1. MC Ryoku

Most rappers have the reputation of gangsta-types, tough, hardcore…not Richard Matsuyama aka MC Ryoku.  This young rapper credits his faith and his family (“I told them I got their back and I don’t go back on my word.”) as his inspiration to keep doing what he does.  His style of rap, lashed with touches of R&B, moves one to a slow groove rather than the usual head-banging as in his tracks, “Wanna Be With You” and “Definition of Love”.  That’s not to say he can’t pull out a hardcore track now and then! 

Describing himself as a “..your average teenage Asian…”, he resides with his family on the beautiful island of Saipan in the Northern Marianas Islands, located between Japan and Papua New Guinea.  He started rapping as he wanted “…make my own songs for fun, for personal amusement…”. Inspired by rap legend, Eminem, he moved from making songs for fun to more serious ground.  His work with “Ickest” from the YouTube comedy series, “Class Project” and a recent gig at the music event, “Island Vibe Musik” at Club V (“That was OUR night!”) is proof of that shift in focus.  

But his artistic talent goes beyond the music.  His other loves are art, “…I draw a lot and work on different medias of art…” and poetry.  Several of his pieces are posted on his MySpace page, examples of a talented soul, full of depth and insight.

The music industry will have to wait a little longer before welcoming MC Ryoku into its ranks as his immediate goal is to finish high school.  After that, who knows?  “…If God sees fit for me to make it, then awesome!”  And so we’ll be waiting for you, MC Ryoku!

Check out more on MC Ryoku on: www.myspace.com/mcryoku and www.youtube.com/fatalhitzmusic

2. DJ Ron-Dawg

DJ Ron Dawg has been immersed in music ever since he was a child – he actually grew up playing the piano, the drums and the violin. Now he had always wanted to learn how to spin on the turntables, however, due to fiscal issues his focus just diverted towards dancing, where he then became a skilled break dancer and krumper. Despite being good at break dancing and krumping, the thought of being a DJ has never left his mind though. Determined to be a DJ, he saved up to buy all his gear, learnt from other DJ’s and finally found himself playing in parties and clubs in no time.  Now he is a resident DJ for ‘Meentertainment’ for clubs and events. He is an all rounded DJ who likes playing Old School hip hop blended with New School. He has been lucky enough to perform interstate and alongside some of America’s famous DJ’s such as the East Coast DJ/Producer Statik Selektah and ATL’s DJ J-Nice. He is currently working on establishing his own company/brand Misfitz Productions which caters from a wide variety of things from production of beats, music, clothing, photography, doing radio podcasts and so on.

3. 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.

4. Ello C

The raw, rugged lyrical dexterity of Ello C is sure to surprise you and leave your mind bewildered. Ello C was born in the Philippines, raised in New Zealand and moved to Australia around 6 to 7 years ago. He started rapping, battling and learning the fundamental skills of free styling at the tender age of 12 years old. In 2007, the then 18-year old, entered the Freestyle flow battle competition and walked away with the title.  He is also the 2-time champion of Urban Assault 1 & 2 freestyle battle competition. Ello is a member of Round Circle Records which is a collaborative group of emcees, a DJ and a singer which will soon release an official mix tape this year. Recently he has been dubbed the official club emcee for the “One and only” DJ crew. His ability to deliver honest versatile lines and pump up any crowd is astounding, which is why he is definitely on our list of most fascinating artists of the year.

5. Natz Blazin

Natz Blazin is a Sydney based emcee who has been rapping since 2003. The year 2005 served as a basis of his rap career after the completion of 2 mix tapes which received rave reviews and thus creating a dedicated and solid fan base. The recognition and internet buzz gave him the opportunity to collaborate with artist such as Israel and Figg Kidd. He is also the creator of Round Circle which was initially a rap group but then later on expanded to be an independent record label. He then took a business approach to Round Circle and delved into event management, thus, Rev07ution was born. Right now he is working on revamping his music and releasing some new material which is surely to amaze everyone.

6. DJ D-Kutz

DJ D-Kutz is something of an anomaly in music. He is a humble example of what it takes to truly succeed within the framework of a true DJ/Turntablist. He’s an ardent DJ with an extensive vinyl library who has the willingness to pursue the full extents of his roots may it be Hip-Hop, R&B or future (Electronic/Dance music) with no restraints. He started his music career playing the drums at the tender age of 15. After listening to various mixtapes by some of Sydney’s leading DJ’s such as Moto, Manny, Peter Gunz and many more, he then desired to have his own pair of turntables as well as acquire the right technical skills whilst adding his own style to mixing. The year 1999 was the year he first saw what turntables could do and then 2006 was the year DJ D-Kutz’s career really took off. After his first ever club gig at Static @ Verandah Bar, he managed to impress various promoters as well as other DJs, and soon enough he became a resident DJ at popular venues such as UN Nightclub, Havana Club De Luxe, Space Nightclub, Home Nightclub, and many more. You can catch D-Kutz spinning at such venues as Havana Club De Luxe, Pumphouse, Martin Place Bar, Home Nightclub, and many more, just look out for his name on flyers. This is definitely one DJ on the move in the DJing world!

7. Sasan

Sasan 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 written 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.

8. DJ Xcentrik

DJ Xcentrik is an in-demand R&B/Hip Hop DJ who hails from Sydney, Australia. The inkling to become a DJ first started when he was in Year 8 whilst he was attending the end-of-year school disco – from there he was asked to DJ at a friend’s house parties. Later on he managed to gather up his own audio system by pulling apart equipment from his home and it wasn’t long before he became a popular DJ for house parties. With the help and motivation of his friends he got his first debut gig at ‘Choc City UN’ nightclub and since then he has had multiple gigs around Sydney and has even had the chance to spin interstate in Melbourne clubs.  Some of his most memorable gigs would be DJing at ‘The Terrace’ and being one of the few international guest DJs to play at Freedom Festival 2009. His main goal is to become a well recognized DJ both nationally and internationally.

9. John D

John D is a Sydney based R&B/Pop artist whose soulful, slick voice can woo any crowd. His journey in music has not been an easy one but through sheer determination and perseverance he has finally managed to develop his talent.  When John first started out his natural talent needed honing.  But then he took the constructive criticism in his stride, put in the hard work and he is finally getting the acknowledgment he deserves. John has a tremendous amount of musical inspirations which have helped and pushed him over the years which range from major artists in the industry ie: Joe, Jamie Foxx, Israel, Neyo, Lloyd to underground artists such as J Flip, Kharisma, Mr Raf, Krayzi’wun, Ello C, MC Tuppz, Vee, Big Slang, Passion and Legaci.  Foreign artists like Big Bang, se7en and Jay-R have also inspired him. He best describes his music to be R&B pop but is currently working on new material which has influences of the rock/alternative genre.

10. DJ Savvy

Dj Savvy has been djing for over 8 years now, being mentored by some of the best and well known Dj’s down under. Known for his “Versatility” – DJ Savvy enjoys playing everything from Hip Hop / R&B / Oldskool / Electro-house / Christian Hip hop and funk. He won the 2005 Sydney University Dj Competition and later that year won the combined Australian Universities title. He has played for various shows, festivals, dance competitions and clubs locally, interstate and overseas including events supporting artists such as Horace Brown, 112 and Ice Cube. He is currently the official DJ for Looze Control and Showdown ‘09 and has also just recently been voted as StarCentral Magazine’s Dj of the year.