" 2 Steppin . . .

with my hand on my Glock "

Hot Dollar - Two Steppin (next up)

I Be On That Kryptonite

9.00PM. Thursday the 5th – Coach rolls out of Adelaide. Slimzee, Riko Dan & Gods Gift are all I can hear for the next 50+ minutes. Sat behind the driver (only just got a seat, its near capacity) watching semi-trailers hurtling down towards us as we climb thru the hills. The odd thing about Slimzee sets is they thrust you forward into the future.

Even listening to a Rinse show from January 2005, I can’t help but feel 50 years ahead of where I’m at. I think it’s down to the fact that half the tunes are only now starting to appear for sale to the public. The Godfather of Dubplates. Standard.

7.00AM. Friday the 6th – Coach arrives in Melbourne. As I leave the Spencer Street bus terminal Selector Dub Us recent bay area hyphy mix comes onto my budget mp3 player. Early morning is my favourite time of day, especially in a ‘foreign’ city. Especially on a Friday. That feeling of the whole city bracing itself, winding itself up for three long days and three long nights. ‘Stunna Glasses’ comes on just as I find a place t get some breakfast.

Its almost midday by the time I get to the backpackers. My right knee is battered; I fell asleep with it twisted to fuck on the coach, not a good look when you’ve travelled 10 hours to dance your arse off.

7.00PM. Friday the 6th – After cruising down to South Yarra on the tram to check out DMC records, in the afternoon, I grab a few hours sleep. Well, as much sleep as you can get in backpackers between 3pm and 6pm. Shaved & showered I go out in search of dinner. Found a lil' Chinese place that did well simple things, my stomach is pretty sensitive so I’m after rice and lots of it, BBQ pork seems like a good idea at the time. Little did I know it contained enough MSG to kill a small animal, I catch a lift from instant noodles, so that shit had me buzzin.

9.00PM. Friday the 6th – Full of steamed rice & MSG I do a last minute Google maps chk so I have half a hope in hell of finding The Croft Institute. I’m a little worried by my roommates all getting ready for bed as I leave, Friday night??? Half eight, what’s with that???

After walking all the way to the top of Lil’ Bourke Street and then turning to go back for a 2nd look, I find the laneway which leads to Croft Alley. Nuts. Bloody Melbourne. I walk passed a few lads washing dishes in back of the local Chinese restaurants & a load of dumpsters to find the The Croft. Madness. I’m in plenty of time, can’t hear any rattling yet, I can tolerate the D’n’B Lite that’s pumping in the ground floor bar, as long as they don’t run out of Coopers Sparkling Ale. Wandering around the venue I have no idea where the dance will take place, a closed door at the top of the stairs looks promising.

I bump into SVonKnives, from the dubstep.au forum on my wanderings & we go downstairs to play the waiting game. Big Up the ‘Unknown Pleasures’ man dem.

‘A few’ Sparkling Ales in & I’ve no idea what the time is, AC23 & Cammo have started their set and I’m cruising. By the time the boys drop ‘What’ remix I’m starting to yell shit out.

Before beer #6 my knee is still giving me trouble. After that tho it’s all over. I’m sat in a nice spot when AC23 (I think) drops ‘Neverland’. You ain’t heard that tune till you’ve heard it with some volume (not down yr local coffee shop mind). I have to concentrate real hard so as not to explode my head. What a fucking TUNE!!!

As Kode 9 takes to the wheels I’m extremely rude to man like FliPPo as I run off just after meeting him (sorry bout that man, got a wee bit excited)

I’m not even gonna try & put Kodes set into words, so many big tunes – ‘I’ve got to find my way’ – He played ‘every’ big tune in my universe, I swear, the perfect balance of instros & vocals.

The set finishes with The Bug feat. Flowdan – ‘Jah War’ & its so perfect I can’t explain it.

