in Melburn city amongst his musical family. While Tjimba has grown up around the music industry and accompanied his father Selwyn Burns (Mixed Relations, Blackfire) on stage as a child, he first gripped the mic as an MC at the age of 15. Joelistics of TZU was an early source of inspiration to young Tjimba after he saw them perform. He says he didn’t even realize that Australians wrote hip hop and from that moment ‘freaked out and started writing’. Joelistics proved to be a prominent mentor to the young Tjimba, taking him to his own gigs and encouraging him to get up on stage.

For the past seven years Tjimba has not stopped writing and performing. He has combined his skills as a musician on guitar, bass and keyboard with producing beats. He formed Yung Warriors with his brother D-Boy and built one of Melburn’s most notorious crews. Tjimba was the main producer on the Yung Warriors first album ‘Warrior for Life’ and plays many of the instruments live.

As a lyricist he has carved a new niche as a rapper with an emphasis on conscious and cultural content. Forging an identity as an aboriginal warrior fighting for his peoples cause. But its not all about the struggle – he knows how to blaze big club anthems too. From voluntary community gigs, to massive international support slots for artists such as Akon, 50 Cent, The Game, Outlawz and The Big Day Out, Yung Warriors have loudly declared their indigenous hip hop movement to the music world.

THA DEADLY BOYZ

(SOUTH AUSTRALIA)

Thibul Nettle aka Stinga T and Michael Collard aka Big Sexy are an Adelaide/Perth based rap duo called TDB (Tha Deadly Boyz). The boys are cousins and have been performing together since 1999 beginning the duo while still in high school. Originally they wanted to be an RnB combo and began taking vocal lessons on and off for three years with the guidance of vocal coach Ken Elliot. After much thought and the growing commitments of Ken Elliot’s own career, the boys decided to veer from the RnB path and steer more towards a Hip Hop/Rap pathway. Growing up listening to Rap music proved to be a great foundation for TDB to start from. They had both learnt a lot from listening to Rap from a young age which made the transition from RnB into Hip Hop/Rap an easy one. TDB started out calling themselves the Westside Boyz as all members of the group at the time were from Western Australia. Eventually lack of commitment from fellow group members and a career change by the third member Shaw D saw the Westside Boyz call it a day. The groups name Westside Boyz was also already taken and registered by another group and it was at that moment that Stinga T and Big Sexy decided to form a Hip Hop/Rap Duo called TDB – The Deadly Boyz in early 2006. Performing together for over 8 years now and based in Adelaide after moving from Perth, TDB have written numerous songs and recorded a debut album called ‘Unleash tha Nyoongars’. As well as writing and recording, the boys have performed countless times at special events such as Blak Nite, Nunga Idol, Come Out Festivals, The Fringe and other small to big gigs around South Australia. TDB’s music leaves audiences stunned at live shows with a blend of Street, Dance and Hardcore Hip Hop laced with RnB and commercial Rap all thrown into one mix which is a recipe to cater to all listeners tastes. In 2006 TDB finished in the Top 10 of the Music Oz Awards in Sydney for the Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander category. At the Dreaming Festival in 2008 the boyz created a stir performing an outstanding showcase and had everyone up and dancing to their tunes. In 2009 TDB flew to Queensland to perform at the inaugural Stylin Up Festival in Inala. They were invited to the event as a request, where they were billboarded and shared the stage with artists such as The Street Warriors, Impossible Odds, The Last Kinection and Jessica Mauboy. 2008 saw TDB team up with Adelaide based production company Scheffilm Productions to create their first music video for the single ‘Big Shots’. The boys used the popularity of ‘Big Shots’ as a demo to seek funding for their second music video ‘Rise’. The ‘Rise’ music video which is the first single off their upcoming album, has proven to be a success with numerous hits via the Internet and television airplay on Channel V. TDB have also completed a 3rd music video which is called ‘My Baby’ from there second album Rise, 'My Baby’ has a more slower and RnB feel which TDB are known for. With great help from Julie Dickson and Lucas Sheffel, TDB have a visual side to there music in which it gives there fans and soon to be fans a connection with the boys, which is a very important element to being artists. TDB has also written and recorded there second album entitled Rise. With the 2nd album, TDB wanted to show a more refined and more mainstream style of music and also with keepin where they came from and where they want to be, they certainly put that across in the Rise album. Not only do the boys rap, sing and write songs, they also act. In 2009 Stinga T and Big Sexy played featured extra roles in a Scheffilm Productions feature film which was filmed in South Australian called ‘The Counterpart’. Also in 2009 Stinga T played lead roles in Adelaide produced short films ‘The Portrait of Don Caruso’ and ‘Coil’. ‘Coil’, produced by Deor Productions in association with Scheffilm Productions screened at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner. TDB have taken on lead roles in another short film which has been shot in South Australia by Sheffilm Productions called ‘The Summit’ which stars both Stinga T and Big Sexy, in which they starred alongside Renata Natoli and Candice Davie. ‘The Summit’ has made the great achievement of being featured this year in the 2010 Melbourne Film Festival and it is being screened to the Australian Film Industry. Stinga T has also been approached by a Sydney Production company to play a role in a film set in 1950s in Australia which deals with an Aboriginal family and boxing. In recent times, TDB has had the great opportunity to work on some more film projects. The most recent one would be starring in the feature film ‘49‘. Both Stinga T and Big Sexy star in ‘49‘ alongside great actors and a great director by the name of Howard Sumner. With also lending some of there music to the film, the movie ‘49‘ looks to do very well as it is getting alot of attention and interest. TDB have achieved alot with in the past years and with great things happening in music and film in recent time and the present, there journey has only just begun.