Fluent Form

Ryan Stewart, better known by the stage name Fluent Form or, more recently, Flu, is an Australian rapper and hip hop musician.

Career

Solo career

Although Stewart participated in rap battles in his early days, using the experience to gain exposure and get his name out, he has said that he was never really part of the "battle scene" and his dedication is to recording songs. This was quickly followed the next year by The Furnace, released under the newly formed Crate Cartel label and distributed through Obese Records. Described by an interviewer as "a dark manifesto, serving as an outlet for rage and dissatisfaction", he said that The Furnace reflects his "burning desires, rage... life, lessons, greed, envy, growth, anger, obstacles, reward, death, life... everything." He was praised for his "complex rhyming structure, deep concepts, and overall flow" and as having "the composure of a veteran long in the game." In an interview, he said that telling personal stories through the tracks on the album was "very important". Throughout 2012, he released the tracks "FLU32" and "Ricochet Rabbit" via Bandcamp and appeared on the Obese Records Obesecity 2 compilation with the track "The Code" featuring Has-Lo.

His fourth solo album, Flu Season, was released in 2013 and debuted at number 39 on the Aria Hip Hop Charts. It again featured a host of guest artists including American rappers One Be Lo and Has-Lo. This marked his first release to be issued in vinyl and on cassette tape in addition to CD. He stated that he hope the style of Flu Season "gives the listener an opportunity to digest everything I’m saying." The Australian edition of Rolling Stone magazine reviewed Flu Season, awarding it stars. A review on US website RapReviews.com complimented Flu's "ear popping lines" and production that "lifts him up high", rating the album 8 out of 10.

In 2017, he released his fifth album Flu Dust, which was his first self-produced album as well as being his first album since officially moving on from the name Fluent Form to simply Flu, which was considered his secondary stage name for many years prior.

Fluent Form has toured Australia, supporting international artists including Ghostface Killah, Ill Bill, Chino XL, Masta Ace and DJ Premier. He also produced the track "Half Full" by J.Mac, appearing on the compilation album Rawthentic The Roster.

4 Aces

Having worked with fellow Melbourne-based rappers Mata, Must and 1/6 on the tracks "4 Aces" (released on The Furnace) and "Poison" (on Flu Season), they appeared on stage around Australia in 2013 as part of the Alliance Tour and produced an EP titled Four Aces, a collaboration between the Crate Cartel and Pang Productions labels, released exclusively on vinyl to coincide with World Record Store Day on 19 April 2014. They also performed a live gig that night outside Wax Museum Records in the Campbell Arcade subway under Flinders Street railway station.

Discography

Albums and EPs Title Released Label Format Chapters of Substance 2008 Independent CD The Furnace 2009 Crate Cartel CD Word Merchant 2011 Crate Cartel CD Flu Season 2013 Crate Cartel CD, vinyl, cassette Four Aces (with Mata, Must and 1/6) 2014 Crate Cartel and Pang Productions Vinyl Flu Dust 2017 Crate Cartel CD, vinyl, cassette

Individual tracks "FLU32" (2012)

Personal life

Flu was raised and continues to reside in the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne. He is a father of two children.

He also played for the Eastside Kings in the Robert Hunter Cup in 2013, an Australian rules football match honouring the memory of Perth MC Hunter.