5. J-Swift

J-Swift is a rapper who’s based in Sydney, Australia and whose lyrical savvy skills are highly recognized by his peers. He considers himself as an artist who’s in control and has the drive to reach the top. He was originally born and raised in Tampa, Florida and he is a huge fan of lyricism as he often incorporates intricately confounding wordplay, metaphors and punch lines within his own songs. His goal is to tell short stories with stunning imagery and detail over captivating beats which are also inspired by his love of East Coast music. J-Swift has already opened for major recording artists such as Khia and has also received rotations from notable radio stations in Italy, Spain and Tampa. He has also performed with DJ Smallz on the Southern Smoke College tour. He considers himself a true emcee having both the power and concept control and he is hoping that he can single handedly delete the connotation that Southern rap is watered down.

4. Don

Don’s musical journey began at the tender age of 5 when he first started singing, since then he has been writing his own original songs and working on his repertoire. As a child Don idolized the King of Pop Michael Jackson but as he grew older he was more drawn to the singing style of Wanya Morris of Boyz II men and the smooth guitar skills of John Mayer. His style is a reflection of his own personal taste of music which is acoustic rock, pop, soul and R&B and he’s also a renowned performer and host at Soul Good which is an event that promotes local acoustic singers. Ultimately he would like to improve his lyricism and song writing skills by writing for other artists and getting his own original pieces out in the mainstream.

3. K21

K21 is an Australian hip hop artist from Adelaide, South Australia who began his rapping career back in 2003. He began making a name for himself as he got into the rap battling scene back in 2005 and since then some of his accomplishments include winning ‘ The big day out battle for rap competition’ which was judged by the Hilltop Hoods. He has been on rotation on various radio stations and he has also continued to win various rap battles since his first battle. He has also won the Hilltop Hoods initiative last year. He’s a humble artist who’s not into bragging about his supreme talent and his goals in music include keeping an independent DIY mentality whilst progressing and building his style with experience. His music can be described as ‘Thought provoking” and his highly anticipated debut solo LP is soon to be released at the end of 2009.

2. Kharisma

Kharisma is a vibrant and an immensely gifted emcee who hails from Melbourne, Australia. He initially came across his rapping capabilities when he entered a R.A.P (Rap as poetry) contest back in high school where he ended up winning first prize in the Lyrics composition. Last year Kharisma joined the group E11eventh Avenue where he then began to take his rapping career seriously via the encouragement of his group and his fans. His main aim is to be a rapper who can bring anything to the table and be versatile enough to have the ability to adapt to any genre. What sets him apart from any other artist is his passion towards showing the true raw side of himself through his songs without holding back any emotions. He is heavily influenced by another underground Australian rapper Natz Blazin and he also admires the writing and composing artistry of Tablo from Epik High and the skills of Verbal from M-Flow as well as the Teriyaki Boys. Some of Kharisma’s greatest accomplishments so far include being ranked 1^st on MySpace in the unsigned lyrical artists top charts as well as being ranked top 50 on Soundclick amongst more than 600 000 other artists. This emcee truly lives up to his name by possessing charisma through his compelling songs and he is hoping that his music will inspire people and make him as a good role model.

1. Sasan

Sasan completely dominated the StarCentral voting polls proving to the world that he has a massive fan base and that he is a force to be reckoned with in the Entertainment Industry. He is an incredible talent who hails from Germany and whose catchy provoking songs receive considerable amounts of plays on the internet.

His most memorable recollection of his past musical history would be imitating the genius styling’s of Michael Jackson dancing and singing around on stage. His first gig was back then when he was 12 years old and since then he knew that from a very young age he would be exactly where he is now – which is making music that appeals to his thousands of followers and fans.

His family played a major part in his career as his family is also a very musical bunch. Hailing from a family rich in musical background, it was no surprise that by the age of 9 he already began singing, at the age of 14 he’s already started playing the piano and by the age of 16 he had already started writing his own songs.

He describes his style as a mixture of pop, r&b, house and electro and he is hoping that his music can serve as a positive reinforcement to his audience as well as convey his eternal contentment.

Interview

1. How long have you been singing for and how did you get started?

Well my family is very musically inclined so I started singing at the age of 9. Later on I then started playing the piano at the age of 14, and when I was 16 years old I had already written my first song. I was later encouraged by Puplikum to take my career into the next level, and it’s been a blast ever since.

2. Describe your musical style.

My music is a mixture of pop, RnB and House / Electro.

3. What are some of your inspirations in music?

My father has inspired my music the most and ever since the first time I was exposed to my father’s music I knew within myself that one day I will start my own music career and inspire people with my music.

4.  How do you want your audience to perceive your music, have you got a message to your fans?

I want to convey peace and love to my fans with my music and I’m hoping that they can identify themselves with it. I especially dedicate my song so those people that are currently broken hearted, I’m hoping that my songs can help them to move past their pain and look ahead.

5. What do you think makes you different to any other artist?

I think every musician in the world has their own style and each artist want to convey their own message to the public in their own distinctive way. I think I’m just a musician who lets his emotions and passions flow into my music – I see my whole life as just a melody, with its regular ups and downs.

6. What are some of you future goals in and out of the music industry?

Well first of all I hope that my fans continue to listen, support and identify with my music. And in the near future, I would like to further inspire and captivate a wider audience – hopefully it reaches around the millions!