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
