I can’t say I’d heard of the KillaQueenz prior to receiving this mixtape. Unfortunately, I can’t say I will be checking for them again in the near future! Kween G and Belizean Bombshell hail from Sydney, although originally from the very different homelands of Africa and the Caribbean. That in mind, one can overlook what is a borderline US accent being used by the two, as this may very well be their natural delivery. Surprisingly, however, that isn’t my problem with this mixtape. It’s more the generic nature of the music.

The Word On The Street Mixtape sounds like any mixtape of any up and coming US rapper; it’s jiggy, it’s brash, and it has definite mainstream radio appeal. It’s all the things I hate about mainstream hip-hop. I don’t think we need this style of music coming out of Australia, it’s generic and formulaic and in my opinion can only further push back the quality music being made that may be a little less appealing to a mainstream audience. Sure both girls have a nice enough flow and mic presence, but not one lyric over 20 tracks has stuck in my mind. It’s what I call “throw-away” music, you hear it, you may bop your head in a club or the car, it’s inoffensive, but you really don’t mind if you don’t hear it again. You certainly aren’t pressing rewind to check exactly what was said.

If you’re a fan of mainstream hip-hop – the Weapon X and Ken Hell sound of Australia or any of the international artists featuring on Video Hits – you will enjoy this mixtape. There is a mixture of original beats here courtesy of Mr Zux, Platinum Child, Jimbo and others, as well as some classic beats jacked and rhymed over. As I mentioned, both girls are solid emcees, their flow cannot be faulted. They do bounce well off of each other as a duo. Over the twenty tracks they also bring in an array of guest vocalists and emcees, again names not familiar to me – or many I would imagine – Vida, B-Wise, Young B, plus quite a few more. They all perform admirably.

To me this is the negative side to the growth of hip-hop in this country; a more commercial generic sound emerging. It’s for those who find the rest of Australian hip-hop too raw.