Mom's Spaghetti Grand Final |
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Seasta Chani
Mom’s Spaghetti is THE local rap battle competition hosted by producer/DJ/all round nice guy Rob Shaker, and last Wednesday was the Grand Final, a culmination of nearly two months of events involving 2 rounds and over 30 local rappers.
With the judging panel consisting of Optamus, Dazastah, Mortar, Bitter Belief, MAGGOT MOUF, Kogz, Mat Rafle and Shaker himself, you just knew that the winner of the competition would be of the highest calibre.
The night started off with local supports in the form of rapper Ollie Regal and femcee Seasta Chani. Ollie Regal, who is usually joined on stage by his The Sophists’ compadres DVS and DJ Silence, performed a solo set with guest verses from DVS and Wisdom2th. Regal is a serious lyricist who spits intricate bars on sometimes significant, sometimes humorous subject matter. His style – occasional leanings to the side of spoken word – is a breath of fresh air and is welcomed by this fan with open arms.
With the judging panel consisting of Optamus, Dazastah, Mortar, Bitter Belief, MAGGOT MOUF, Kogz, Mat Rafle and Shaker himself, you just knew that the winner of the competition would be of the highest calibre.
The night started off with local supports in the form of rapper Ollie Regal and femcee Seasta Chani. Ollie Regal, who is usually joined on stage by his The Sophists’ compadres DVS and DJ Silence, performed a solo set with guest verses from DVS and Wisdom2th. Regal is a serious lyricist who spits intricate bars on sometimes significant, sometimes humorous subject matter. His style – occasional leanings to the side of spoken word – is a breath of fresh air and is welcomed by this fan with open arms.
A.Saxon
Representing the ladies was seasoned female rapper Seasta Chani, who is currently heavily pregnant! Performing songs off her recently released debut album Life Sounds Like, the self-professed feminist brought up a valid point during her set. She highlighted the lack of female representation in the competition. Chani called on the males in the scene to encourage their female friends and to provide an environment where women felt comfortable expressing themselves through rap. Here’s hoping next year’s competition will have some female entrants.
A short interlude followed by the master of ceremonies Adam Crook giving the crowd a low-down on rules/regulations/how to not be a shit c*nt., and the Mom’s Spaghetti Grand Final had commenced. 11 finalists were given the opportunity to perform 3 songs and there were no rounds.
Kicking off the competition was New Found Heights, a recently formed crew consisting of Reality, Skinny Pete and DJ RichoKidd. Despite being relatively new to the scene as a group, the trio executed their set like seasoned performers. Reality and Skinny Pete worked the crowd was ease and in turn, received a good crowd response. The inclusion of DJ RichoKidd within the crew also worked in their favour.
Next up was solo emcee Beechey. There was a lot of hype around Beechey prior to the Grand Final and as I was not familiar with his music, I was intrigued. About 15 seconds in his set, I could comprehend what the hype was about. Beechey is a confident and skilled rapper. Giving his rendition of Eminem’s I’m Back, the crowd, who included Beechey’s parents, lapped it up. Beechey was a definite contender.
Following the strong performance from Beechy, was trio Poet’s Laureate. Poet’s Laureate formed in 2012 and have been a support act on a number of local shows therefore are no strangers to the stage. This was evident in their ability to deliver funny on stage banter and work the crowd. Due to being fairly established within the scene Poet’s Laureate have also developed a solid fan base as demonstrated by the crowd support during their set.
Cunningham was the next act, and his mellow set was a nice change up from the more hard-hitting performances previously. A herbalist, Cunningham’s lyrics were clever, playful and included many subtle - and not so subtle - references to his fondness of Mary Jane. He had a confident stage presence, however minimal crowd interaction and unfortunately minimal crowd response.
Shook & Tal were the fifth act to perform. The duo rhymed with a silver-tongued flow and interacted with the crowd with ease. Despite some “issues” during their second song, the boys finished off strong with their last song – an upbeat number that they enthusiastically performed to the crowd as the closer.
Bluntfield came to the stage and for the first time that evening was joined by female vocalist, Billy Harris. Billy handled the hooks whilst Bluntfield executed the rhymes. He performed a unique set that included a skit – a man chastising Bluntfield and the audience for being involved in the music scene and ended with Bluntfield “assaulting” him. Though the crowd was sparse, Bluntfield definitely scored points for originality.
Unfortunately for the seventh competing rapper, Jake Cable, there were technical issues and it seemed he wasn’t able to perform.
However the show must go on, and next up was Mizets. Mizets was also joined on stage by singer Billy Harris. His songs’ content demonstrated a passion for music. Jumping on stage with a crutch that was subsequently discarded, Mizets rapped with a fire in his belly resulting in him losing his voice.
Another entrant who had a hype surrounding them prior to the competition was Altty and L Fire, and you could see why. The boys had a commanding stage presence that received great crowd response. Their songs were engaging and the crowd moved in appreciation.
It may have been a case of saving the best for last with A.Saxon up next. Confidently referring to himself as a “serious rapper”, A.Saxon brought the goods to back it up performing a strong set of tight rhymes. His last song surprisingly was a slow beat that picked up the pace towards the end, which the crowd relished.
Bowzer Destroyer of Worlds was the last contender to step to the stage and brought with him a style unlike anything else seen that night. A seasoned performer Bowzer certainly had a the crowd captivated and if him taking his shirt off at the end didn’t well then…
And it was if the Rap Gods answered his prayers, as despite technical difficulties earlier, Jake Cable rounded off the night with a performance, earning himself a honourable mention.
