Live Review: Fundamental Elements, Verbill, Tailor Made, Upryt, Tendancee, DJ Backlash

Tonight the Fundamental Elements bring all they have to their EP launch at South Brisbane’s Milk Factory, a huddled corner space just fit for some local and live hip hop.

On World Record Store Day, the Northside contingent to Brisbane’s Boomtown scene showed out for the double launch of Clockwork Records’ Fun Not Fame Mixtape Vol 3 and Fundamental Elements’ The Prerequisite EP on a bill supported by Velvet Couch Clothing and Clockwork Records featuring the local line-up of Upryt, Tendancee and DJ Backlash who holds down spins between sets. And before the main act, Tailor Made drops joints from his The String Theory LP, then Verbill rhymes over Nate Dogg’s I Got Love and smooths the sheets with Everything, dedicated to the couple who reconciled over this jam, and finishing on Slice to a full-house reception for one of Brisbane hip hop’s slickest soloists.

Hot inside, sweat builds on the graffed walls as host, Sneaky T snatches back the stage with DJ Johnny Love to keep the atmosphere amped for more of Boomtown’s big hitters while Pleura and Species from Fundamental Elements cool-out at the back of the crowd, mic’ed up before prowling through them, rapping The Prerequisite, lead track to the EP. Breaking bars back and forth like old hands, FE run out their new EP featuring Insideus (from Exit Strategy) on The Sickness, while an audience, spilling out onto the sidewalk, finds their bounce to Johnny Love on the ones-and-twos. Tonight at The Milk Factory, local hip hop on both sides of the stage show love.

Both MCs thank everyone in the house for their support with full-hearted gratitude for a small scene that understands the need for 360 support. With raucous applause for their final track, Y’All Been Warned, the graft of one of Brisbane’s finest independent crews is appreciated as they carve away at their place in Australian hip hop. VC’s night of celebrating Clockwork Records’ Fun Not Fame Mixtape Vol 3 and Fundamental Elements’ EP launch of The Prerequisite goes off without a hitch as the boys claim theirs in the Boomtown scene that has equally embraced them.