Speaking outwardly from a longstanding fascination with Brisbane’s countercultural history, it’s no surprise that young MC Joey Legit is particularly fierce on his newest track O.E.D.B.I.T.G.
The title is in reference to legendary Bronx rapper Lawrence Parker aka KRS-One (Knowledge Reigns Supreme – Over Nearly Everybody). Legit flips the latter half of Parker’s pseudonym, spicing it up with more vitriol than ever; O.E.D.B.I.T.G. stands for ‘Over Every Dead Body In The Game’.
With O.E.D.B.I.T.G. Joey Legit points an angry finger at the herd mentality and late-stage capitalist values he found himself in opposition to during his youth.
The sincerity with which Legit preaches his defiant message is apparent in his lyricism and delivery. If his willingness to make enemies wasn’t apparent enough in the song’s contentious title, you’ll be deeply aware of it after a single listen.
O.E.D.B.I.T.G. sees the Brisbane MC take on a few collaborators. The foul-mouthed, punk-heavy APEman joins in for a verse and local winner HARVEY (MIDAS.GOLD) joins in for production credits.
Legit comes out swinging at the start of the track, slinging words like thunderbolts and never batting an eyelid at the havoc they wreak.
Musically, O.E.D.B.I.T.G. wears Legit’s classic hip-hop influence on it’s sleeve, blending old-school percussion lines with electronic hooks more friendly to modern audiences, especially home in Australia.
With Aussie hip-hop being such a love-hate genre in the past 20 years, new age MCs need to differentiate themselves with a defining factor of some kind, otherwise sink to the bottom of the pond amongst too many musically skilful rappers who never had that spark.
Joey Legit’s spark is a thriving flame, a petroleum blaze which is fully realised on O.E.D.B.I.T.G.
