“I’m important, I’m tellin’ ya, kind of a big deal…”

If you hadn’t already picked up by the fact he’s built like a rugby player and has a voice you could probably hear unamplified from one street away, Briggs doesn’t really fit in with the current mould of skinny, drawling bogans that are racing up the charts and representing Australia’s hip-hop scene in the worst way. Just for the record, that’s exactly why I find him so interesting – Briggs is clearly a fan of the art form, and just loves hip-hop for what it is. Zero fucks are given about trends or keeping up with any of his peers – it’s all about the music. With that said, there’s no rule stating that the man is not allowed to have a bit of fun.

Rather Be Dead sees Briggs letting his hair down – well, a wig, at least – and having a laugh with a series of quite peculiar characters. It’s not every day you get to see the Grim Reaper, Rolf Harris, Kevin Rudd and a midget police officer all in the same place, after all. There’s no ego or braggodocio to be found in these here parts, just a stack of laughs and some simple, cartoon-y fun. No rules, no trend-hopping, no “street cred” or whatever the fuck else – just a guy doing what he does and having a whale of a time with it. Make sure you check him out when he comes through New South Wales this week as the opening act for the Hilltop Hoods. Now that’s gonna be a helluva show.