At present, he is dropping knowledge from Henry David Thoreau’s classic: Walden.

Melbourne Show – Enter The Palace

The reality of the situation very rarely sinks in. For me, it all feels like a dream. Today we rehearsed for a bit in the morning then spent the rest of the day relaxing in the hotel, trying to get ourselves mentally prepared for the show. As a group, we felt as though Melbourne would be the toughest crowd, since it is commonly regarded as the centre of art, music and culture in Australia.

Surprisingly though, I felt the most comfortable I’ve ever been before a show. The nerves have dropped and I feel calm and relaxed. Mr. Klash, in particular, is buzzing though. He met Chali 2na today in the elevator of our hotel. He walked back into our room and blurted out what happened. This tour means a hell of a lot to all of us.

The show got a good response. We had a slight hiccup and technical difficulties. We couldn’t run our set as we rehearsed but being MCs, we adapted pretty well. After the show I met my first fans outside of the state, like people who actually know some of my music. It’s crazy feeling having people talk to you about your own shit, yo!

Melbourne – Another Day Off

I slept in again. I had to. The excitement from last nights show was exhausting. I had no plans for the day other than to chill out and relax, hit up some cafés, maybe make some beats on the laptop but that’s about it. During the day I got an invite to have dinner with Chali 2na, his wife, two members of his touring party and the tour promoter who brought us all out.

[singlepic id=13 w=320 h=240 float=right]We hit up a Japanese restaurant called Ichi Ni and a real laid back dinner. I was admittedly quite nervous and shy to say the least, having dinner with an MC I really look up to. But everybody there made it real easy for me to fit in, a good bunch of people to be around. It was a humbling experience. After dinner I got back to the hotel and crashed early.

Brisbane Show – Sinking In

We almost missed the flight! We were outside the hotel waiting for a taxi and bumped into Chali 2na and Supernatural. Supernat was flying out to Brisbane today too and we thought he told us to wait for him as he went and got his bag, thinking he was gonna ride with us to the airport. We waited for a bit then Mr. Klash and myself ran into the hotel to find him. We found out that he was going to ride with Qbert later on in the day, so we ran back and our taxi rushed us off to the airport.

I was still fairly tired. By this point, tiredness was a usual; it was just a matter of dealing with it and managing it around building energy for the show. I slept the whole flight to try and build up my energy again.

We hit up soundchecks late afternoon and met Qbert for the first time. I didn’t realize how short he was in real life. I noticed on stage, he stands on a box or two behind the decks. We didn’t get to talk to him much but I got a real good vibe off him. After sound check we got to chill with Supernat for a bit back at the hotel. We met up with our boy Critik, who’s been staying up in Brisbane for a little while. He’s a member of the Street University team and it was dope to have him with us at this point. He brought a revitalizing burst of energy to our group.

For us the Brisbane show was the best. When we got on, the place was almost full. We did our set and got an amazing response. We hung out with the crowd afterwards and met some kick arse people in the audience just loving the entire night.

Voke bumped into Nas backstage, an inspirational experience for him. He came back and told us about it. Nas’s set was amazing. The entire idea of touring was finally starting to sink in for me. And I was trying to picture myself on stage, to some extent in Nas’s shoes, with the crowd vibing off every movement and every word. That’s the dream, yo. All that remained for us now is Sydney.

Sydney Show – Back Home

Voke2 completely lost his voice this morning. He couldn’t speak a single word. Being the lead hype man, it was a bit of a worry. We hit up a chemist on the way to the airport in Brisbane and got him whatever quick fix we could to try and get him speaking again. We got back in Sydney and headed straight to the Enmore Theatre. We crashed for a bit at the Enmore before getting ready for the show.

I watched all the sound checks: Nas’s band, Chali 2na and Qbert setting up for himself and Supernat. The tour was coming to an end and it was starting to hit me that it would be over after tonight. I walked outside and saw my peoples: Matt & Naomi from the Street Uni & my ZZZILLAZ fam. I’d only been away from the Street Uni for a week but it felt like ages. It was good to see them again.

