Words by Christopher Kevin Au // Image by Tristan Stefan Edouard

When it comes to West Sydney, nobody waves the flag with as much vigour as Blacktown’s own valiant emcee, Fortay.

I remember seeing Fortay open for The Game a few years ago at The Metro Theatre. It was definitely one of the Top 3 most audacious performances I have witnessed in my life. Further research shows that he has an album called Fuck Every Cunt and his own line of bongs – powerful. So what is Fortay’s story?

Since earning his stripes in Sydney’s battle scene in the early 2000s, Fortay has firmly established himself as the pride of the underground, backed by a work ethic simply unseen in local hip-hop. On top of a consistent stream of solo albums and mixtapes, he runs his own At Large imprint and has collaborated with international legends like Snoop Dogg and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, as well as local heroes like Kerser and Jimmy The Junkie.

With all eyes currently set on West Sydney’s bubbling scene, Fortay has acquired a cult following that makes itself very visible on social media and beyond. It’s clear that his confrontational bars are resonating with youths in the area – his YouTube numbers match many major label rappers in the country – and now he’s just dropped another album heralding his roots, titled West Syd Story.

As the release currently climbs up the iTunes charts, we chatted to Fortay about the art of crafting bongs, Bob Marley and what it’s like in West Sydney right now. Grab West Syd Story right here and read what Fortay had to say below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIVjrdw_8mw

Congrats on your new album ‘West Syd Story’. What has the reaction been like so far?

Thank you. It’s been a mixed reaction but we’re sitting at #2 on the iTunes chart, so all good. There is diversity in the songs on the album, so certain songs hit certain people a different way.

On lead single ‘Let Me Live’ you rap “Let a cunt live, don’t fuck with me.” You also have an album called ‘Fuck Every Cunt’. Which word do you like more, ‘cunt’ or fuck’?

Definitely ‘cunt’.

Having grown up on 90s rap, I imagine that collaborating with Cormega on ‘WS 2 QB’ was a huge accolade for you. Can you describe the first time you guys met and how that interaction evolved into doing a song together?

Yeah, it was a spin out. I met him at his Sydney show and ended up hangin’ out for a few days. We took an old Defiant beat that was about 6-7 years old, revamped it and dropped 16 each. It was an interesting experience working with such a legend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HevFxb8mCb0

You recently added a line of bongs to your merchandise line. What are some of the aesthetic and technical considerations you had to think about before releasing them?

I just wanted it to be a product I would use myself. Piecemaker already had a quality product and making a custom Fortay model just made sense.

Western Sydney rappers in particular seem to have particularly loyal and dedicated fans. Why do you think this is, and where do you think the West Sydney rap scene is at now?

West Sydney has a big population so I think that helps, but it’s really the attitude that people relate to no matter where they’re from. It’s really the mindstate that unites people Australia wide, because a lot of places deal with similar issues as West Sydney. I think right now the West Sydney rap scene is bigger than it’s ever been and growing by the day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQTU-8Vp4Pw&index=3&list=PLrU8HX_DPSwvsi2nlc-2k59R-du2jYrvA

A lot of people seem to differentiate West Sydney rap from the Australian hip-hop scene at large. What are your thoughts on this, and why do you think this separation exists?

I think it’s good. It’s something I’ve been campaigning for from day one. I’m not a fan of most Aussie rap just because I can’t connect to it. I only started rapping because I wasn’t relating to a lot of the artists I was hearing at the time. It just adds more variety to the scene.

I think the separation exists because it’s so different in content. Even though it’s all rap, it can sound like its two worlds away from each other in comparison sometimes.

Who are some of the other rappers/producers from the area that we should be listening to?

Defiant just dropped his debut rap album Battle For Your Mind which is an underground West Syd classic. Plus Mitchos Da Menace and Drae Cliche are West Syd artists to keep an eye on, all working with At Large Productions.

You recently attended a party hosted by the infamous CandyMan. How does one score an invite to one of these events, and is there any chance you two will collaborate in the future?

It’s not easy. Someone in his camp reached out. It was a crazy party. Definitely a lot of fun. Who knows just yet, but I’d be keen to shoot a film clip at his mansion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYvoa8s7Tl4&list=PLrU8HX_DPSwvsi2nlc-2k59R-du2jYrvA&index=4

Imagine that you could invite any three people (dead or alive) to chat on an episode of your video series, The Fortnightly Report. Who would it be and what would you talk about?

Jesus Christ: Probably just to ask him if the Bible is an accurate portrayal of his life, or was the story a bit of a gee up. Bob Marley: I would like to know what strain he smokes, because he always seems so happy and positive. El Chapo: Does he feel stupid getting caught after meeting Sean Penn? Does he wish he met up with a better actor?

What is Fortay wishing for this Christmas?

I’d be happy with a couple of drinks and a suck.

What’s on the cards for Fortay as we head into 2017?

Just trying to do better than 2016. I got a whole bunch of plans in the works, bringing in new artists through my label At Large Productions, as well as droppin’ plenty more solo stuff and two new Piecemaker bong designs in the new year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr8UMpDp2xw&list=PLrU8HX_DPSwvsi2nlc-2k59R-du2jYrvA&index=6