Boltz - Still H.U.R.S.T.Y

Wake up, Hursty’s back! While you weren’t paying attention, Boltz has been quietly putting together his debut EP, The Wishlist. Featuring beats from Trials, Weapon X ,M-Phazes and Styalz, you know it’s gonna be a banger. Ground Up spoke to the man from the northern suburbs of Melbourne to talk about The Wishlist, Soulmate Records and keepin it Hursty.

Wake up, Hursty’s back! While you weren’t paying attention, Boltz has been quietly putting together his debut EP, The Wishlist. Featuring beats from Trials, Weapon X ,M-Phazes and Styalz, you know it’s gonna be a banger. Ground Up spoke to the man from the northern suburbs of Melbourne to talk about The Wishlist, Soulmate Records and keepin it Hursty.

You can’t keep still. First you were a DJ, then picked up the mic a few years back with Northside Crew before splintering off with Breach to form A-Diction. Now it’s time for a new change as you prepare your debut solo EP. Why are you constantly switching plans?
I don’t really have a plan, I just keep moving with the times and trying to adapt to my current situation. DJing was cool for a bit, but I didn’t like being tucked away at the back of the stage like that- plus, I was writing a bunch of rhymes and wanted to get them out there- I just gave DJing away altogether coz I didn’t really wanna run with the whole ‘DJ that raps’ routine… The solo joint ties into the upcoming A-Diction LP, so although it’s a solo project, I think of it more as a marketing tool for the group. Hopefully after my solo EP comes out, we can start working on the A-Diction LP and go from there, without too many changes or hiccups.

So A-Diction is still together?
Hell yeah! However, Breach is living it up in Paris right now. Not long after the To Be Announced EP dropped, he jetted off to Thailand for a holiday- I guess this gave him the traveling bug so practically as soon as he got back to Australia he was already planning his next trip. He’s been gone for months now; back to Thailand, over to the UK, now he’s in France and he’s still wanting to do Europe, the States and Canada- so God knows when he’ll be back. I talk to him all the time on the net and over the phone, and he says he’s coming back at the start of 2007 so you can expect our LP not long after that. Thankfully he was able to hit up a studio in London and put down some vocals for my solo EP- it wouldn’t have been the same without an A-Diction joint on there.

Your EP is coming to us as the first release from Soulmate Records. Who/what is Soulmate Records?
Soulmate Records is a new hip-hop label outta Brisbane. The people behind it have been involved in the local scene for years now, but this is their first official business venture and they’ve got some really exciting ideas to bring to the table. The name kinda speaks for itself - ’soul’ represents the feeling behind the music, and ‘mate’ brings forward the Australian angle. But beyond that, they’re really just focused on making some world class hip-hop music with the dopest lyrics, the tightest hooks, high profile guests and bangin’ beats - and making sure all the other aspects of the process, from packaging to marketing to distro, are totally professional. It’s not your typical backyard Aussie hip-hop label, and that’s why it’s a great team to be a part of.

How did you come into contact with Soulmate and why did you decide to sign with them?
The CEO of Soulmate heard the A-Diction EP and I guess it struck a chord with him. He contacted me and Breach about dropping an LP through Soulmate, but unfortunately Breach had already planned his world trip so we had to decline. We did however come up with the idea of me doing a solo joint to keep it moving while Breach was away. Soulmate and I clicked instantly; they give me so much creative freedom and support all my ideas. I liked the fact that they are a new label and A-Diction are a relatively new crew, so we’re both kinda taking a punt on each other. They were so professional and eager to sign me that I couldn’t say no. It’s a really exciting time now for me and Soulmate. We’re itching to get this first release out.

