Tuka Will Rap for Tuka

Tuka Will Rap for Tuka

After years of humbly impressing Australian audiences as a member of Thundamentals, Rumpunch and Sketch The Rhyme, it's time for MC Tuka to step to the fore and distinguish himself as one of the country's most exciting lyrical talents, with his debut album 'Will Rap For Tuka'.

'Will Rap For Tuka' is the culmination of years honing his craft, both in written form and performance, and delivers one of 2010's most diverse efforts right before the buzzer sounds. Tuka is as comfortable rocking over a stomping Gypsy horn line as he is over Dub-Reggae or a driving Boom Bap rhythm.

A collaborator of the highest order, Tuka has worked and recorded with Chasm, Dialectrix, Two Toes and The Tongue. But for his solo debut, Tuka really has wholeheartedly taken on the 'solo' mantle, with only two guests on the entire album - Tenth Dan and Radical Son - and with even the cover art being hand drawn by the Sydney MC.

Production comes from Mike Slik, Marz1, DJ Morgs, Brokn, Caustic and Tuka himself.

Tuka's debut solo set eschews easy comparison and overtly big singles, instead opting for cerebral Jazz and Dub influenced head nodders that tip their hat to producers and projects like early RJD2, Fat Freddy's Drop, Soul Assasins Volume 1 or Nightmares On Wax. His approach is both highly melodic and rhythmic in nature, and freestyle comes as naturally as composition - he regularly performs entirely improvised sets.

A veteran of the scene, Tuka has played everywhere from Woodford Festival to Sydney Festival's First Night, and has played alongside some of the finest local and international acts including A Tribe Called Quest, Lyrics Born, Kool Herc, Q-bert, Braintax, Mystro, The Herd, The Red Eyes, Bliss n Eso, Muph & Plutonic, Chasm, Urthboy, Koolism, Pegz, Astronomy Class, Spit Syndicate, and many more.

When not on stage or making music, Tuka is a teacher for the NSW TAFE Outreach Program, teaching hip hop to disadvantaged youth to improve their literacy by encouraging them to express themselves creatively.

For more information see: www.bigvillagerecords.com.au