The fuse is lit - just stand back

Next time you're strapped for cash, think of Dynamite MC. As a teenager he wanted to be a DJ but couldn't afford turntables. Now he's one of the best rappers in the world.

"They're expensive, man," says the 31-year-old from a Sydney hotel room. "My friend managed to get some so I used to go to his house and push him off and he didn't really appreciate that too much.

"But it occurred to me to get on the mic while he was spinning and I reluctantly did a few tapes."

It would be fair to presume Dynamite (real name Dominic Smith) doesn't have to push anyone around any more. He tours the world regularly with drum'n'bass kingpin Roni Size, his first solo album has scored straight As with the music press, and just about every British underground producer worth their salt is lining up to work with him.

He has just toured Europe with Size and his legendary Full Cycle crew, and when he plays Auckland this weekend it will be with breaks duo the Nextmen. After that he tours Russia with Zinc.

Aside from the plethora of producers who provided beats for his album World of Dynamite, he's working with the Scratch Perverts, Adam F and the guy who makes beats for Dizzee Rascal.

"I enjoy working with different producers because you can learn from them," he says. "I'm loving doing the hip-hop now, the 100bpm [beats per minute] tempo is great. "

Like New Zealander MC Tali, the fellow Full Cycle member he refers to as his little sister, Dynamite has close ties to the label that exposed his explosive lyrical style.

He met Roni Size well before the producer released his Mercury Music Prize-winning album Reprazent, a revolutionary release that fused drum'n'bass with hip-hop and jungle and soon became the name of their live tour de force. In 2000, they headlined Big Day Out.

But when it came time to release World of Dynamite, Dynamite shunned his mentor's label for Talkin' Loud. "I wanted to give it a whole new outlook. Full Cycle is known for pretty much one thing - drum'n'bass instrumental music.

"But because my album was so diverse I wanted it to be fresh. I hadn't had the best experiences with record companies, so I was at that point where I wanted to take control of my destiny."

But Dynamite was finalising the artwork on the album when he fell prey to music industry reshuffling. Talkin' Loud was restructured and Dynamite's product of 12 months' toil was no longer a priority.

"The new guys were more interested in the soda-pop acts they had on their roster," says Dynamite. "That definitely knocked me sideways for a while and I took it a bit to heart. Then I had to turn it into a positive and use it to spur me on."

When others expressed interest in one of his singles, he found the motivation he needed to start his own label, Strong Records.

Two years after it was finished, the album is finally on the shelves.

Innovative in layout, World of Dynamite traverses three "nightclub" rooms, spanning hip-hop, garage and drum'n'bass.

Whether he's taking on the personalities of three hip-hop MCs or spitting fast and furious ragga rhymes over pounding breaks, Dynamite MC is one of a precious few planted firmly in both the hip-hop and dance communities.

But here's where it gets tricky. Although the genres are musically compatible, they represent diametrically opposing ideals.

Pedantic music fans would argue that hip-hop is the voice of the struggling underdog, while dance music is about having a good time.

How on earth can you successfully combine the two?

"It's difficult. It's like, if you're at a rave and you're playing at two or three in the morning and trying to talk about global awareness it's not really fitting.

"A rave is still, in essence, a very positive environment and it has grown up with the emphasis always being on the DJ.

"But you know, I want people to understand me. I'm a conscious person, I'm aware of certain atrocities in the world, but I'm also here to have a good time and party and make you laugh a little bit.

"I'll try to educate you but not keep it too heavy. I'm not trying to be Malcolm X, or MC Hammer. It's just nice, intelligent party music."

Performance

* Who: Dynamite MC

* What: Three Islands, featuring the Nextmen, Mystro and Braintax, Rhian Sheehan, Goldenhorse, Manuel Bundy, Batacuda Sound Machine

* Where: Galatos, tomorrow, 10pm; Players Anthem, Wellington, December 3