We probably aren't known for being a hip hop centric shop, and we don't have a big selection but we love all underground culture and will always support it. Especially when local legends like these guys pop up and release an LP. We gotta pay attention and get on board for the ride.

You can catch Jumzilla live in the shop this Saturday 28 January from 2pm, giving us a taste of the tracks from his new LP Welcome to the Coast, out now on vinyl through Raging Inferno Records. MC dizzdawizz and homeyplayedthat will be spinning beats and it's an open mic, so anyone is welcome to jump on the mic too.

We had a chat to Jumzilla to find out more about the LP and the story so far...

BAD HABIT: Hey there, what’s shakin'? What was your childhood like? What drew you to hip hop as a youngster in suburban Melbourne? As a second part to this question, what keeps you involved and productive in that genre as a middle-aged man? Thinking about youth culture in the 60s/70's and how it really stayed a youth culture and people got a job and had a family and left a lot of it behind. Now it’s totally common for people to still be involved in hip hop/punk/heavy metal etc into their 50's and later. What keeps you involved, and more broadly why do you think the "youth cultures" from the late 70's/ early 80s have such a long-term appeal?

JUMZILLA: I was always heavily influenced by music from a young age, I remember trying to recreate my own video clips at about 6 years old by playing a Snoop Dogg joint on a tape player & filming my pet dog & I on an old school video camera to the song. 

I also recall performing a dance routine & rap song in grade 5 at school graduation. Was probably lame at the time but reflecting on it now shows how music was deep in my roots & passion of mine from the beginning.

By the time I hit high school I was already writing lyrics & began to play guitar jamming with friends eventually forming bands & entering battle comps. At that time I delved into grunge, punk & hip hop but gradually became more influenced and intrigued by the rap scene and wanted to be a part of it. 

At first I was listening to the more common & accessible American stuff until I discovered Australian hip hop which was a unique & pure scene with its own sound & identity.

After making music & taking it serious in my early 20’s performing at gigs, radio cyphers, collaborating with artists & releasing some tracks, I then came to a crossroad in my life which caused me to completely give it up for several years and delete all social media platforms & any old songs I had out on YouTube and Soundcloud.

I ended up having kids and focusing on adulthood but still listened passionately to music & kept up to date with was happening in the scene.

By 2020 I was back writing bars & motivated put music out and leave a legacy, feeling I had a point to prove to myself and others that I could still mix with it with the best of them & regretted wasting opportunities in the past.

In 2021 I released multiple singles, videos, mixtape and 2 albums. And in 2022 backed it up almost identically & finally dropped my first record on vinyl.

I think in comparison of the 60’s and 70’s youth culture to today, people are more dedicated to following their dreams and goals even at an older age instead of conforming to society’s expectations once they hit adulthood.

Or people like myself are doing what they enjoy & focusing energy on their passions & giving it another crack later in life, learning from mistakes earlier.

BH: I wanted to ask about the new LP, it's sort of a concept album about moving from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast. Why choose the Sunshine Coast? How are you finding it? How does it compare to Melbourne? Reckon you'll be here for the long haul?

J: Yes the LP is a concept album based on leaving heavy lockdowns and restrictions, government corruption & vaccination mandates in Melbourne/Geelong to give my kids and family a better life in the beautiful Sunny Coast, which is a completely different place.

It was very random and spontaneous to move up here and the decision was more motivated for work reasons than lifestyle. Now that I am here, I am loving it and can definitely see myself being here for the long haul & looking forward to what the future brings.

BH: From what I gather, the LP was originally just going to be an online release. Can you tell us how the vinyl came about? Can you tell us about Raging Inferno? How’s the recording selling? How it been received by the music listening public?

J: The new album Welcome to the coast was initially going to drop in mid 2022 on streaming platforms and possibly a run of CDs due to not having the funds to drop on vinyl, however close to release date my bro from Raging Inferno Records, who runs an online vinyl store and is now getting a label up & running, reached out and offered me a deal to fund the wax drop & put it out on the label, which I was obviously stoked about & welcomed the opportunity.

The record is going well & response from fans who purchased has been great! I understand that it doesn’t suit everyone’s tastes & only relates and resonates to a select group of people who have gone through my situation due to it being a concept album, however the all-round production, lyricism, thought process & artwork should be respected by all!

BH: What’s the next move? Can we see some live shows in the works? What would be your line-up if you were putting on a show on the coast?

J: I have a few more albums almost wrapped up that should be dropping in 2023, which I am looking forward to releasing and I am definitely in the discussion of doing an album launch for Welcome to the coast in Brissie and also on Sunny Coast in early 2023.

I haven’t thought about the line-up for the sunny coast gig but will definitely be keen to get locals involved and help the scene grow up here and would love to collaborate with more local artists.

BH: Cheers for answering these questions, let’s finish by giving us your top 5 records that have influenced you and readers should check out! Also… do you believe in aliens? Did you know Nambour has had a high number of UFO sightings?

J: Thank you for reaching out, supporting, stocking my record and keeping vinyl alive! Big respect!

My top 5 records:

• My top 5 records:
• Wu tang clan – 36 Chambers
• NAS – Illmatic
• Lyrical Commission – Stage is set
• Taskforce – Music from the corner Vol 1-4
• Big L – The big picture 

Lastly, yes 100% I believe in aliens & feel we may all be descendants of them! I didn’t know Nambour has a high number of sightings but that sounds very interesting and I am now keen to hang there more often to catch a glimpse.

Big ups one love

Jumzilla

Catch Jumzilla live at Bad Habit Records this Saturday 28 January from 2pm, toasting the launch of new LP Welcome to the Coast, out now on vinyl through Raging Inferno Records. MC dizzdawizz and homeyplayedthat will be spinning beats and local heads are welcome to come say hi and jump on the mic.