I’ll never forget the day I realized how badly I want to visit Australia. It’s my sophomore year of college and I’m driving around with my buddy Chris, complaining about how all of the rap in our frat house sounds the same. He agrees, and puts on a song that opens up a whole new world for me: ‘Chase That Feeling,’ by the Hilltop Hoods. Don’t be embarrassed if you’ve never heard of them: the Hilltop Hoods are so slept on in America that we’re practically hibernating on them. They are, however, arguably the biggest name in Australian hip hop, and for good reason. So I realize just how much I love their sound, and I start to look into the Australian hip hop scene. What I found took me completely by surprise.
Now I’ve never been to Australia, but I’ve heard that racism is just as big a problem there as in the US. Looking into Australian hip hop, I completely believe it. The Aussie hip hop scene is utterly dominated by young white men rapping about how hard it’s been for them to chase their dreams. There’s an awful lot of pop rap that, in my humble opinion, you can just skip. That said, there are more than a handful of Australian rappers who could go toe to toe with the best that America has to offer. Systemic problems aside, these guys have got what it takes to slice up a verse. Without further ado, I present to you my top five:
5. Tkay Maidza
Takudzwa Victoria Rosa Maidza, aka Tkay Maidza, is what pop rap should sound like. She’s got a voice like an Australian Nicki Minaj, beats like a more creative version of Santigold or M.I.A., and she features the likes of Killer Mike. Tkay’s latest song, ‘Carry On,’ is pretty great, but my favorite is ‘U-Huh.’ She’s got a musicality to the song that just makes the whole experience a treat. The first verse is a favorite:
There’s nothin’ you can do
You can save it
I’m solo but aimin’
I do it on my own, take no favors
So don’t be near if you be low on the paper
You can save it for later
Cause we don’t tolerate broke behavior
They’re jel because I spread on the table
They’re wishing they’re able
To get the bread I use for my cable
So don’t be near if you be low on the paper
You can save it for later
Cause we don’t tolerate broke behavior
It’s not easy to describe Tkay’s sound. She’s got elements of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, she raps like Nicki Minaj on a Kanye track, and has hooks like M.I.A. An Australian Santigold? Whatever you call her, I’m a fan. You will be too if you check her out here:
4. Drapht
Paul Reid, or Drapht, was the most incredible, unexpected gift I got out of making this list. Imagine Eminem, with less focus on shock value and more focus on technique and lyrics structure. Now picture him as a white Australian Chance the Rapper and voila: you’ve got Drapht. He dances around the beat like it’s his fucking playground. He skips on- and off-beat like he’s playing lyrical hopscotch. It’s hard to listen to a Drapht song without bouncing a little.
The best example I’ve heard so far is a little song called ‘Jimmy Recard.’ The real beauty of this song is in Drapht’s flow, so reading the lyrics really won’t do it justice. But if you really want to deprive yourself, here are lyrics to read:
He was always in the right place at the right time
Had a lifeline
Wiser than 95% of the sci-fi
Four doors and his collar popped down like they should be
Living off laughter like Lano and Woodley
And it could be ‘cos he had the world in his palm
Every week a different girl on his arm
His mum a doctor, dad a rockstar
Concoct a little something, nine months, who popped out?
Drapht released an album in August called Seven Mirrors. I highly recommend it. This album is a terrific example of a common trend I’ve noticed in a lot of Australian hip hop: acoustic instrumentals. This album features ample horns, woodwinds, acoustic strings… This is so common in Australian rap that songs have started to jump out at me when they DON’T have acoustic instrumentals. Check out ‘Jimmy Recard’ here:
3. Diafrix
Tkay Maidza was the first artist I came across when I started looking into Australian rappers. Which is a little ironic* because she’s more pop than most of the artists I like. After Tkay, it took me much too long to even find a black Australian rapper. I am so happy to say that the duo I found first did not disappoint me. Mono and Azmarino are Diafrix, and Diafrix is amazing. I would describe them as something between Sol (‘2020’ is a great song. Let us know if you’d like to hear about Sol or other artists in the comments), Drake, and Wiz Khalifa. If these lines from ‘Simple Man’ don’t sell you on Diafrix, nothing will:
A simple life, no bling no fitbits
No wanna be producer all up in my video clips
A good life, yeah I’m happy with my cooler bar
Fourteen bucks, I’m as high as you are
Fly as you are, drinking at the same bar
Use your credit card, cause mines a debit card
No need to act hard or tango with a facade
I’m like a little kid having a ball in the school yard, yeah
Uh, huh, you can call me MR SIMPLEMAN
Bullshit aside, take it easy no drama man
I got my weed I got my lady so I’m living
No need to stress cause I’m reclined and chillin
There are countless rappers who complain or brag about being slept on. Most of them aren’t slept on: they just aren’t special. But some of them are different. There’s such honesty to this song, such humility, that it’s hard not to love them. Check out it out here:
2. Bliss n Eso
I’ve realized something about myself since I started writing these “top 5” articles: a lot of my “top 5” lists have way more than 5 entries. I had to cut a lot of great artists to make this list, but Bliss n Eso were never even in question. I heard about these guys shortly after Chris introduced me to the Hilltop Hoods, so I’ve been a fan for a while. They are truly great artists**. In ‘Act Your Age,’ they manage to play with tempo and internal rhyme schemes while packing every line with references. I love their beats, too. Once upon a time, I was a huge dubstep geek. Towards the end of that phase, I got into drums and bass. Bliss n Eso have some rad drums n bass beats (produced by DJ Izm), and they have the technical prowess and rapping chops to keep up with the energy of the instrumentals. Maybe I should let the lyrics speak for themselves:
When I wake up
When I wake in the morning, I smile to myself like I’m thankin’ God
And, no more folks like, “Jonathan, when you gonna grow up and get a job?”
