On Being Somebody And Hip Hop - Miguel D'Souza, Journalist

In October 1990, Miguel D’Souza started The Mothership Connection on 2SER FM with Roxanne. Within a couple of years it was Sydney’s preeminent hip hop radio show. Every Tuesday at 2pm (or at 2.30pm for a period), it was one of the few places on any radio station that played hip hop, underground hip hop, local hip hop, while also hosting hip hop DJs and open mic freestyle sessions. Around April 1998, Miguel handed the radio show to me. I was 20. I had no idea what I was doing. And I spent five years trying to work it out while also trying to work out what I was about. In this chat (edited from 2.5 hours), Miguel and I compare notes about the show, what it meant to us, the role we think it played in the local community, some of our favorite memories, and how it changed us. Topics include: - How the format of the show evolved - The recent Australian youth protests. Is change happening? - Indigenous hip hop - Finding yourself by bringing others together Contributing to a community while analyzing it - How Miguel researched and interviewed people Getting people into hip hop - Dealing with aggression, bad rap, open doors - How the Internet and September 11 affected rap and the business of rap - The Four Elements, style enforcing, and fascism Stepping aside as one ages - or not? - Participants, observers, and tourists in subcultures - What’s real hip hop and who gets to decide? - Finding an identity in Australia as an immigrant Names mentioned include: Molly Meldrum, Easy Bass, DJ Kavi-R, Gil Scott Heron, Bootsy Collins, Roy Ayers, Roc Raida, DJ Qbert, Def Wish Cast, Just Us, Mako and Perret, Katalyst, Obese Records, Next Level Records, Parallax Records, Celsius, Bliss n Eso, Hilltop Hoods, Elefant Traks, Urthboy, Meta Bass n Breath, The Sleeping Monk, Ugly Duckling, Raised by Wolves, Wu Tang Clan. You can find Miguel at https://twitter.com/MiguelDSouza For more internet: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard http://www.instagram.com/markpollard http://www.sweathead.co