Hyjak- People see me coming and think 'oh heres trouble'

With the release of his debut album 'Drastik Measures' Hyjak still remains a man that simply loves his music and his ability to simply have fun. Along with fellow Australian hip-hop stalwarts, Torcha and DJ Bonez, 'Drastik Measures' is a album that has Australia stamped all over it and is all the best for it.

Hyjak started his career at the tender age of 10, MCing and dancing around in his bedroom. He entered a MC competition at the still tender age of 15, later hooking up with Torcha and DJ Bonez to embark on a life of beats and rhymes, but talking to Hyjak you realise that he has embark on a life of fun doing what he loves to do.

I talked to Hyjak on a day when he woke to no bread in his house and no money to buy any breakfast; it was all right though he later ate at his mum's house. More so he woke to a day when an eviction notice was posted on his front door, a true indication of the real Australian hip-hop scene. However in true MC fashion the eviction notice did little but give him inspiration for a new track and although a cardboard box may be Hyjak's next residents it will not stem his need and want to produce high quality and tongue in check hip-hop.

So to begin can you just give me a quick run down on your background-

Hyjak: Well I am the son of two long lost hippies who conceived me while being high on acid. I was born because my mum forgot her diaphragm one night, so I was pretty much an accident. This is what I have been told recently. I first heard the genre of hip-hop when I was around nine years old and since then I have just wanted to rhyme and make music. I started free styling around ten in my bedroom and then entered a MC comp at about fifteen. Hooked up with Bonez and Torcha, released an E.P and then this year we released our first album, Drastik Measures.

Well done on Drastik Measures. Being that it is your first full length L.P, how was the experience different then simply making E.P-

Hyjak: Well we just had a lot more time and we put more thought into every single track. Trying to make each one very good. For instance we decided to do a track a week so that we spent time on each track and got it right before moving onto the next one. We approached it very much as a full time job.

Is it something you are keen to do again-

Hyjak: Yeh definitely, we have already started writing our next album now. It's either sit at home and watch Jerry Springer or actually get down and write tracks. I love it anyway so I may as well do it.

So working with Torcha and DJ Bonez how do you go about doing a track- Do you all do separate things and then bring them together or work as team straight out-

Hyjak: Well usually we would hassle Bonez to bring us a beat. If he wasn't watching The Simpsons he usually does it. Then Torcha and me just start to write, put words to the beat and see where it ends up. Usually a lot of beer was involved and quite a few spliffs were evaporated into the night sky. Added to the creative vibe and all.

Did working with Torcha and Bonez make it an easier experience, especially Bonez cause he is so experienced within the scene-

Hyjak: Well I am so used to making tracks now that I find it quite easy anyway. Having them there made it easy in the sense I didn't have to do everything, but we all find it easy that is was really just good fun to do.

You have quite a selection of other Australian artists on the record. Is this an indication of the solidarity of the industry and the depth of talent within it-

Hyjak: Well yeh it is but there mainly just our friends that came round and laid down tracks. It was never a business decision to get certain people in to do certain things; if they matched the track then we would ask them. The Hilltop Hoods are our boys and they were keen to add stuff to the record, Mass MC just cam e and dropped some beats and Kye added some real good vocals.

Was it easier to get thi

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