‘Cause I made that job, no, Steve that Job’s kept me hungry and foolish
It’s a cooler summer dive in like Kendrick and drink some rum in the pool, bitch
That’s only the first third of the first verse. There’s roughly a reference per line. Personally? I love it. The style in this song actually reminds me of an awesome American rapper called Watsky.
Another thing I love? Bliss n Eso focus on reasons to live and learning to love life. Another Australian rapper, 360, is involved in suicide prevention causes. So I guess I kind of dig the anti-suicide, pro-life (in, like, a sincere way) trend. Bliss n Eso have a great song called ‘Addicted,’ which is about being addicted to life (wait… isn’t addiction a bad thing?) and a new song from September 29th called ‘Dopamine’ that’s about how the artists’ families are their reason to make good life choices.
Check out ‘Addicted’ here:
And you can listen to ‘Dopamine’ here:
1. The Hilltop Hoods
The Hilltop Hoods have been one of my favorite hip hop acts for over five years. They introduced me to the whole weird world of Australian Hip Hop, so they will always have a special place in my heart. The group currently consists of MC Pressure, Suffa, and DJ Debris, and they’ve got a sound that’s so addicting you should need to be 21 to purchase their music. I’m excited to write about these guys, and you’ve read this much, so bear with me for a minute and check out ‘Chase That Feeling,’ the song that got me hooked in the first place:
I ride the rails of a vinyl track
Fall into a trance and there ain’t no climbing back
Sit and lose myself in all the hidden loops
They’re like forbidden fruits, I’m like can I get a bite of that?
Gin and juice, I get loose and I write a track
Shivers down my spine, feeling more like a spinal tap
It’s got a hold on me, and I’m a chase that feeling
It’s got a hold on me, I’m a chase that feeling like
The whole song compares drug addiction to their ambition and drive to live the Australian hip hop dream. Specifically, Suffa raps that verse. This was on State of the Art, a 2009 album. In 2012, the Hilltop Hoods released Drinking from the Sun, which featured the song ‘Shredding the Balloon, which is all about Suffa’s struggle with alcoholism. The final verse of ‘Shredding the Balloon’ is:
Since ‘State of the Art’ we’ve stayed in the yard just waiting to start this shit all over
Laying in bars for a day and a half, had to switch from gin to soda
Then by like mid October, record was six months over
Due, and I‘m like dude what you expect? I’m only three months sober
Coming up turning tree trunks over, running up burning divas, posers
Run amok till the sun is up or till one of us, the ive la vidaloca
I’m going ta roll until I fold, like I got a hold of Propafol
So beautiful to know you all but for now peace I’m over and out
The Hilltop Hoods, like every other artist on this list, have a ton to offer. I can’t recommend them highly enough. Australian hip hop is its own sub-genre. Any true hip hop head should at least give it a shot. This list is a great place to start. And if you’re looking for more Aussie artists to choose from, check out these honorable mentions:
HONORABLE MENTIONS
1. Maya Jupiter
I’m sure most of you have heard of Aloe Blacc. What you may not know is that his wife, Maya Jupiter, can run lyrical circles around him. Her music is more salsa than any kind of mainstream hip hop, but her rapping skills are the reason that she deserves this mention. She released ‘Madre Tierra,’ a powerful women’s rights anthem, in August. Give it a listen here:
2. Seth Sentry
This dude reminds me of an Australian Atmosphere. For those of you who aren’t familiar, Atmosphere is an American rapper with a knack for storytelling. Maybe I just see this resemblance because both Atmosphere and Seth Sentry wrote a song that tells the story of a man interacting with a waitress who means the world to him (‘The Waitress,’ by Atmosphere vs. ‘The Waitress Song,’ by Seth Sentry). He released a cool new song at the start of September called ‘Petty.’ Check it out here:
3. Thundamentals
These guys are definitely talented enough to earn an honorable mention, but I’m just not into their style enough to put them in the top five. They’ve got a laid-back sound with R&B style beats. If that’s your thing, these guys could be perfect for you. I actually really like their newest song, ‘Never Say Never,’ despite the fact that they generally aren’t my style. I recommend you give it a listen:
4. The Herd
Cutting The Herd from the top five list was one of the hardest choices I had to make while researching this piece. They’ve got an awesome setup: three MCs, a female singer, and a “full band.” The band includes piano accordion, clarinet, guitar, and bass. The sound they put out is really unique and totally worth a listen. I’d say you should check out ‘The King is Dead,’ arguably their catchiest song, here:
5. Muph & Plutonic
These guys are one of my favorite acts, and easily one of my favorites out of Australia. They’ve got a sound that’s something like a mix of Brother Ali, the Hilltop Hoods, and American 80’s hip hop. If you think that sounds like a weird mix, you’re right. It is. But they make it work. Check out ‘Don’t Worry About ‘Nothin,’ one of my favorites of theirs, here:
Now let’s see some comments! What do you all think of Australian hip hop? Looking for some dope Australian electronic music? We got you on that too.
*I dare you to tell me I used ironic wrong.
**foreshadowing a future article?! Pro move.
