Aiden Adams
THIS is the inspiring story of a dream team known as Micbandits – a hip-hop act of three very talented, young Bruneian men; each in my view already a star or package in his own right, and every one of them – while sharing the spotlight – remains a distinctive individual still, with his very own set of specialties…

The trio was actually formed back in early 2006, when Zed Peace, The Kro and Khaos (these are their stage names) discovered that they had the ideal chemistry, and decided to try making a difference together through their shared love of rap music, but admirably without losing that so-called local flavour.

Zed Peace, 21, from Bunut is a creative force to be reckoned with, and I believe it is his strong interest in politics, experimental methods and bold lyrical statements that have partly or indeed greatly (a matter of opinion) contributed to Micbandits’ accomplishments so far, especially given their commentaries.

The Kro, also 21, from Kg Manggis is probably the most business-minded of the three, though the group often emphasises that their work is never about the profits. An emcee with great skills and finesse, he has been acknowledged as one artist who brought back hip-hop into the forefront of the industry.

Khaos, 22, from Jerudong, was an undiscovered, cool super-producer – until now. This well-known basketball player’s day also usually involves a full sounding snare, among many other things, while “eating Nasi Katok” and “thuggin’ around” are just two of his listed, favourite hobbies.

Interestingly, what the members seem to have in common, aside from frequently travelling to and growing up in different countries, are their educational backgrounds – all completed their studies at top international schools in the Sultanate, two continued on in the UK, and one is now a diplomatic officer.

In the span of just four years, Micbandits have successfully made three whole albums (with at least 10 tracks on each one) entitled “Retrospective EP” (2006), “Rhythm n Poetry” (2007) and “Of Mics and Men” (2009), self-produced using only a variety of computer software to create their original sound.

But what would surprise the general public to learn (perhaps as much as it did to myself) is the fact that
a” the group can work their magic even faster than that, as a song takes less than about two weeks in total to complete and they, by this present time, have over 250 recordings scattered throughout the nation.

The modest trio are even very proud of their relatively smaller achievements – like impressing both hip-hop enthusiasts and neutrals so far, starting off underground as opposed to going mainstream, effectively creating a buzz, always striving to do better, and establishing themselves here as up-comers.
And as for the big break? It was their third, aforementioned album release, together with a music video directed by Reza Mustaffa for the song “Here Comes The Rapper”, that caught the attention of Kartel Records A&R David Tee from Malaysia…

The CEO of this label, the President of Kartel Records, Mr Joe Flizzow aka he formerly of ‘Too Phat’ fame has also praised Micbandits, alongside his other new signings that include newcomers from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, as the bright future of Southeast Asian hip-hop.

Today, a live studio interview hosted by DJ Zayn with Joe Flizzow himself and Brunei’s Micbandits has been scheduled for 2pm on supporter Pelangi 91.4 FM, before a Meet-and-Greet event for fans and music enthusiasts alike at the RBRC’s Dewan Muhibbah from 4pm onwards.

This will also be in conjunction with another event next weekend called “Micbandits Proudly Presents: It’s A Wrap” at Rizqun Hotel’s Songket Hall commencing at 7pm, and featuring other big acts that include Malaysia’s Altimet, A Band Once, Layzee Clan, MNC, One D and top Projectunes artists.

For more information on the upcoming show and how to get the tickets, or to contact the members of Micbandits themselves (who I would like to think of as another incredible success story from our country), look up the Micbandits’ fan page on Facebook, or simply visit www.microbandits.com.

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