From Weimar cabaret and whimsical comedic duos to tribute acts from every era, musical acts have long been a mainstay of the Adelaide Fringe. But one genre has been noticeably absent. Despite its ubiquity in popular culture, hip-hop has rarely been sighted at the festival with the exception of a few freestyle rappers.
It’s a puzzling omission, but one that is at least partially rectified by two shows appearing at Gluttony this year. Hey DJ – A History of Hip Hop is an audiovisual extravaganza that whizzes through the genre’s diverse history in an hour-and-a-half, while The Brothers Rapture – A Holy Hip-Hop Cabaret takes a slightly less straightforward approach, using hip-hop as the background for a story about two Irish priests who achieve viral fame by rapping.
While many rappers have attracted criticism for the apparent vacuousness of their lyrics, the genre has a long history of storytelling and that’s exactly what The Brothers Rapture creator Corey M. Glamuzina was looking to channel. “When people think of musical theatre, apart from Hamilton, it’s often about having a catchy melody or the spectacle of holding a note,” says the Kiwi comic. “But I wanted to create something that was more about the beat and the rhythm than holding a tune.”
Though he considered the more familiar format of a musical comedy show “where each song was a standalone piece with its own theme or genre, it would have been an entirely different show. We wanted to put that theatre aspect in there, so there is a proper story arc and the characters go through real personal growth.”
It means that the songs are not merely showcases of virtuosity, but act in service of the story. Hip hop’s heavy focus on lyricism also allows Glamuzina to include plenty of exposition between the punchlines. “We want to take people on a rise and fall journey, and along the way we examine themes like fame, ego and polarity. We look at what happens when they collide with the best intentions, and I thought using rap was the best way to do that while still giving it an upbeat feel. ”
While Glamuzina’s introduction to the genre came from hearing 90s pop acts like Kris Kross and The Fresh Prince on the radio, Adelaide native Yo! Mafia has been “obsessed with the genre since the beginning of time.” Born in the same year as the genre, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, she has been a DJ for more than half of her life.
The idea for The History Of Hip-Hop came from Groove Terminator, who helms the hugely successful History of House show with the Soweto Gospel Choir. “There are plenty of hip-hop DJs around, so when GT approached me he said he needed someone who was also going to be entertaining,” explains Mafia (who uses her stage name and birth name of Maria interchangeably).
With a background on the stage before she became a DJ, the lifelong hip hop lover fit the bill perfectly and she promises “a visual and sonic extravaganza that amalgamates my loves of acting, storytelling and music. We’ll have a little bit of history, we’ll have some education, but the show is mostly entertainment… I’ve promoted it as the after after party – you’ve gone to the party, you’ve gone to the after party and now you’ve come to the after after party.”
Joined onstage by breakdancers, hype men and vocalist Eliza Wolfgramm, who has performed with the Avalanches at huge festivals like Coachella, Mafia will give attendees a breakneck history of hip-hop from its origins at block parties in the Bronx to global domination. “It’s a huge journey so we cover a lot of space in 85 minutes,” she laughs. “And it’s just a history,” she quickly adds. “It’s not the history; if we were going to do that, we’d need months! This is my version of a history that is palatable for the Fringe festival goer who wants to really enjoy the music.”
As someone who has DJed everything from hip-hop festivals to sporting events and corporate functions, Mafia is well-versed in appealing to a broad audience. So while there will be sections on gangsta rap and the fatal East Coast v West Coast rivalry, it will be mostly profanity-free. The “palatable” nature of the show ties into the genre’s current ubiquity, and the lifelong hip-hop fan admits that it’s odd seeing artists she grew up with doing family movies (Ice Cube) and backing up late-night TV hosts (The Roots). “But I don’t call it selling out,” she says; “I call it widening your demographic.”
And while she hopes to attract plenty of dedicated hip-hop lovers, one of the joys of her regular DJing gigs is communicating her love of the genre to those who are less familiar with it. “Some people think there’s no musicality and it’s just a person talking, but if you understand things like pentameter and time signatures, you understand there is a lot of musicality and skill. A great lyricist and storyteller can really strike people in their soul, and if the Fringe allows more people to discover that, it’s a good thing.”
The Brothers Rapture – A Holy Hip-Hop Cabaret, Gluttony, until 2 March
HEY DJ – A History of Hip Hop, Gluttony, until 22 March