MC Tuka ready to groove the Moo

East coast rapper MC Tuka is probably best known for his role as one third of Australian hip hop heavyweight Thundamentals, but his solo work is rapidly rising to similar levels of acclaim.

Hi second solo album Feedback Loop dropped in October last year and the lyrical savant has only recently had a chance to come up for air after a whirlwind 12 months.

“I’ve just had two months off after eight months straight recording and touring,” Tuka said.

“It’s been pretty hectic, but I love the time on stage and the people who appreciate the time I spend on stage — it’s all the stuff surrounding the 45 minute performances that starts to wear you down.”

One of the undisputed highlights of Tuka’s recent run was an opportunity to open shows for superstar Compton MC Kendrick Lamar during his Australian tour in December.

“Touring with Kendrick was amazing, although he did have a hard crowd to warm up,” Tuka said.

“Some of the kids at his shows had been waiting for six to eight hours to see him and weren’t exactly thrilled to see some middle class white boy taking up time before him.

“Before the last show he came up to me and told me he thought I was cool and liked my music and I was screaming like a hysterical little girl inside, it was crazy.

“I’ve done a lot of support gigs in my time and, without naming names, some people with half of Kendrick’s talent and support base are complete prima donnas.”

Tuka himself remains completely grounded despite his recent success, and even admits to a mild case of nerves ahead of his upcoming solo shows at Groovin the Moo.

“Thundas has been doing it for eight years now, and having your best mates up on stage with you definitely provides a kind of security blanket that I miss when it’s just me,” he said.

“I’ll have Ellesquire helping me out though and he’s a great singer and really laid back dude and we have some good banter on stage.”

Catch Tuka and Ellesquire sharing the stage at Groovin the Moo in Bunbury on Saturday May 11.