THE PREREQUISITE by Fundamental Elements

The last two EPs released by the Fundamental Elements showed a huge graduation that is only too evident in their latest body of work, "The Prerequisite", the six-track EP from Clockwork Records.

To suit the sharpened lyrical skill-set of MCs Species and Pleura, F.E. continued the hybrid production signature that they’ve been crafting over their careers by balancing a sampology of boom-bap homage over a soundscape reflective of Brisbane’s hungry hip-hop scene. The Prerequisite defines not only them, but the scene from where they hail.
That first neck-snap of boom-bap is provided by producer Solely who lends an old Gang starr type jazz-hop polli-nation of rolling samples to the F.E. signature on ‘INTRO’.

The instrumental backs up the title-track, ‘PREREQUISITE’ which sees Species and Pleura throw a flurry of blows to get the EP rolling, displaying their ‘ill-lyrical behaviour’ with Leaf Dog (High Focus Records, Four Owls, Brothers Of The Stone) on the boards. Momentum runs strong into their Velvet Couch Commission cut ‘Y’ALL BEEN WARNED’. Here, both MCs do what MCs do best; talk smack in metaphors over head-nodding bars and juicy loops in perfect tandem. F.E. step up their rap game on this joint alone.

The grimy side of the EP rears its head on ‘6 FEET DEEP’, a joint that oozes an underground stench, the perfect throwback with beats that seem to belong together like Timberlands and hoodies. No rest for the wicked on this cut, as both rappers dodge the hook, “We hate cops and love sampling” to exchange bars like two razor-sharp MCs lying in wait.

‘DEAD END GOALS’ paints a very cynical outlook as both spill their ink over the sentiment of many involved across Brisbane’s hip-hop scene; that no matter how hard they graft they may never reach the heights of success without going commercial. Their journey has to be for the love of writing rap records.

To cap this affair, smooth and melodic chords set a very reflective mood for ‘THE SICKNESS’ feat. Nuggy Gee, Insideus & DJ Upryt ’, recounting the fiendish night sweats of these hungry MCs addicted to vinyl, finding solace only in scratching pen to paper in the chase for a dope beat. The narrative of these MCs illustrates just how much passion runs through the Bris-bang hip-hop scene.

The Prerequisite says a lot for Fundamental Elements and in-deed the scene that they fiercely represent. A crisp-fresh and well-structured hip-hop release for FE-hip-hop,

Fundamental Elements have long shared a vision to put the Boom-Bap back into a local rap scene that has, at times, somewhat lost focus. Both rappers have been able to cage the energy of a live gig and hype of a full house in the studio and unleash it through their recordings.

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