[singlepic id=14 w=320 h=240 float=left]Voke wasn’t able to perform. His voice was gone. Sie-1 & Mr. Klash did the hype parts together and we did our set. We were performing as soon as the doors opened at the Enmore, hoping our sound was fueling everybody with energy as they awaited for the amazing show that followed.

After the set I spent a lot of time hanging out with Qbert, Supernat, Chali 2na and his band, brother and wife, Nas’s band: Mullato. Much props to the promoters who brought together such an amazing group of people. I learnt a lot talking to them all back stage and I finally got to meet Nas for a brief moment.

Afterwards, I hit up the afterparty with the ZZZILLAZ and hung out some more with the touring party then headed back home. The tour has inspired me massively and has motivated me to rise up to the next level. Now I know what I want exactly and I feel like there’s nothing out there that can stop me from getting there, not even myself. The future all but awaits and I’m now ready to jump into its reach with a mic gripped firmly in my hand.

You can catch L-FRESH on most days between Tuesday – Saturday at The Street University @ 1 Speed Street, Liverpool. Visit www.streetuniversity.com.au for opening hours and more details.

Sydney to Perth – And It All Begins…

It’s hard to explain how it feels to be on your very first national tour. For an artist who dedicates so much time to music, sacrificing a lot in order to achieve your dream, it’s quite a revelation when you embark on such a journey. I got selected to tour with and open up for Nas (a massive influence on generations of artists including myself) Chali 2na (from the legendary Jurassic 5), freestyle world champ Supernatural and the one-and-only pioneer DJ Qbert.

[singlepic id=12 w=320 h=240 float=left]Traveling with me on this tour are my Street University brothers Sie-1, Tom Rock, Voke2 & Mr. Klash. Five tired faces, ten excited eyes. For us the tour began at 4AM in Sydney, catching a 6AM flight to Perth. For me, the flight was filled with moments of self-exploration in an attempt to prepare myself for the coming week.

In Perth we were greeted by MC Hunter, who invited us to an all-day free hip-hop event being held just around the corner from our hotel. Shit was hectic: Bboy, MC & Beatbox battles, Perth did their thing, straight up. Hunter let us get up and warm up our vocal chords, so to speak, a teaser for what lie ahead.

The Perth Show – So we emerge

Day two, and the first thing on my mind this morning was the show. As I opened my eyes I pictured the event: on stage gripping the mic with my team by my side. To be completely honest, the nerves hit immediately. Having built myself up to this point, and now with reality directly staring at me in the face, I realized the gravity of the situation. This wasn’t just an ordinary show. None of the shows to come are ordinary.

I took my time in getting ready and dressed, taking in each second as if they were minutes or hours. After I prepared myself physically and mentally I heard a knock on the door. Sie-1 walked in and asked me if I was ready. He knew the answer before even asking the question, however the formality of asking had to take place.

We walked to the venue early to scope it out. On the way I saw a gold coloured 4WD on the main street. In the passenger seat I thought I saw Nas. I had one of those looking without recognizing moments: taking a quick look, looking away and looking back. I’m pretty sure it was Nas but if I get to meet him, I’ll ask him.

Our performance went really well. It felt great to get the first show out of the way. The people of Perth were warm and friendly as they embraced our show. We ended the night watching Chali 2na and Nas rock the main stage. Watching them up close was a blessing. The show was amazing and fueled the whole team with inspiration. Tom said I was like a twelve year old kid when I was watching Nas perform. But hey, hey, hey…what can I say.

Perth to Melbourne – Obstacle Course

The day after the first show was draining to say the least. We caught our flight to from Perth to Melbourne but just as we were about to take off, the plane had an engine failure and we were delayed for a number of hour. Our time spent at the airport was filled with food and some vivid, stomach achingly (if that’s a word) hilarious story telling by Sie-1.

The flight was a long one. I spent most of the time in contemplation; really excited about the next show. While the team were sleeping, I was just sitting there visualising the show and thinking about my future, wondering what life has in store for me next. I’m very thankful to say the least.

