TZU

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TZU
TZU performing at the Melbourne Big Day Out in 2006
Background information
Origin	Melbourne, Australia
Genre(s)	Australian hip hop
Years active	1999 — present
Label(s)	Liberation
Website	http://www.tzu.com.au/
Members
Joelistics AKA Joel Ma (vocals, guitar, bass) Seed MC AKA Phillip Norman (vocals, guitar, bass) Paso Bionic AKA Shahab Tariq (turntables) Yerock AKA Corey McGregor (drums, samplers) Duzy What AKA Dustin (keys)

TZU (pronounced Tee Zed Yoo) are an Australian hip hop group, originating from Melbourne, Victoria.

The group formed in 1999 as a side project combining members of Curse ov Dialect and Pan. The name TZU is taken from the Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu [1]. The band were originally called Tzu (pronounced tsoo) but changed their name due to the public pronouncing it as T-Z-U [23 Magazine, 2004]. In 2005 keyboard player Duzy What was added to the group's lineup.

They are known for live shows with significant crowd involvement, at festivals such as Big Day Out, Falls Festival, Good Vibrations festival, Apollo Bay Music Festival and the Meredith Music Festival, in addition to smaller shows. TZU have played several smaller shows in regional Victoria and NSW. They will often involve local MCs, and have been known to invite the entire audience on stage.

They have received regular Triple J airplay of their album Position Correction. The apparent lessening of the cultural cringe towards Australian hip-hop has seen an increase in their popularity, as well as many other acts such as Hilltop Hoods, Downsyde and Koolism in the mid 2000s.

The first single released from their third album "Smiling at Strangers" was entitled "In Front of Me". It received airplay on national youth radio station Triple J, and the video was broadcast on Rage and Video Hits.

TZU differs from typical hip hop groups because they use instruments in their performances. Joelistics & Seed MC have played guitars and have had keyboards and drums also used giving them a rock infused vibe.