What have been the main differences you’ve found between working in a group and working solo?
Man, it’s so different!! When Breach was here he was constantly sms’ing me when he thought of a hot line. Or he’d call me just to play me a verse or a beat over the phone. Now it’s like I’ve got to motivate myself and write a lot of stuff alone- sometimes I’ll write a verse or come up with an idea that I’m really pleased with and that’s when I miss him the most, coz in the past we’d be like high fiving each other and shit. I guess the upside is you’ve got total creative freedom as a solo artist, but Breach and I always saw eye to eye anyway. I guess the motivation is the hardest part- it’s always nice to share your work with someone at the time and get their criticisms and ideas. Getting up on stage as a solo artist will be really different too. In the past I’ve had at least 1 other dude up there to back me up, sometimes 3, so it could get a bit lonely up there alone, but I’ll do my best to make up for Breach’s absence.

The A-Diction EP featured beats by Weapon X and Ciecmate, not bad for a debut release! Who’s slated to contribute beats this time around?
The beats were the first thing we sourced and locked in. On ‘The Wishlist’ we’ve got some up-tempo joints by Trials, a couple of bangers by Styalz Fuego, another Weapon X gem, and some soulful joints my M-Phazes. I wanted to get a whole bunch of producers to really create that diverse sound that A-Diction are known for. I wanted each track to have it’s own flavor, and I think we’ve achieved that by picking some really interesting beats from some of Australia’s best producers. There might be a couple more surprises come pressing time, but they still aren’t finalised so you’ll have to wait and see!

Your EP is called ‘The Wishlist’. Where did the name come from?
Well, before I signed with Soulmate, they were like ‘give us a proposal of what you’re wanting to do with the solo EP’, so I put together a list naming all of the producers and MCs that I wanted to work with. It’s like a concept we just ran with because at the end of the day, I’m not just a hip hop artist, I’m a fan- and I think every hip hop fan has at least thought about their top 5 MC’s or producers that they’d like to work with. Putting this EP together is like a dream come true because thankfully, most of the artists on the original list I wrote jumped on board. When you hear the EP you’ll notice there’s a couple of tracks where I run with the wishlist theme, so it’s more than just the title of the EP, it’s a concept too.

Are there any guest MC’s lined up for The Wishlist?
Most definitely. I got Breach to record a brand new A-Diction track for the EP. There’s a track featuring the #1 Hursty representative Fergo One and none other than Take it Easy Heezy who you might know from the Scar-Non mixtapes. The producers are like guests in themselves coz they bring so much personality to the EP with their beats alone. The Weapon X joint features a female vocalist which sounds really fresh. We’ve got one more surprise, which is like our franchise surprise- it’s a collaboration with a well known American MC that has to be heard to be believed. I don’t want to ruin the surprise so you’re gonna have to buy the EP to hear that one. Stay tuned!

When you prepare your EP, which local releases do you look at as setting a benchmark?
I’ve been listening to so much stuff while recording this EP; getting inspiration and ideas. Everything from the Hilltop Hoods to Weapon X and Ken Hell. Phrase, Juelz Santana, Bliss n’ Eso, Common, Kanye, all the Solid State crew, Low Budget, Spit Syndicate, Jase… the list goes on. As far as setting a benchmark, I think the Solid State roster have set the standard as far as world class beats, production, and crisp sounding, polished recordings go. There’s so many dudes doing different things now, and whether or not you like them or whatever, you’ve got to admit that there hasn’t ever been this many crews putting out this many top quality releases. As far as lyricism, I think dudes like Pressure from the Hoods, GMC, Bliss from Bliss n’ Eso, Pez and Weapon X & Ken Hell are holding it down. Phrase’s LP really raised the bar. I really liked Bliss n’ Eso’s last LP too. There’s too many to mention, so hopefully people see my EP as raising the bar even a little higher.

There has been a movement in Melbourne hip hop over the past few years. For a long time, many of our MC’s came outta Hursty but lately the South East area and the Western suburbs have been the growth areas. Have you noticed a shift in trends in the Hursty area? Are there fewer kids trying to get it on record?
Man, I don’t know what’s going on but I’m bringing Hursty back for real. Me, Breach & Fergo are gonna single handedly bring it back. We’re gonna give it a new swagger though haha.

Look out for Boltz’s ‘The Wishlist’ coming soon through Soulmate Records. For now, check out Boltz on myspace