Friday 23 September 2011

Welcome!

Vapors was an independent, underground, Australian, Hip Hop magazine.  If there was a Hip Hop magazine that came out before it then I don't know about it.  I knew the man behind the magazine as Blaze through the Loungeroom & Next Level Records.
I bought my first copy after school at Disco City in Parramatta.  It was issue 5, December 1989 - the NWA issue.  In the pre-internet era this thing was a goldmine of information.  To this day I still seek out songs that were favorably reviewed within it's pages.
I went rummaging through boxes in my Mum's garage looking for them the other day.  When I found them I was surprised to see they had deteriorated.  The paper seems to be disintegrating or maybe it has been eaten by some insect?  I thought I'd start to scan and share them before they perish beyond salvageability.
I don't have all the issues.  If you have any copies of this awesome resource please get in touch.  I hope you will let me scan them and share them here.

21 comments:

  1. Thanks for linking up the PDF's...Grew up seeing a lot of the pieces & outlines Blaze ran from the Northshore writers in the mag,So its good to see some issues archived like this.

    Saw these issues up on Ebay & thought you could be keen to add a few more to your collection,Be interesting to see what they fetch...

    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Vapours-magazine-issue-8-graffiti-magazine-aussie-hip-hop-/261136077329?pt=AU_Magazines&hash=item3cccec5211#ht_500wt_1414

    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Vapours-magazine-issue-7-graffiti-magazine-aussie-hip-hop-/261136079171?pt=AU_Magazines&hash=item3cccec5943&_uhb=1#ht_500wt_1414

    Cheers.

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    1. I have issue 7 but not 8. I'm not interested in getting into a bidding war - at least not yet. I still have some editions to scan when I get time.

      They're priced well from what I've seen:
      http://www.stealthmag.com/board/viewthread.php?tid=2010

      If someone wants to buy #8 I'm happy to scan & share it.

      Delete
  2. Ok sweet,If I end up with issue 8,I will get in touch for sure & we can archive it for the heads...Good to hear you have a few editions yet to scan as well...Be good to take another trip down memory lane.




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  3. Those dropped for 34 bucks each last weekend by the looks of it...Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to re-bid as I was interstate & couldn't get to a computer :(

    I caught up with one of the original Sydney Fab 4 writers yesterday by chance and while having one of those "back in day" chats...He dropped that there is a good chance that a lot of the original photo's & outlines etc that was used for Vapor's may of rotted away in maybe not the best storage during the last 10 years or so...Apparently Jason isn't the easiest guy to get in touch with these days either,So these PDF's scanned so far,may be one of the last real touchstones for the late 80's/early 90's Sydney scene that Blaze captured so well aside from a few flicks from the same era poppin up on peoples Flickr & FB accounts now n then.

    Lets keep this blog going & if anyone one has a legit contact for Blaze,I reckon it would be dope to set up a Paypal donation or something like that for the time & effort he put in back then...I know I would definitely drop a few notes to see the complete set archived somewhere like this blog,even if they are just PDF scans..I have heard whispers of a book over the years,but i just dont know how you would cover cost's & make it worthwhile in this digital age...







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    1. I was wondering what they'd go for.

      This is Blaze:
      http://www.stealthmag.com/board/member.php?action=viewpro&member=idiotproof

      Delete
  4. Cheers,Blaze has some sort of idiotproof contact on FB too,but I was a real young tacker back then with a few loose connections to the North Shore writers that he ran a lot of photo's of in the mag,So I doubt he would reply to a msg from me direct,plus those guys were a good 8 years older than us..He was always pretty cool though in the old store & the next one (X-large store) when we were lurking about & not buying much,so you never know...It would be sweet if he got involved in your blog for posterity's sake.

    Would love to see Issue #7 scanned up if you get the chance to blow the dust of it...

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    Replies
    1. He's always been a very approachable guy. Just got married AND moved house. It will be a while but I'll get them done one day.

      Delete
  5. Check this out if you havent already for another trip down memory lane..Hype twins got their scan on too...

    http://paintpak.com.au/index.php/paintpakshop/category/12-hype-magazines

    Are you open to a slight bribe to get those remaining copies of Vapors you have stashed scanned up ?? What sort beer you like ?? Its a gonna be a few rainy days here in Sydney hehe :)



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    Replies
    1. Classic stuff! Didn't think I'd see them again!

      Maybe I'll get one done in a few weeks.

      Delete
  6. Yeah pretty mad huh,Not quite as good as having the originals in your hand...but good enough to take you back in the day for sure..Pretty sure eventually they will get issues 11 & beyond up in PDF's too.

    Looking forward to buggin out on whatever issues you have left of Vapor's to scan up too..Been like 20 years or so since that last one with the color pages was passed around & photocopied a bunch at the school library...

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  7. Someone's been cleaning out their drawers & are offering a Vapors 3 set...Plus some IGT issues in a separate listing

    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Vapors-Hype-Graffiti-Magazine-Issues-5-6-And-7-/121081324943?pt=AU_Magazines&hash=item1c3102658f&_uhb=1#ht_500wt_1414

    Love to see a update when you get the time brother.



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    Replies
    1. I've got those 3 issues.

      Should get sorted this year.

      Delete
  8. yeah that was me selling issue 5,6 and 7 of vapors ! they were in mint condition ! should have scanned them ! oh well ! would have liked them to have fetched more $$ but i guess thats ebay for you ! i got good $$ for the igtimes ! if anybody is interested i have a few early editions of hype issues 2,3,4 and blitzkrieg mags on ebay ! bidding ends 2morrow about 6:30 ! i have more hypes i will be putting up soon ! peace Glenn

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  9. Liking that new colouring book blog you got too,Grew up on those things back then..Remember when all the big movies/TV shows had a colouring book ? Mom grabbed me the E.T one back in 82 & I was hooked..Me & my buddy used to always pinch his Mom's Copic markers she used for her fashion design for those books n stuff till she had to stash em !! By 88 though we were kinda done on the colouring books & stashing our own Artline 100's,Sakura's & cans of Tuxan from her !! hehe

    While you got that scanner out for the colouring in books,Throw those last issues you have of Vapors up for the heads :)

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  10. Anyone out there got Issue 1,3,7 & 8 to complete this blog ?? The late 80's,early 90's australian hip-hop scene was covered so well by Blaze...Get in touch with Ghost Gunner & lets get this blog updated !!

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  11. I have this issue in very mint condition . Been stored in graffiti store in brisbane

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  12. I have this issue in very mint condition . Been stored in graffiti store in brisbane

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  13. Tha original HYPE magazines are being reprinted by Seiz & Exit as a limited edition collection. Please visit dizbrown@bigcartel.com for your copy of HYPE magazine.
    Peace ✌️ Cram 26/6/2021

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  14. http://www.druhslawek.com/vapors/

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  15. "Phat Beats, Dope Rhymes: Hip Hop Down Under Comin' Upper"

    https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/9461

    ReplyDelete