It’s no secret that we’ve entered a new golden era of Australian hip-hop, and Spit Syndicate are absolutely at the forefront of the game. Having long established themselves among the best our country has to offer, they’ve recently shared the first track from their upcoming album, and have announced a headline tour across the continent (dates below). As part of the One Day crew alongside Horroshow, Joyride and Jackie Onassis, they’ve been busy with their bangin’ One Day Sunday events, not to mention a string of wicked singles like SDRO and Love Me Less over the past two years. Now though, the duo of Nick Lupi and Jimmy Nice are readying their own big release, and I for one cannot wait to hear it.
They’ve just released the video to the fiery Styalz Fuego-produced Know Better, you can check out right here (look out for a few special cameos):
We wanted to know the influences behind the music, so we asked Spit Syndicate to share three albums which changed their lives. Enjoy!
2Pac, All Eyez On Me
There have been certain artists throughout history that are seemingly larger than life. As a young man eager to rebel, 2pac was exactly that for me and most of my inner circle. Having only recently been introduced to rap music this was a complex story to digest, yet I was instantly hooked. I recall the bus that we were crammed into when I first peeped the green double-disc, all of the older kids were fearlessly quoting the lines and there was a real energy to it.
I started walking and talking differently, and like any classic album that you don’t catch from the start, I made my way backwards in an effort to get everything he’d ever released. This album will always be my favourite rap album of all time, still offering new gems with every listen. Looking back on it now I owe a lot of my early flows and rhythms to pac. All Eyez On Me, a true masterpiece.
Michael Jackson, Off The Wall
I need not stress this record’s importance and sheer brilliance, but I will note that since birth, I’ve listened to no other album more than this one. Before I knew the glittery socks and countless transformations I was in love with Michael Jackson’s music, simply because my mother was, and I had no choice. It became a marker for whether I could get along with someone, all dependent on their opinion of MJ.
This is disco, it’s soul, it’s funk, and it’s almost the only music that can guarantee people dancing. I’m truly grateful to have had this drilled into me as a kid; I’ll do the same one day with my own. 10 back to back smashes. Don’t stop til you get enough!
Horrorshow – Inside Story
In my opinion there are only a handful of hip-hop releases that can be mentioned in the same breath as Horrorshow’s 2009 sophomore record. They were everywhere that year and solidified their position as Australian hip-hop supremacy with songs like The Rain, Walk You Home and Thought Crime to mention a few. I vividly recall the night the pair received the album master as they pulled me aside to play a couple of their favourite joints off it. Being that we were also in the final stages of completing our own album I couldn’t help but feel both energised and (to some degree) slightly disheartened in my own project and performance. The fact that we both represent the same team (One Day), we also share a level of friendly competitiveness that in that moment got the better of me. I believe this was a turning point for me as a writer. I took extra care with every line, I more than ever before pictured myself as the listener, and above all became a more considered and complete rhymer.
The same feeling still drives me and the music I make today. So shouts to Inside Story, Horrorshow, and the rest of the Onedayers… 2016 is our year.
Spit Syndicate Tour Dates:
Image: Supplied