After the points were rounded up from the 8 judges, the winners were announced as:
1st A.Saxon
2nd Beechey
3rd Cunningham,
With honourable mentions to Jake Cable, Bowzer and Altty & L Fire.
The prize was pack that included a $500 Shake Down Studio Voucher, a beat by Optamus Beat, two beats by Shaker, two beats by Mat Rafle, a KC Wonder T and Hat Pack and a $50 Kosmic Sound Voucher. So expect some new music from A.Saxon shortly!
Congratulations to A.Saxon, Beechey and Cunningham, and all rappers involved. The quality of performances at the Mom’s Spaghetti Grand Final is proof of the immense talent our small city has to offer. Perth hip hop is alive and well.
And hats off to Rob Shaker, who organised Mom's Spaghetti. Shaker is a real supporter and champion of the Perth hip hop scene. Til the next competition.
A short interlude followed by the master of ceremonies Adam Crook giving the crowd a low-down on rules/regulations/how to not be a shit c*nt., and the Mom’s Spaghetti Grand Final had commenced. 11 finalists were given the opportunity to perform 3 songs and there were no rounds.
Kicking off the competition was New Found Heights, a recently formed crew consisting of Reality, Skinny Pete and DJ RichoKidd. Despite being relatively new to the scene as a group, the trio executed their set like seasoned performers. Reality and Skinny Pete worked the crowd was ease and in turn, received a good crowd response. The inclusion of DJ RichoKidd within the crew also worked in their favour.
Next up was solo emcee Beechey. There was a lot of hype around Beechey prior to the Grand Final and as I was not familiar with his music, I was intrigued. About 15 seconds in his set, I could comprehend what the hype was about. Beechey is a confident and skilled rapper. Giving his rendition of Eminem’s I’m Back, the crowd, who included Beechey’s parents, lapped it up. Beechey was a definite contender.
Following the strong performance from Beechy, was trio Poet’s Laureate. Poet’s Laureate formed in 2012 and have been a support act on a number of local shows therefore are no strangers to the stage. This was evident in their ability to deliver funny on stage banter and work the crowd. Due to being fairly established within the scene Poet’s Laureate have also developed a solid fan base as demonstrated by the crowd support during their set.
Cunningham was the next act, and his mellow set was a nice change up from the more hard-hitting performances previously. A herbalist, Cunningham’s lyrics were clever, playful and included many subtle - and not so subtle - references to his fondness of Mary Jane. He had a confident stage presence, however minimal crowd interaction and unfortunately minimal crowd response.
Shook & Tal were the fifth act to perform. The duo rhymed with a silver-tongued flow and interacted with the crowd with ease. Despite some “issues” during their second song, the boys finished off strong with their last song – an upbeat number that they enthusiastically performed to the crowd as the closer.
Bluntfield came to the stage and for the first time that evening was joined by female vocalist, Billy Harris. Billy handled the hooks whilst Bluntfield executed the rhymes. He performed a unique set that included a skit – a man chastising Bluntfield and the audience for being involved in the music scene and ended with Bluntfield “assaulting” him. Though the crowd was sparse, Bluntfield definitely scored points for originality.
Unfortunately for the seventh competing rapper, Jake Cable, there were technical issues and it seemed he wasn’t able to perform.
However the show must go on, and next up was Mizets. Mizets was also joined on stage by singer Billy Harris. His songs’ content demonstrated a passion for music. Jumping on stage with a crutch that was subsequently discarded, Mizets rapped with a fire in his belly resulting in him losing his voice.
Another entrant who had a hype surrounding them prior to the competition was Altty and L Fire, and you could see why. The boys had a commanding stage presence that received great crowd response. Their songs were engaging and the crowd moved in appreciation.
It may have been a case of saving the best for last with A.Saxon up next. Confidently referring to himself as a “serious rapper”, A.Saxon brought the goods to back it up performing a strong set of tight rhymes. His last song surprisingly was a slow beat that picked up the pace towards the end, which the crowd relished.
Bowzer Destroyer of Worlds was the last contender to step to the stage and brought with him a style unlike anything else seen that night. A seasoned performer Bowzer certainly had a the crowd captivated and if him taking his shirt off at the end didn’t well then…
And it was if the Rap Gods answered his prayers, as despite technical difficulties earlier, Jake Cable rounded off the night with a performance, earning himself a honourable mention.
After the points were rounded up from the 8 judges, the winners were announced as:
1st A.Saxon
2nd Beechey
3rd Cunningham,
With honourable mentions to Jake Cable, Bowzer and Altty & L Fire.
The prize was pack that included a $500 Shake Down Studio Voucher, a beat by Optamus Beat, two beats by Shaker, two beats by Mat Rafle, a KC Wonder T and Hat Pack and a $50 Kosmic Sound Voucher. So expect some new music from A.Saxon shortly!
Congratulations to A.Saxon, Beechey and Cunningham, and all rappers involved. The quality of performances at the Mom’s Spaghetti Grand Final is proof of the immense talent our small city has to offer. Perth hip hop is alive and well.
And hats off to Rob Shaker, who organised Mom's Spaghetti. Shaker is a real supporter and champion of the Perth hip hop scene. Til the next competition.
