TWOBARSHORT VOL TWO BY TWOBARSSHORT

 

 

Click here to go to TWOBARSHORT VOL TWO by TWOBARSSHORT on Bandcamp.

 

 

King Kai,NPC, Eyez and Micsure are a Dunedin/Christchurch based Hip-Hop crew called TWOBARSSHORT.

TWOBARSSHORT have just released a four track E.P called TWOBARSHORT VOL TWO. 

Independently released on Bandcamp and available for what ever you think It’s worth. TWOBARSSHORT have delivered four tracks of crispy well produced and keenly crafted songs that will resonate with fans of underground NZ Hip-Hop.

TWOBARSSHORT are aiming to release four E.P's in 12 months. Volume One was released in May this year and is also available on Bandcamp.

TWOBARSSHORT are in touch with the NZ Hip-Hop scene. Delivering what I feel the Hip-Hop heads of New Zealand want and thats straight from the heart non commercialised Hip-Hop. Like the lyrics to the opening song So Sly say. Their music is for the druggies, the skaters and the misfits and theres not a commercial offering in site.

TWOBARSSHORT have an authentic New Zealand flavour to their sound and manage to deliver without sounding overly American which I personally always appreciate and their vocal delivery is tight, energetic and upbeat.

The stand out element in this E.P is the production. King Kai makes dope beats and the mixing and mastering on the E.P sounds top notch.

I caught up with Micsure and asked him a few questions about TWOBARSSHORT and the new E.P.

How would you describe your music in one sentence?

A collaboration of Hip-Hop heads trying to still live in the nineties.

What sets you apart from other acts/groups?

I guess our drive to release four E.P's within 12 months. I don’t really know any one who has done that.

Which one of your songs are you most proud of, and why?

I personally like track 2 on the E.P (Bricks in the wall) because of the level of the verses we bring and the hook sticks in my head.

Where do you come from or what part of NZ do you or your group represent?

We are mainly Dunedin based with the exception of Micsure who lives in Christchurch.

Do you produce your own beats or do you use any particular beat maker?

King Kai aka Hamish Clulee makes the beats and produces the tracks he also emcees on some tracks. He's an all rounder.

Whats your favourite and least favourite thing about Hip-Hop culture?

My favourite thing about Hip-Hop culture is the freedom of speech being able to use the format to say what ever u want and try to make it sound dope at the same time. My least favourite is the fact people have seemed to have forgotten what Hip-Hop is and we are seeing an increase of watered down raps breaking the air waves. Ultimatley warping the definition of Hip-Hop for todays youth to something that to me is strictly advertisement.

Tell us about your E.P.

This is the second E.P in a series of four. We just lay down what we feel at the time. Go with the flow then King Kai makes it sound sicker than when we started. We aren’t going for any particular sound we just do what each mc/producer feels n chuck it together giving each verse a unique sound almost changing the feeling of the song completely.

What advice would you like to give to other aspiring rappers/producers?

I know its corny but just keep doing what ya doing yo.

What can we expect to see from you over the next year?    

Over the next year two more E.P's and hopefully a bundle of gigs.

 

THE 'RAP IT UP' BLOG : COCONUT LIME BY TEAM DYNAMITE

JCK | JCK Music New Zealand Contemporary Hip Hop New Zealand Band. | THE 'RAP IT UP' BLOG : COCONUT LIME BY TEAM DYNAMITE

HANS K & MICRODOT

I was thinking the other day that Auckland is such a rich and diverse melting pot of cultures in which Hip-Hop thrives. Most of Aucklands races are represented in local Hip-Hop, although I’d never seen a rapper from the Asian community. Were there any? And If so where are they?

Well, it turns out the Universe heard my question. A couple of nights later, I found myself at a Visual Base Media gig at Juice Bar in Parnell. I was there watching some local talent including two very talented rappers Hans K and Microdot.

Hans K grabbed my attention immediately. Pretty much the polar opposite to the Hip Hop stereo type. I was looking at a slightly awkward looking teenager with glasses who then began to rap. "Wow" I thought. This guy has got something unique. Hans K aka Hanju Kim is only 17 years old and comes from Keri Keri. Hanju is of Korean descent and lives in Auckland. Hans K has been rapping and writing songs since the tender of age of 14. He’s come a long way in a short time and at such a young age and with such a huge amount of talent, he will definitely be one to watch out for.

At the same show another rapper of Korean descent named Microdot performed. 21 Year old Microdot aka David Shin has had a song on the radio recently called For the road to riches. When I heard the song on the radio I just presumed it was another American track because of its professional sounding quality. The fact that a lot of the song is in Korean didn’t seem to even connect. Then I saw his video and was like oh cool he’s Korean and he’s an Aucklander. Microdot was a sensation in Korea as a child as a part of a child rap duo called All Black and he was signed at a very young age along with his older brothers to a Korean Label. Hip-Hop has always been a big part of his life with his older brothers also being rappers and producers.

Both performers put on a great show that night and really stood out to me as charismatic gifted performers. So rappers from the Asian community are out there and they are representing hard. Although despite Auckland massive Chinese population I still haven’t found any Chinese rappers. Where the Chinese rappers at?

 

Check out Hans K’s song Nostalgia

 

 

Check out Microdot’s song For The Road To Riches.

 

MC Mas The Bright Side

 

The single ‘Bright Side’ is the first official single and video clip from the forth coming album from MC Mas.The song features vocals from singer Emma Hand and is quickly racking up massive play counts on Youtube.

