Live Review: Remi, Silent Jay, L-Fresh The Lion

L-FRESH The LION steps up early. The Punjabi-Melburnian bloke isn’t your typical rapper – sporting a thick beard and traditional headpiece – but from the first beat it’s clear that he belongs on the stage. Accompanied by Mirrah (a tiny, blue-haired American with a voice bigger than the venue), the duo gets the crowd pumped and chanting with hip hop rhymes inspired by LION’s life journey.

In what turns out to be somewhat of a curious choice of support act, hometown indie-electro DJ Silent Jay takes to the stage next. The crowd is still pumped from L-FRESH The LION’s set, but Silent Jay’s tunes do little to maintain the energy level. While his complex, atmospheric, bass-driven jams are (undoubtedly) electronic masterpieces, they’re inconsistent with the feel of the evening and fail to satisfy our lust for bouncing. hip hop beats.

Luckily, the crowd doesn’t have to wait long for Remi. Joined by partners in crime Sensible J (drums) and Dutch (decks), Remi gets the incredibly diverse crowd jumping again within moments. The 2013 triple j Unearthed winner showcases tunes off his new album Raw X Infinity to a crowd who are definitely familiar with the 22-year-old MC’s work. Pre-fame favourite Ape gets the punters pumping harder than even Remi anticipated, and he has to assist a female fan up to the stage to save her from the rowdy pit. Ditching the booze and carnage stereotype, Remi sips tea while suggesting we calm down, chill out, and enjoy a reggae-inspired tune. Remi backs this up with insane dance tracks XTC Party and Tyson but, hey! The kid has some serious swag too. Remi goes on to illustrate why he’s being touted as one of the leaders of Australia’s ‘intelligent’ hip hop movement with tracks F.O.H (For Opinionated Humans) and Ode To Ignorance striking a chord. The high-energy set sees L-FRESH The LION and Mirrah join Remi and crew onstage for what seems like an impromptu collaboration before closing with an encore of hit party single Sangria, which gives us one last chance to bounce.

If ever there was a statement that Aussie hip hop is evolving, Remi is it.