Information and Cultural Exchange: Local hip-hop guru nominated for ARIA

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Local hip-hop guru nominated for ARIA

Released 12 October 2007

Information and Cultural Exchange
PO Box 4033 Parramatta NSW 2124 Australia
T: +61(2) 9897 5744 / F: +61(2) 9897 5766

Greystanes artist MC Trey and her crew Foreign Heights will challenge the best names in Australian hip-hop for an Australian Recording Industry Award (ARIA) on 28 October.

Foreign Heights, a collaboration of MC Trey, DJ Nick Toth and Maya Jupiter, the host of hip-hop shows on Triple J and Channel V, have been nominated for their Get Yours Remix.

MC Trey, one of Australia’s leading hip-hop artists, is well known in Western Sydney for her work with emerging artists, especially at-risk, unemployed and excluded young people.

As the coordinator of Hip-Hop 101, Trey works with Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE) to train artists from Western Sydney to develop their lyrics, perform, use digital music programs and record their songs.

‘Trey has a deep commitment to developing the skills in her community,’ says ICE’s Director Lena Nahlous, ‘Our course participants are always excited to work hands-on with such a renowned artist. She’s incredibly generous with her knowledge and experience.’

The highly successfully courses, held at ICE’s SWITCH multimedia and digital arts centre in Granville, are supported by the Vodafone Australia Foundation.

‘Trey covers all aspects of hip-hop production in her courses, from writing the lyrics to producing a video clip,’ says Elaine Leong of Vodafone. ‘She gives participants the chance to really refine their art. It can be a life-changing experience for the young people involved. All of us at the Vodafone Australia Foundation are very proud to support Trey and her work at ICE.’

Trey has released two albums, Daily Affirmations and Tapastry Tunes and entertained crowds in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Japan. She’s performed with some of the biggest names in hip-hop, including Lupe Fiasco, Common, The Fugees, Ugly Duckling, Naughty by Nature, Run DMC, Michael Franti, RZA, XZIBIT and JURASSIC5.

Foreign Heights is up against the Hilltop Hoods, Jackson Jackson, Justice and Kaos and Bliss N Eso for the award, to be announced in a glittering televised ceremony at Acer Arena.