Speech Therapy
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Speech Therapy

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How did you boys form, how long have you been producing and performing together and what was the first track you ever produced?


Scott Free: I started out collaborating with another MC, NKS of Madizm, and a few friends of mine hit me up about another MC friend of theirs who recently made the move from New Zealand and had a bit of talent. So we got together, laid down some rhymes over beats that I made and pretty much from then we established ourselves as Speech Therapy. The three of us worked together on our self-titled EP that we dropped in January.

Diggie: That’s pretty much what it is. We’ve been laying shit down in the Notorious Scott Free Studio and performing in Melbourne for around a year and a half. I think the first joint we jumped on was a graff related track called Puttin Up My Name, but it never really eventuated to anything solid so we moved on to tracks like In The City and Fuck My Health.

What is your perception of the current state of hip hop in Australia?

Scott Free: Too be completely honest I’m really digging what’s being released – either mainstream or underground – at the moment. It’s a constantly evolving scene and I’m proud to be involved with it. I welcome artists that perform their interpretation of hip hop and truly believe in what they preach. I tend to keep an open mind in regards to artists. With thanks to The Hilltop Hoods, Bliss N Eso, Drapht, etc, the doors in this culture have been opened for up-and-coming MCs to a more welcoming crowd.

Diggie: I think the movement is strong man. I’ve been in Melbourne only a short time but from what I’ve seen so far it is mental. Take the Raise the Roof gig that was held at The Espy last month, for example, shit was huge. Such an epic turn out and such an array of different styles. There is no doubting that quality hip hop is coming out of this country right now.

How do you think hip hop has influenced society at large?

Scott Free: Society at large, I don’t believe it’s gone that far. Hip hop as a whole though is a culture within itself, with its own sub genres, like that of rock music and dance. I believe many people reach into hip hop as their way of expressing a thought, a way of telling your story with detail. But as time has moved forward so has the music. There are key artists around still portraying real hip hop as it originally was intended. It connects with the individual and delivers the message across on a level: the two relate.

Diggie: Looking at the elements of hip hop, if we were to break it down and use graff culture as an example, shit is serious man, you can’t walk one block without seeing it these days. Different people have different opinions on whether it is street art or vandalism, but the fact remains that it does affect everyone on some level, be it positive or negative. In saying that, I’m as quick to change the channel when I see the government’s ad campaigns as they are to buff graph writers spray off their walls so maybe it’s me who is narrow minded.

What artists inspired the members of your group to create your own music?

Scott Free: I grew up listening to punk/rock. I only ever heard of The Hilltop Hoods when my homie, Tweet, introduced me to the Pegz’ Back Then video and it blew my mind. And from then I was hooked. The first Australian hip hop album I bought was The Funkoars and it’s been downhill from there, son. On the real, inspiring me to create authentic music I have to hand the trophy to The Funkoars, Briggs, Hilltop Hoods, Drapht, Muph n Plutonic, Pegz, Vents, M-Phazes, The Last Kinection, Eloquor, The Herd, Sbx and Lyrical Commision.

Diggie: NZ-wise I’d have to say, Jay Roacher, Louie Knuxx, David Dallas, Young Sid, Dkonz, Tourettes, Cyphanetik, R.E.S., Young Lean, Aksell (ECR crew), Tyna, The Wanderers, Vomitous Talk. Oz and worldwide, the Hoods, Briggs, Vents, Funkoars, Drapht, Hunts, Sbx, L.C., Tornts, Strut, Bias B, Vishus, Bunks, Eminem, Wiz, Yela, Dre, Game, Wu Tang, etc, the list could go on forever.