Sharline 'Spice' Bezzina
The Western Sydney Hip Hop Archive is a major initiative that engages and connects with industry and community to build and elevate Hip Hop's history and profile. Developed in a collaboration between Powerhouse Parramatta, Vyva Entertainment, Blacktown Arts and pioneers of Sydney Hip Hop, the archive will give depth and context to a generation of artists as well as creating a space to celebrate how Western Sydney Hip Hop is a vital part of Australian and international music culture.
Object Lesson – Sharline 'Spice' Bezzina
‘People often say Subway Art was what brought it to Australia, but we were already doing it.’
The first Western Sydney Hip Hop story shared through the Archive is the story of Sharline ‘Spice’ Bezzina, a graffiti artist, former B-girl, breaker, rapper and Australian HipHop pioneer who has been involved in the Western Sydney scene since its inception in the 1980s. Spice’s song Hard Core Love was featured on Australia’s first commercially released Hip Hop compilation ‘Down Under by Law’ (1988) and she was the support act for Ice-T during his Australian tour in 1989. Spice has kept an impeccable archive, some of which is part of the Powerhouse Collection
