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MC Connect Certified

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What up and welcome to a special guest feature with the one and only MC Connect. Connect is one half of the rap/rock fire duo Light from a Stranger.. some would say the better half. Jokes.

I first met MC Connect at the mecca of Sydney hip hop, Hustle and Flow Bar in Redfern a few years back. Since our initial meeting, I have seen Connect around the scene rocking stages, releasing music videos and just hustling. 

The man with a sizeable merch catalogue that rivals that of Primitive’s, I give you MC Connect.

MC Connect
Thanks for your time bro. How long have you been making music?
 
I started making HipHop beats in 2006 for my homie Randy Rayment. We would perform at house parties and I’d do the vocal adlibs and backings. It was then I picked up the name Connect. Randy got into boxing and MMA and I started making tracks solo, releasing on Soundcloud when it was the thing and getting a pretty good response.
 
It wasn’t until 2017 that I started taking it more seriously, releasing my debut EP The Blue Pause and my debut music video for ‘Bigger than That’. In 2018 I formed HipHop/Rock duo Light from a Stranger with Jyder and we released our debut EP, Grey Area in 2019.
 
Dope. What’s your ideal creative environment?
 
I find warm soft lighting helpful, no distractions and being well fed/not being tired. When I’m writing raps I prefer to be alone, but with melodies and hooks it helps to have people to bounce ideas off. It depends on my mood but I’m not too picky, no matter the environment I can usually make it happen.
What inspires you?
 
I like seeing underdogs rise above, the old David and Goliath story. That’s why I find HipHop so inspiring, to see dudes come from nothing and achieve everything.
 
Did you grow up with music in your home?
 
My Dad is a muso and when I was young he was gigging several times a week to support the family. Music was everywhere when I was a kid and I was surrounded by musicians. Music has always been a part of my life.
 
Who are you listening to these days?
 
I just listened to Ziggy Ramo’s collaboration with Paul Kelly and thought it was ground-breaking and well-delivered. I had Genesis Owusu’s new album Smiling with no Teeth on repeat. I listen to a lot of Royce Da 5”9 and still listen to Book of Ryan regularly. I bump the Spotify A1 playlist a fair bit to keep up with who’s making waves in Australia. I have quite a varied taste – more recently I’ll listen to jazz, lo-fi hiphop or classical music. Its good to listen to music without lyrics sometimes and just relax.

MC Connect, connected

What does music give you?
 

Music is both an escape and way of connecting with reality. It’s a way I can express myself freely outside of the realm of the usual communication. If I said some of the stuff I rap in conversation people would think I was a bit mad, so its liberating to have that freedom.

So much of what we engage with on social media etc. ends up in a debate/abuse. Music gives me the ability to tell my side of the story….without being interrupted. That’s not to say people aren’t going to respond though and that’s important too.

What do you write about?

Really whatever I feel like. I like telling stories, invoking thought, creating imagery and delivering it powerfully. A lot of what I write is autobiographical but more recently I’m enjoying using characters. I’ve got a song with Light from a Stranger that we’re mixing that tells the story of a bloke who is trying to get through to his drug-addict mate where we play the two characters in the story. Writing like that means you approach the writing process differently, and it keeps the creative process fresh.

What’s next for you?
 
I’ve got a new single to release as MC Connect which I’ve self-produced. Its reflection on how I’m lucky to be where I am, but at the same time I’m not letting people or bullshit get in the way. I’m in the planning stages for the music video to accompany the release. We also have a new single mastered for Light from a Stranger which is different to our previous work and much more rock based. It might just be our best work yet.
 
Funniest moments in music?
 
I was performing at an Open Mic at the Agincourt in Chippendale as Light from a Stranger a couple of months ago. We were up on stage setting up our gear and doing soundcheck. Reesha, the host, told the crowd ‘I’m going to introduce Light from a Stranger’ and I started to walk off the stage…so we could make an entrance. To everyone else in the room it looked very weird and my bandmate Jyder and the Reesha were like ‘where you going?’ I didn’t have time to explain, I just came back on like a goose.

Big ups to MC Connect for taking the time to share some insight into his journey and creative process. I always find it interesting to hear about different peoples processes when it comes to creating. You can catch MC Connect and Light from a Stranger on all the usual platforms.

Can’t wait to see what you’ve been cooking up my bro.

As always, thanks for rocking with ya boi Prim.

Until next time, peace fam!

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