Nick Lupi and Jimmy Nice were teens kicking around Sydney’s Inner West when they met through a mutual friend, MC Solo of Horrorshow fame.
The rest is history.
Lupi and Nice formed hip-hop duo Spit Syndicate in 2005 and three years later their debut record Towards The Light was nominated for an ARIA award. Fast forward a decade and they have just released their fifth studio album, Orbit, and are about to embark on a national tour.
“Initially, music was a way to make a name for ourselves within our local community,” Nice told LIVE.
“Rap music really connected with the people around us. We’re still heavily influenced by our personal experiences and others close to us – our music is pretty deeply etched in honesty so we like to look to real life situations for jump-off points.”
Orbit, he said, “is the story coming full circle”.
“I say that because there are certain aspects of this album process that took us back to our hungry, humble beginnings. In the beginning we had no fear or doubt in how we attacked the writing process, and this time around being fully independent allowed us to make our album the way we wanted, free of any red tape and bullshit. For that reason alone it is in our opinion our best record yet.”
Spit Syndicate is often referred to as “forward thinking”. Why is that?
“We have continued to take risks,” Nice replied. “We aren’t afraid to venture into new sonic spaces.”
They love to tour and do it often. Fans can catch them at The Cambridge in Newcastle on June 15.
“Live shows are the real pay off for all of our hard work. The moment that you play a song and watch people sing the words back is a real treat and something that truly never gets old.”
Together with Horrorshow, Joyride and Jackie Onassis, Spit Syndicate are also founding members of the One Day supergroup. Nice likens it to “a family unit”.
“We do things that add colour and legitimacy to this rap and hip-hop culture but above all we’re a group of friends that wish to do great things, together.”
