DefDFires are a hip-hop collective based in north London. Formed in 99, as a group of classmates fuelled by a common distaste for the mainstream hip-hop scene, DDF pushed their skills as lyrists to break away from the schoolyard rapping they grew up with. Focusing more on poetic styles, laced with dark humour and obscure references, than the average women, money and violence rap that flooded the airwaves around them. Soon after DefDFires went on to join the infamous Underground Alliance and for the following years honed their abilities in live performances as well as in the studio.
After working on various recordings and projects with UA the boys decided to embark on recording their own album, collaborating with producers Aupheus and Salamander. The end result was ‘A Prelude’, a gritty, atmospheric vision of society; described as a “pin-sharp debut album… Stepping from a refreshingly different angle” (FLUX May 07). A Prelude was released on Camden-based label Filthy Habits in 2007 and has continued to receive acclaim in the media as well as support from listeners worldwide, in the mean time DDF have put their years of experience playing house parties and dingy pub functions to good use, turning heads up and down the country with their quirky live set and solid crowd control.
The future looks bright for London’s alterative hip-hop ensemble. With another album on the way as well as various collaborations and projects with some of Europe’s finest emcees and producers on the cards, DDF look set to continue providing us with their cinematic beats and Orwellian commentary for years to come, bringing some welcome imagination and refreshing angles to an otherwise over-crowded genre.
364 Days Instrumental
K.O.S. Pt 2
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