True Vibenation are a much needed breath of fresh air in the Australian hip hop scene – musically, lyrically and culturally. —MC Hau-Koolism True Vibenation was technically founded in 1999 when twins Verbaleyes and Native Wit began jamming together as young kids on the trumpet and clarinet. By 2008 they had well and truly caught the hip hop bug and linked up with long-time friend DJ Gabriel Clouston to officially form True Vibenation. With each member playing horns as well as handling writing and production duties their debut album ‘The Sunshower Phenomenon’ (through Big Village Records) brings a fresh approach to hip hop, blending elements of Afro-beat, jazz, dubstep, soul and latin music to create a sound that could have come out of anywhere in the world, yet is distinctly Australian. Brothers Verbaleyes and Native Wit intertwine effortlessly with intelligent, passionate lyrics, telling stories and reflecting on their life experiences over smooth, flowing production that borrows from a range of different genres yet is still grounded in the fun elements of old school hip hop. ‘The Sunshower Phenomenon’ features impressive guest appearances from Raashan Ahmad (Crown City Rockers), Hau (Koolism/Triple J Hip Hop Show), Zimbabwean singer Chris Gudu and Alphamama with musical backing that is not afraid to bend genres and experiment with non-traditional hip hop styles of music. Over the years the group has developed a reputation for their infectious energy on stage playing hundreds of shows, festivals such as Peats Ridge, Future Music, Woodford and Changing Lanes and support slots with Dead Prez, Foreign Beggars, DJ Kentaro, Horrorshow, Thundamentals and many more.
