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5:41AM Sunday 23 November, 2008 Sunshine Coast weather Mostly sunny min 17° - max 25°

Rhymes 'n' rhythm

1 October 2008

Hip-hop fans are in for a true treat this weekend as Perth artist Drapht takes to the stage at Coolum’s Sol Bar.

Described by Beat Magazine as having “one of the most unique flows in hip-hop, with a rise and fall of his flow absolutely hypnotic”, Drapht burnt his name on the door of Australia’s hip-hop hall of fame when he released his second album, Who Am I.

Born Paul Ridge, Drapht has always been surrounded by music and discovered the hip-hop genre as an eight-year-old. His father’s jazz knowledge exposed him to Grandmaster Flash, the first DJ to transform the turntable into a musical instrument, and his sister later introduced him to the raw power and ferocity of NWA and the highly influential group Public Enemy.

At 17, he became a vital part of Perth’s premier hip-hop crew, Syllabolix, alongside Obese Records’ own Layla and Dazastah (Downsyde).

Drawn instantly to the hip-hop lifestyle of graffiti and “turntablism”, Drapht found his real gifts lay in the art of rhyming.

His peers and fans admire him for his cutting-edge style and innovative and dynamic flow.

Two of his albums, Pale Rider (2003) and Who Am I (2005), have enjoyed national airplay on Triple J and drawn the acclaim of critics worldwide.

His unique voice and original flow moves effortlessly from hardcore head-banger to soulful melody, unafraid to tackle issues of politics, indigenous land-rights, sex and addiction.

All this is expertly spliced together through intricate wordplay and carefully structured lyricism to form records worthy of the attention they receive.

In 2007 he was nominated for best urban hip-hop act at the West Australian Music Industry Awards, and this year the artist has continued to raise the bar with his album Brothers Grimm, which was released in May.

“With this album I tried to tackle subject matter more, and tried to make every single word more clear, not so intense,” he said. “I wanted it to be more personal and truthful with what I stand for and have gone through in life, and the response has been really good.”

Drapht has performed throughout Australia alongside the biggest names in the industry, including Hilltop Hoods Downsyde, Koolism and Resin Dogs. He featured as a guest MC on Hilltop Hoods’ Platinum album The Hard Road.

WHO: Drapht

WHERE: Sol Bar, Coolum

WHEN: Friday, October 3

INFO: 5446 2333

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