7 Questions with Lord St Collective
A couple of weeks ago due to a misunderstanding and an early pub closure on a sunday, I had the pleasure of being brought right into the hub of artistic expression that is the lord st collective pad. This is not your typical rap crew. This is a group of people bound together by their love of art in all forms. Not satisfied with just mastering one thing, they have got absolutely all of their bases covered (Emcees, beatmakers, singers, and band members, not to mention visual artists of all varieties). Talent oozes from their mouths and their fingertips and yet humbleness is their defining factor.
They are so real that they are sure to remind you that hip hop isn't just what you think hip hop is. And they are so eager they will remind you that sometimes the sheer desire to win means that you have already won.
START GETTING TO KNOW THIS DIVERSE AND DYNAMIC CREW by reading up on 7 questions with the emcee keggles.
First of all, tell us a bit about your crew. Who is involved? How did you meet? What is it that makes you unique? And how did you pick your name?
"The crew is always evolving as we keep meeting amazing people who want to be a part whatever this thing is. The hip-hop side of the crew is made up of Myself, Abbie Coco, Andy Fulker, Griffin Pickard, Max Tuckey, Trei Leslie Gordon, Lucky Moyo, Jordan Tredinnick, Ben Freeman and Owen Moyo. Max, Jordan and Ben are all very talented musicians that make up our band while the rest of us rap (except Abbie, she sings). Owen and Max make the majority of the beats but Andy is getting pretty good at that now so keep an ear out.
How we all met would take a pretty long time to figure out and explain, but we all started making music together a few weeks into Crackin’ Eggs. I think the fact that we are made up of such a mixed bag of people who are all influenced and inspired by different artists makes us unique without any real effort to achieve that ‘uniqueness’.
We have the home studio set up at Lord St and that is where the magic happens, so when it came to picking a name we figured we’d just explain how it felt to be a part of this group of creative individuals that happen to connect at Lord St. Lord St Collective was born."
You run a weekly cypher/ jam session every Thursday night at Wicked Lounge in Petersham which has become quite successful. What was your purpose behind starting the cypher and what would you like for it to become in the future?
"I saw on facebook that a friend of mine had just started working at this pub in Petersham and she had put the call out for anyone that wanted to host a weekly or fortnightly event. I called all the guys and asked what they thought of putting on an open mic night and we all figured we’d give it a go. I don’t think I had a purpose in mind at the beginning, besides that I wanted to get better at rapping myself. We had a few good nights towards the end of last year but this year is when it has started to pick up.
Crackin’ Eggs has a real community spirit. It has become a place for newcomers and seasoned acts to come have fun and share their music with their community. I just want it to stay around. I love that we have a feature act every week and that we keep meeting like-minded legends along the way."
I know your cyphers have some different elements to them (ie a poetry section), what can we expect from your live show?
"Crackin’ Eggs is the spot for freedom of expression and everyone getting their voice heard. The live show is about us bringing the party to the stage and getting all you guys grooving. Expect to dance and be psyked!"
When did you decide that you wanted to start rapping and who have been your biggest influences as you develop your style?
"I have always dug the art form. I remember being a ten-year-old kid and my older sister making me perform songs from The Marshall Mathers LP for her friends. I had been free-styling and toying with the idea of writing for a few years before I connected with the Lord St team.
I have only been writing my own bars for under a year. I would say that I’m most inspired by the dudes I work with, they are what gave me the confidence to put pen to paper.
People who I listen to influence my style- guys like Brad Strut, Tornts, Fatty Phew, Trem, Urthboy. Anyone who has gone in full chat, not expecting anything from hip-hop except the opportunity to have his or her voice heard. I love how we (Australians) sound on beats. Australia’s hip-hop history is so dense and I make a habit of looking back to make sure I haven’t missed any gems.."
As someone who is basically a newcomer, how do you see the Hip Hop community in Sydney? Have you found it easy or difficult to become accepted as a new artist?
"Sydney’s hip-hop community is awesome. I think there is real understanding that we can only exist as a self sustaining organism so you will always see other artists at hip-hop shows. People are always happy to see homies get a bit of shine on the radio and those homies are always happy to throw a bit of support over to the guys who are grinding in the local scene. So far I feel like we have been accepted but I think Spaceport is going to be the first time a lot of people who have been around a while will experience our show. I hope y‘all like it. "
What are your thoughts on global Hip Hop culture? Do you think it has the potential to change the world? And what do you feel that your place in it is?
"Global hip-hop culture is confusing… people seem to get very protective of what ‘real’ hip-hop is and blah blah blah. The fact that you even use the term ‘Global Hip-Hop culture’ is proof that it has already changed the world.
I feel like hip-hop is there for the voiceless to have a voice, I think my place within it is to just tell my story and stay authentic. I don’t give it much thought."
Who are your top 5 Hip Hop artists?
"I am just gonna name who I am listening to most at the moment. This is a tough question so I don’t wanna give myself an anxiety attack trying to answer it.
Black Star
Lyrical Commission
Four Owls
Kendrick Lamar
Broken Tooth Entertainment (What a fucking roster of hectic dudes! So much dope-ness at this label)"
You can catch the whole Hip Hop side of Lord St Collective backed by a full band in only their second live performance outside of the "Crackin' Eggs" jam sessions this Saturday June 27th at the Gaelic Club in Surry Hills. Doors from 8pm. And as an added bonus visual artist from the crew, James Lesjak Atton will be chillin' out with us all night making live art! Don't miss this!
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