The story makes the man, and in every hardship overcome is born strength; Esscay uses his struggle as a means to provoke thought and inspire change, a tireless performer hell bent on perfecting not only his art but also himself. With a unique and heartfelt sound that matches his varied upbringing, Esscay brings to every stage a sense of immediacy and unrelenting passion that few can parallel.
Equipped with an incredibly versatile flow, acute social conscience, and a knack for storytelling and song structure that is the foundation of his craft, Esscay’s natural swagger is quite simply the truth – a fresh and positive alternative to the current standard of domestic rap music.
Despite its natural beauty, Esscay’s hometown of Byron Bay is not the easiest place to grow up for local youth. In many ways his early forays into the realm of hip-hop provided Esscay with a degree of salvation from those external factors and that momentum has been maintained ever since.
Teaming with super-producer and childhood friend Styalz Fuego (Chamillionaire), and moving to Melbourne to further his creative involvements, Esscay hasn’t looked back, and is now embarking on the next stage of his career with a relish deserving of someone who has overcome the struggle. Prior to his life altering move from Byron to Melbourne in 2003, Esscay created a strong local buzz early in his career, performing on countless stages including his part in the massive Fracas Music set on Main Beach, New Years Eve 2002. Although struggling with depression and social instability, Esscay worked tirelessly while in Byron and was recognised for his efforts when he received the Hip-Hop/Urban/Funk and Best Young Artist awards at the 2002 North Coast Music Awards for his independent single “Elevate’”
Since arriving in Melbourne, Esscay has blessed a variety of stages, collaborating with established artists such 1200 Techniques, Bliss n Eso, Cristian Alexanda and Weapon X & Ken Hell, to rocking huge crowds solo at the Australian Groove Dance Titles and the halftime show of the 2007 NBL Melbourne Tigers Semi-Final home game.
The young performer has also played to a host of clubs, bars and festivals in support of his street release ‘Training Day’, which in turn garnered an impressive 50,000 track downloads from the free mixtape’s online hub during a 6 month campaign, in addition to achieving high rotation spins on urban radio across the country. The sound is unique, born of an inner struggle, mixed parentage, and a culturally diverse formative landscape; never afraid to shy away from the big issues, Esscay continues to challenge traditional conceptions of domestic hip-hop, with his straight ahead assault on so many of the issues that others would be reticent to consider. It is this very conviction that looks set to underpin his success, a success which few would dare suggest was not deserved in the highest order.
Esscay has been invited to perform at Music By the Sea Festival in North Brisbane on 4 January 2008. Esscay will start the show at 5pm at Shorncliffe Beach, Lower Moora Park. The Free Concert will also present Tjupurru, the Santana Project and Byron locals Wild Marmalade. Other major acts performing at Music By the Sea include Bob Brozman (USA), Tete (France), Slava – Leonard Grigoryan, Misterskizm, Fourplay Quartet, The Ghost, Cathouse Creek and more go to www.musicbythesea.com.au/festival for full program details.
Bookings: 0405 463 663
esscay@affinitymusicgroup.com
More about ESSCAY on: www.youtube/esscay