- Not to be confused with the Chicago MC Diverse, DJ Diverse is the DJ for Sydney based hip hop group, 2-up who've made a name for themselves with their dynamic live performances and their underground releases including "Why Do I Try So Hard" from their Tastes Like Chicken EP which scored them national airplay on Triple J's top 50 and the video clip gained TV play on Rage and Channel [V]. Diverse steps up to the plate on his own accord for "Redundant Demise", his first official mix CD and it covers the full spectrum of hip hop (local and international) including a few homages to wrestling, horror movies and heavy metal samples.
The CD itself isn't your typical hip hop mix, Diverse goes one step further laying down an instrumental beat (or a few) for each phase of the mix, cutting a few loops in and dropping some acappella lyrics to give the CD a vocal element. Opening up with a sample from The Cable Guy, Diverse gets down and dirty on the decks cutting and scratching tidbits from The Simpsons, Beavis & Butthead and Gangstarr on top of a DJ Bless beat - and that's just the introduction.
The CD then leads into the smoky and ethnic sounds of Caleesh's Image on top of J-Rawls's Wow beat. Diverse pulls off a juggle routine with the Beatnuts' produced Think Nots, before moving into the R&B influenced sounds of League Officials' I Need Your Love with an acappella of J-Live's Selector mixed in on top.
Diverse mixes up an international hip hop medley incorporating tripped out beats from Japan's DJ Krush, Tony D from the NYC breakin' out the smooth jazzy beats and the UK's DJ Vadim bringing experimental hip hop beats to the table. There's also a few well known classics thrown in like Blahzay Blahzay's Danger which then leads into a loop of Metallica's Sanitarium.
The mix represents West Coast hip hop thanks in part to beats and loops from artists like Peanut Butter Wolf, Planet Asia and Evidence, Alkaholiks and even artists with a mainstream appeal Xzibit. Even Orange County rockers KORN get a spin with A.D.I.D.A.S with Diverse dropping a loop of the guitar riff! There's also East Coast hip hoppers in the form of the Lords Of The Underground on a Marley Marl produced beat, Yeshua Da Poed with Siah and Mr. Lif with Akrobatik dropping abstract lyricism.
The Runaways deliver a medieval lute riff on top of hip hop beats on Levitation with which Diverse lays down the acappella for Ice-T's I'm Your Pusher and loops from EPMD's DJ K La Boss before finally closing it off With Dudley Perkins' mafia-esque sounding Solitude featuring production by West Coast MC and producer Madlib.
As stated on the back of the CD cover, Redundant Demise is 65 minutes of hip hop blends and turntablism and Diverse definitely proves that he's got the skills to pull such a feat. On top of that he has a plethora of records, which not only include all facets of hip hop but other musical styles. It would be great to have a browse through his extensive record collection to see what else he has. Definitely worth checking out for those who love a mash up of hip hop beats and wicked DJ skills