MC Mas who has recently signed to NZ urban label Empire Records has been on the grind for years performing live shows around New Zealand as a solo artist, the MC for DJ Marine and more recently with back up from live band Synergy Sound System.

He’s put in the hard yards funding his own album and videos as an Independent artist and after being snapped up by record label Empire Records his hard work is set to pay off with help in the form of distribution and promotion backing from Warner music.

MC Mas is set to make huge waves in the NZ music industry so check out the current single and watch out for the next single dropping soon.

 

 

            

 

You can find MC Mas on facebook here.

JCK Signs To Empire Records

 

After a very long time since my last record deal I have finally been signed. Yes persistence and perseverance have paid off and In my 10th year of making music as JCK I have been offered and have accepted a record deal with Auckland Label Empire Records. I'm very excited about this awesome opportunity to have my music have the chance to reach more people than I could do all on my own and I'm looking forward to seeing my third album reach a greater potential than I could offer as an independent artist.

How did this happen you may ask. Well after a very long time recording a massive amount of songs I decided to put together a digital album of what I considered to be my B sides which I called The Bees. I put it out independently through CD baby and offered it for free to those in the know on bandcamp. I sent a link of the album to a contact at Move The Crowd Records who got back to me 6 months later saying he has been listening to my album and liked it. So my next question was "are you signing any new acts to Move The Crowd Records at the moment?" The answer was no but we have a new label would you like to discuss what we could do for you? Hell yeah was the reply to that and bada bing badaboom.....signed. Saweet! Sooooo watch this space for the next exciting installment.

Adam Yauch Dies Of Cancer

It is with great sadness that we confirm that musician, rapper, activist and director Adam "MCA" Yauch, founding member of Beastie Boys and also of the Milarepa Foundation that produced the Tibetan Freedom Concert benefits, and film production and distribution company Oscilloscope Laboratories, passed away in his native New York City this morning after a near-three-year battle with cancer. He was 47 years old.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Yauch taught himself to play bass in high school, forming a band for his 17th birthday party that would later become known the world over as Beastie Boys.

With fellow members Michael "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "Adrock" Horovitz, Beastie Boys would go on to sell over 40 million records, release four #1 albums–including the first hip hop album ever to top the Billboard 200, the band's 1986 debut full length, Licensed To Ill–win three Grammys, and the MTV Video Vanguard Lifetime Achievement award. Last month Beastie Boys were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with Diamond and Horovitz reading an acceptance speech on behalf of Yauch, who was unable to attend.

In addition to his hand in creating such historic Beastie Boys albums as Paul's Boutique, Check Your Head, Ill Communication, Hello Nasty and more, Yauch was a founder of the Milarepa Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting awareness and activism regarding the injustices perpetrated on native Tibetans by Chinese occupational government and military forces. In 1996, Milarepa produced the first Tibetan Freedom Concert in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, which was attended by 100,000 people, making it the biggest benefit concert on U.S. soil since 1985's Live Aid. The Tibetan Freedom Concert series would continue to stage some of the most significant benefit shows in the world for nearly a decade following in New York City, Washington DC, Tokyo, Sydney, Amsterdam, Taipei and other cities.

In the wake of September 11, 2001, Milarepa organized New Yorkers Against Violence, a benefit headlined by Beastie Boys at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom, with net proceeds disbursed to the New York Women's Foundation Disaster Relief Fund and the New York Association for New Americans (NYANA) September 11th Fund for New Americans–each chosen for their efforts on behalf of 9/11 victims least likely to receive help from other sources.

Under the alias of Nathanial Hörnblowér, Yauch directed iconic Beastie Boys videos including "So Whatcha Want," "Intergalactic," "Body Movin" and "Ch-Check It Out." Under his own name, Yauch directed last year's Fight For Your Right Revisited, an extended video for "Make Some Noise" from Beastie Boys' Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, starring Elijah Wood, Danny McBride and Seth Rogen as the 1986 Beastie Boys, making their way through a half hour of cameo-studded misadventures before squaring off against Jack Black, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as Beastie Boys of the future.

Yauch's passion and talent for filmmaking led to his founding of Oscilloscope Laboratories, which in 2008 released his directorial film debut, the basketball documentary Gunnin' For That #1 Spot and has since become a major force in independent video distribution, amassing a catalogue of such acclaimed titles as Kelly Reichardt's Wendy and Lucy, Oren Moverman's The Messenger, Banksy's Exit Through The Gift Shop, Lance Bangs and Spike Jonze's Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait Of Maurice Sendak, and many more.

Yauch is survived by his wife Dechen and his daughter Tenzin Losel, as well as his parents Frances and Noel Yauch.

Free Music from Kurnel MC

 

Kurnel MC aka Luke Epapara has been on the grind for 12 years chasing the dream making a name for himself in acts like Master Pilot and Funk n Slow Cuts. He is also known to many as the MC of the Nelson Giants' home games at the Trafalgar Centre.

A married father of two, Luke has released six recordings, including his solo album and is offering samples of his work from the past 12 years for free...for you.

Luke has just moved to the UK and is networking hard with the natives and as always is working on new collaborations and projects.

Kurnel MC signature sound features rap music with melodies and positive vibes and this veteran of NZ Hip Hop is going from strength to strength with each offering so get some fantastic free music from soundcloud compliments of Kurnel MC.

Click on The Kurnels Picture to go to the sound cloud page or click here