Tumi and the Volume formed in early 2002. Dave, Jerah and Paulo were session musicians at the Bassline when it was still Melville. Former manger Eric Motloung had organized open mic sessions two Sundays a month and had the three of them to play backing music for the mc that used to perform. It was from one of these sessions that the three musicians met Tumi, an mc whom they connected to more than any other they had played with.

They started playing some gigs together for a book that Tumi was launching. Then came the Phat Joe show were they first decided that they were the hip hop band ‘Tumi and the Volume'. Jerome decided to jump ship and in that same breath they called Tiago and came up with a set for the show. After the show they did other performances around joburg and people started coming to their shows as the gospel of a live hip hop band started spreading around town. Then in late 2002 they recorded Live At The Bassline in Melville.

They formed the group because they felt they had found a niche in the South African hip hop market. They weren't one of the many new alternative bands popping out the trees and their mc didn't plug in an instrumental to bust rhymes over. Tumi and the Volume have a synergy and really enjoy playing live because it helps them offer more in their music and lyrics.

Each member contributes to the make they music. They each come with something then work together to make their special brand of hip hop. That's why there is no leader, each one of them is the master of their craft and together they lead their army. This gives them freedom to do whatever they want and it works because of their passion and talents.

The bands unique sound is an amalgamation of their various influences. Their albums have strings of hip hop, funk, afro- jazz and metal, each intensified by Tumi's witty verbalism. The forming for the band was not their plan but it had to happen because it was bigger than them.