We arrived in Melbourne at about 2AM and drove into the city. For Klash and Voke this was their first time in Melbourne, and the drive into the city was one to remember. Seagulls illuminated the sky as light reflected off them: a beautiful sight. As soon as we got to the hotel, I fell straight onto the bed and called it a night.

Day off in Melbourne – Work, work, work

Considering how late we got into Melbourne, I had to sleep in at least one day on tour. So I slept in till about 12:30PM.We went for a walk and bumped into the rest of the boys who were just chillin’ with Nas’s band. The band came over as we continued walking and I got to meet some of the band as well. It was cool to connect with some of the others on the Low:Fi tour team. The rest of the day was spent sorting through footage and uploading them to the internet. Check it out www.myspace.com/lfresh97.

Low:Fi Tour Video Playlist:

But what does this say about the way in which the climate is changing? The issue of climate change has never been one that I deeply thought about. I know the issue exists and am aware of the nature of its existence. I also understand the reasons behind it. But I never thought about how this could immediately affect us now and in the near future…until now.

From my experience, Sydney has always had weird weather patterns. Maybe my years of playing club cricket made me come to that belief. I was quick to complain when a game was washed out after having to wake up at like 7AM for one of my juniors games. But this recent occurance speaks loudly for what the future holds for us. We can only await and accept whatever Mother Nature sends our way. For those around Sydney, what was your experience recently with the change in weather patterns? And what’s your opinion on the future? For those around the world, fill me in on what’s happening out your way and on what your opinions are for the future.

Change is inevitable. It is the way in which nature works. In the words of Marcus Aurelius, we must have “constant awareness that everything is born from change. The knowledge that there is nothing nature loves more than to alter what exists and make new things like it. All that exists is the seed of what will emerge from it. You think the only seeds are the ones that make plants or children? Go deeper.”

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The Street Uni was founded by Matt Noffs and Naomi Kemmerer. It began as a vision of a space for young people in need and quickly became an idea that grew and expanded. It constantly became much more with each passing day. The Street Uni is based in Liverpool, Sydney’s South West @ 1 Speed Street (You can’t miss it. There’s a massive billboard saying The Street University above it, featuring the one and only Public Enemy crew who officially opened The Street Uni at the Grand Opening).

Now, The Street Uni stands as a monument to collective community effort in the push for unity and the creation of opportunities. It is home to a movement, an ideology, and is the home of Hip-Hop. As soon as you walk in, you are exposed to the highest standard of graffiti art, with the main piece crafted by the legendary Mistery. To the right is a legal graffiti wall for pieces. To the left is a legal graffiti wall for throw-ups. To the front you’ll see the office/studio/lab complex. All of this is when you walk across the basketball court. As you walk towards the complex, the cafe is based on the left extension, where you might see people chillin’ having a feed. Within the complex itself theres two recording studios, a multimedia room (Da Lab), a library, numerous classrooms and an office.

The Street University is also home to the HipHoperations Record Label. The label is run by the collective at The Street University (Matt, Naomi, Sie-1 & Tom Rock) and also The Street University Crew (including, but not limited to the zZzILLAZ, New South West & Steady Flowin’). The idea being that the collective contributes to the greater good of the label and has a say in the labels functioning. In this way, we are truly independent. Artists/producers have total control where we all realise the bigger picture and understand our roles so that we as a collective can paint that picture.

Most of my time is spent at The Street University these days. I’ve gained so much from just spending time there. I feel like I’ve grown as a person exponentially, of which I have never experienced before. I was talking about it with Matt today, when I realised that I’ve always had ideas and visions within myself for my future and for the world. When I came to The Street University I was given a place to express these ideas and visions and also met other people with similar ideas and visions and also differing opinions, which just expanded my mind greatly.

If you haven’t been to The Street University then you’ve gotta come check it out. I’ll leave you with a saying that we frequently use at The Street Uni:

That’s how we do!

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