Arsenic is South African Hip-hop producer/beatmaker based in Cape Town. He co-produces and records two emerging Hip-hop groups, Writers Block and The Maniac Metalloids.

He’s journey started 14 years ago, as a young consumer of the music. He made an immediate connection and eagerly devoured everything about Hip-hop’s elements, eventually emerging as an emcee. In 2001 he obtained beat making software and equipment to make his first beat. He had found his calling, now he wanted to be the best producer...or at least one of the best!

As part of the eight-member crew, Writers Block, Arsenic works with emcees Konfab, Metabolism,Vernon Visqus and X the 24th. Sharing production duties with Coco (Studgard Germany) and Saturn. The crew is completed by veteran Hip-hop DJ, Big Dre, who handles all the cuts and scratches.

Writers Block was established in 2005 and has achieved enormous attention, both locally and internationally. In 2005 they performed as a group for the first time at Hip-hop Connected, the very first Hip-hop show produced at the Artscape theatre. The group has Independently released the “Writers Block Compilation” in 2005 and “The Brainstorm” EP in 2006. They have also produced Conjured Concepts, a series of events and free CDs. It is argued that the varied experience and influences of each member is what makes Writers Block such a powerful force within the Cape Town and broader South African Hip-Hop scene. The group continues to record tracks for a full length disc.

Arsenic is also one third of a producer based unit called The Maniac Metalloids, whose personnel is rounded out by Bromine and Selenium. This triumvirate of mad scientists managed to secretly cook up a raw experiment in 2007. “The Metalloid EP” found the Metalloids showcasing their unique soundscapes alongside a selection of Cape Towns’ emerging MCs, DJs and vocalists.

One of he's more recent projects is Hybrid Frequency. The crew consists of Arsenic (Beatmaker) and Eavesdrop (MC), the two have worked together extensively in the past and it seemed like a natural progression to form a crew. They are currently recording their debut EP release which  will be unleashed during 2010.

When he isn’t working on his crews’ material, Arsenic collaborates with various artists and has managed to work with some of Cape Town's Hip-hop heavyweights, including Ben Sharpa, Konfab, Garlic Brown, Endz the Otherness, Archetypes and ILL-Literate Skill. He plans to do as many collaborative projects possible.

Aside from beatmaking, Arsenic records and mixes tracks from his home studio called The Metalloid Lab. He has recorded with Garlic Brown, Dark Lords, Endz the Otherness, ILLiterate Skill, Impostah, The Hymnphatic Thabs, Driemanskap, Ben Sharpa, Jitsvinger, Intelektu and Monolith.

Arsenic's style has the undeniable jazzy sound while maintaining a distinct hip hop flava. It has the potential to keep heads turning and challenging some narrow minded peoples’ view of what Hip-hop should sound like. Serving as an introduction to Arsenic, the beat maker, has recently released  a 9 track EP called 'The first toke', a taste of what to expect from his debut full-length album, 'Slowboat Sessions vol.1'.

To buy a copy of 'The first toke', check out:

Cape town :

Mabu Vinyl

African music store

Shelflife

Naughty gnome

Joburg:

Ritual store (Newtown)

For those of you outside of cape town, SA and abroad, The First Toke is also available for purchase as a digital download at:

http://www.rhythmrecords.co.za/music/1364/Arsenic/The-First-Toke

Other stores around South Africa still to be confrimed

Feel free to visit www.myspace.com/arsenicproductions, for free downloads and www.new.facebook.com/pages/Arsenic-The -Maniac-Metalloid/27885121183?ref=share to subscribe to Arsenics' group on Facebook, so we can keep you updated on all scheduled releases and other vital information. 

OR

reach out directly to Arsenic at: arsenicbeats@gmail.com