The Optimen

The Optimen (MCs Sammsonite, DATS and K-west, and DJ Damage of Terntable Jediz notoriety) formed officially in 2001 with a shared commitment to raise both the standard and profile of Australian hip-hop music. Being long time listeners of the music and having had various affiliations with the lifestyle of hip-hop itself – through DJing, MCing, record collecting, sampling, beat making, break dancing and graffiti art – there might have been none better assembled to take on such a task.

Their first release, an 8-track EP called 02: Breath Control was only a meagre beginning for the Brisbane crew, despite its national attention and considerable airplay on national youth broadcaster Triple J.

Since Breath Control, and in only a few short years, The Optimen have gone on to forge their name into the consciousness of the Australian hip-hop community as a whole.

Beginning with their debut full-length release Boomtown (November 2005); with its unique, signature sound, based around boom-bap beats, airtight lyrical delivery and surgically precise cuts, the crew’s reputation has only strengthened.

The Optimen have recently featured on various nationwide compilations; received high rotation on Triple J (for the single “Give it Up”); played an extensive list of shows from the top to the bottom end of the country; won several awards on OzHipHop.com, including best 12” (for the single “Give it Up”); had their music video (for the single “Give it Up”) played on Rage and Channel V (where it reached no. 4 on the Club V chart); and even saw Video Hits presenter, Axl Whitehead, wearing an Optimen t-shirt on air. As it is, the name itself has become hard to ignore in the local music scene.

And not just in the local scene either, with the crew’s incredible production work also gaining the attention of reputable New York rapper Thirstin Howl III, who has secured the use of several Optimen beats for his upcoming album Low Down and Dirty (the title track itself one of the Optimen’s own).

With a reputation for rock-shocking stage shows as well, The Optimen have recently supported such international artists as Tha Alkaholiks, Method Man and Redman, Expansion Team Soundsystem, Atmosphere and Brother Ali, Cage, Mr Lif, People Under The Stairs, Loop Troop, Braintax, Mystro, Mista Sinista and Grandmaster Roc Raida. On the local front, The Optimen have shared the stage with such greats as Lyrical Commission, Brothers Stoney, Lazy Grey, Delta, Bliss n Esso, The Hilltop Hoods, The Funkoars and The Herd.

Influences for The Optimen are too wide to put into writing, but inside hip-hop itself some would have to include Gangstarr, Non Phixion, Dilated Peoples, The Beatnuts and DITC.

Since the release of Boomtown, The Optimen have been back in the lab producing their next release, as well as setting up their own independent record label, Red Tape Entertainment, to support Australian groups with like-minded commitment to quality music. They continue to rock live sets with their notorious “stage craft” to keep audiences primed for their much anticipated sophomore album.
What people are saying about The Optimen and their debut LP Boomtown:
“With their first single already on high rotation on Triple J, these guys are set to be the hottest new property on the Australian hip hop scene.”
- Sain Magazine
“The Optimen, with their sharp sets and precocious wit are quickly establishing themselves as the bright future of anti-bling hip-hop.”
- The Sunday Mail
“Deeper, darker and more layered than most mainstream Oz hip hop, bringing some welcome diversification to the scene.”
- Scene Magazine
“This constant head-nodder, featuring world class production and dope rhymes front to back, comes at the right time and proves that the Australian scene is pushing ahead and coming into its own.”
- BNE’s Finest www.bnesfinest.net
“When listening to this album you really begin to appreciate good hip hop. While Boomtown does have the great beats, they don’t rely on the beats and instead take it to the next level to show off what hip hop should be.
- Prime Records www.primerecords.com.au
“Refined and polished … with an international quality sound not often found in Australian hip-hop. Being consistently this dope from start to finish is enough for it to be one of the best Australian hip-hop releases of the year.”
- Ozhiphop.com www.ozhiphop.com
“The Brisbane lads have upped the ante for everyone else with some severely solid production, memorable hooks, strong personalities, forceful deliveries & super-tight scratches.”
- Mental Combat mentalcombat.blogspot.com
“This debut full-length effort is cooking all the way with its loud and lively word flow over a hotbed beats. From big, “shouty” swagger to cinematic drama, the mouthfuls of lyrical twists mean there’s a lot to pay attention to.”
- Rave Magazine
“Boomtown is a true-school hip hop release that, praised for its diversity, is a boiling pot of samples, scratches, b