Hip-hop heads from all different backgrounds take to The Triffid this Friday night to turn up with beats, bars and booze, presented by Trinity Entertainment.

DJ DZYR holds down the tunes until Thony Remy is ready to go on stage. With DJ and hype man in tow he gets the party started with some bass heavy club tracks. Midway through the set he switches it up with an instrumental produced by two of the Marley brothers and gets into a more introspective tone. Thony Remy has come a long way from his native US, but he's found a place on stage to feel at home here.

Carmouflage Rose hits the stage with boundless energy, running back and forth nonstop to a soundtrack of trap beats. He brings a fresh Caribbean flavour to tracks like 'Green Revolution', a legalize it anthem, and declares it his mission to turn up no matter what. Wireless mic in hand he jumps off stage and roams through the crowd, performing personally to several people before returning to the spotlight. Finally he invites his homies to join him and they swarm up the stage in seconds, signaling that the party has officially started.

Flying up from Melbourne, UK born rapper Rydah is in fine form as he rips up intricate, fast paced flows. There is a distinct UK sound here and it's great for the diversity of the scene. There are elements of classic boom bap, trap and grime all mixed up in one. Being his first time in Brisbane, nobody seems familiar with the tunes, but Rydah isn't phased, giving them the energy they deserve and even getting down into the crowd as well.

Local boy I AM D steps up next, joined by DJ Young Franco. They do well reviving soulful sample based tunes and evoking a sense of nostalgia, hands are raised in the air like people just don't care. Then Young Franco whips out a trumpet and jams along to the next couple tunes, still managing the decks of course, before a solid vinyl scratching solo.

Midas.Gold emerges to a solo ambient joint assisted by his DJ/guitarist, before we're introduced to the rest of the crew. For the next track Gallus and Term T run out from side of stage straight into their hypnotic 'Basic Bitch' collaboration and Carmouflage Rose jumps up later for the 'Oakwood Floors' banger. Even I AM D returns for his Midas featured track 'Right Now', and all the while the guitar player adds an infectious live energy to the triggered backing tracks. Some issues with Midas' mic levels towards the end of the set are mitigated by the fact that everyone else on and off stage sings for him.

After the last short break the headline act is finally ready to show us what they've been working so hard on. Drummer, bassist and DJ prepare themselves as the lights change and the scene is set. At last Swilo arrives center stage in a blue pillar of light. Bass supports the ambient synth in building a truly epic backdrop for Swilo's measured opening lines. But it's not until the drums kick in on the second track that the magnitude of the show is revealed. Hype man Sa runs on stage and the tempo picks up immediately. They wander around the hip hop landscape, touching on the fundamental boom bap, modern trap, introspective downtempo numbers and even a bit of reggae/roots vibe from Sa's vocal melodies. The drums and bass provide an exciting new dimension to the recorded versions of the tracks, doing well to create a more universal sound and dynamic performance. The set highlight is new single 'Mirages'.

It's just after midnight when the show wraps up, another night well spent at one of Brisbane's premier new live music venues.

- Daniel Coyne-Watego