I try to find out from Kode9 what the tune he played which uses the vocal from ‘Kryptonite (I’m on it)’ by the Purple Ribbon All-stars. But, with ‘Jah War’ still echoing in my ears I cant properly make out what he said. He might’ve said it was by someone called ‘Cheeky’ or that its some cheeky re-fix, or he might’ve been calling me a cheeky cunt. Any and all of those are possible, but I’m fucked if I know. I try to remember as I limp down Lil Bourke Street, the knee is starting to hurt again & I know its not gonna go away for awhile now.

I got nice & lost in-between the corner of La Trobe / Swanston St. and Franklin St. I dunno how, don’t ask, but I know for a fact I told the lad in Hungry Jacks ‘No Pickles’

Earlier in the night I had a copy of AC23 & Cammos free mix CD in my hand. By 3am all I had was stone cold junk food & fucked vocal cords. Pissed.

Big shout out to Zomby, Deapoh & the forum heads for putting up with my shit & keeping me entertained on msn as I tried to keep myself up until I was relatively sober, sleeping with a belly full of Sparkling is not a good idea when you’ve gotta get on a coach at 8.00AM.

Crashed out at 5AM fully clothed & shoed and got a couple hours sleep before dragging my sorry self thru a shower and down to the coach.

8.30AM Saturday the 7th – By the good grace of god I make the coach on time. Getting very suspect looks from the bus driver as I climb onboard. Good, I look as bad as I feel.
Get jokes when the driver makes a big point of the Victoria police doing random searches for illegal drugs, I can’t see his face, but I swear he’s lookin’ straight at me. Joker.

6PM Saturday the 7th – Arrive back in Adelaide, where it’s a lot warmer than Melbourne was. Nice. The gods are still with me as I manage to connect with a train back down to the Port, without waiting an hour. Didn’t get raided on the coach either so that was good. Only salt in the wound is that the train is full of fuckwits who are convinced no one can hear them as they broadcast there plans for the night by yelling into mobile phones. Derk Heads.

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Big Ups to all involved in putting the dance on at The Croft Institute. Massive respect to Mr. Kode9 for his blinding set, even tho I think he wasn’t getting along with the sound-system. Fucking great night.



Also, if anyone knows what the tune Kode 9 played with the vocals from this tune is, I beg you tell me.

Kryptonite - Purple Ribbon Allstars

Heres Lil’ Waynes version off Dedication 2 as well, just because it’s a wicked tune and Weezy murks it.

Ridin' Wit The Ak - Lil wayne feat. Currancy & Mac Mane

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Photos taken by an unknown photographer, see the rest here:

http://www.inthemix.com.au/photos14/061006-kode-9

If you took these & would like to be mentioned, or, don't want them up here please contact me.

doomstep [at] bigpond [dot] com

26 hour days - working nightshift.

More Young Jeezy. Forget about his album, and that Akon single (its ok still). DJ Drama & Jeezy chef that shit you'll never have to re-chef.

Young Jeezy w Bun B & Slick Pulla - Trap or Die

Listening to Gansta Grillz 'Trap or Die' 'special collectors edition' with its extra layer of DJ Drama sound effects and shouts, another layer of Jeezy boasts on top of the first layer.

The result is pretty amazing at times, tapping into that choral, mobbed out ensemble sound of pirate radio.

Jeezy layers his vocals anyway, adding an extra part to every rap, emphasising & underpinning each line with grunts & groans. Lil' Wayne is better & only because he can do it with one track.

The other Drama ‘tapes I’ve got aren’t nearly as chaotic, the Young Dro & Gnarls Barkly ones are almost like regular bits, with minor interjections by Drama and very few sound fx.

Its as if Young Jeezys personality, his over the top honesty, his refusal to be ‘a rapper’ – his swagger; rubs off on Drama.

Young Jeezy - U.S.D.A Part2

It might be that he knows the Snowmans fans will buy the shit regardless & the haters will hate regardless.

Drama is probably the only DJ with a big enough ego to match Jeezys so they are an almost perfect match for one another. Egging each other on.

One of the DJs boasts on ‘Trap or Die’ runs something like; ‘we put on weight since the last one. N***as been eating round here’. Another demands we call him Mr. Thanksgiving. He’s a funny guy.