With so many exciting new hip hop talents emerging from Australia’s vast music landscape over the past few years it seems that Aussie hip hop has gone though so many transformations.
From the local successes of Adelaide talents like The Funkoars and Hilltop Hoods, to the larger than life exploits of artists like 360 and Kerser to the socially charged anthems of Sydney collective The Herd, hip hop has always been a dominant voice in our modern day music conversations. As we have changed and evolved as a collective musical community it’s quite clear that hip hop coming out of Australia has done the same.
It’s been an active year in Aussie music, from the incredible breakthroughs of the past 18 months, like the metric rise of Sampa the Great, Tkay Maidza’s international accolades and social media pin-up boy (and Sway guest) Allday all releasing music alongside artists like Biggs, Jimblah and Remi, who are busy becoming voices of a socially conscious generation. All in the while woozy cloud rap kings Milwaukee Banks and avant garde hip hop collective RaRa are dropping sounds Australia has never produced before.
Given all that it’s fair to say that the overarching umbrella of the term ‘Australian hip hop’ is potentially the most varied genre in this country right now.
To explore the context of the genre, we caught up with Aussie hip hop alumni L-Fresh The Lion, Urthboy and Tuka ahead of their shows at The Plot festival in Sydney this weekend. The guys kindly gave us some insights into the history, what’s going on and what we can expect in the future of this Australia’s currently most prolific genre.
Are We In A ‘Second Wave’ Of Aussie Hip Hop?
Urthboy: I’d say it’s the third wave but I’m sure others with more knowledge on the subject could make a case for more.
The reason I say third wave is that there was a gang of pioneers that aren’t recognised enough, but who created a foundation that enabled the artists many consider the ‘first wave’.
These include Def Wish Cast, AKA Brothers, South West Syndicate, Just Us and right up to the late 90s with Meta Bass n Breath, Bias B. I’d argue that the second wave probably started somewhere around Left Foot Right Foot by Hilltop Hoods, an era where the likes of Downsyde, The Herd, Lazy Grey, Pegz, Muph & Plutonic, Bliss n Eso, Layla, Local Knowledge flourished. This wave you’re referring to now has some great talent with Horrorshow, Tkay, Sampa the Great, B-Wise, Allday and many more.
L-Fresh: Hip Hop in this country has been around for quite a long time. I don’t think we’re in the second wave; maybe a second wave in terms of Hip Hop in this country as recognised by music industry but definitely not in a historical context. We’re a number of generations in. Many Hip Hop musicians have paved the way for the artists who are currently popping off now. It’s definitely grown since the beginning though.
Tuka: I’d actually say we are in the 4th “wave”. This may get me in some hot water here and I’m not exactly going to write an essay but I’ll give you a VERY brief rundown. And of course keep in mind that this is simply just my opinion…But ok here goes.
– From when Def Wish Cast dropped “A.U.S.T” in 1993, I’d regard that as the first wave of when Hip Hop made by Australians began to get some shine.
– The next wave would have to be when The Hilltop Hoods dropped “The Nosebleed Section” in 2004. Perhaps the most important event to have happened for local Hip Hop to date.
– Arguably, I would actually say that Horrorshow were the next “game changers” when they dropped the “The Grey Space” in 2008.
= Which brings us to today – acts like Remi, Tkay Maidza, Allday etc each show another pretty big shift in the style and following of locally produced Hip Hop. I’m not going to label songs nor albums in this case though as I think that these things are best left to hindsight anyway. ‘Classics’ show themselves over time so it’s a hard call. Who knows maybe someone reading this will drop the next big ting?!
But yeah, this is not exactly giving a holistic view of the scene, acts like Bliss & Eso, The Herd, Illy, Drapht, Seth Sentry, 360, (the list goes on and on) have had pivotal moments and have contributed huge amounts to the amazing scene that we now all share in.
The Origins Of Aussie Hip Hop
Urthboy: Same place hip hop grew everywhere else, New York. We’ve just got our own strange and weird and great and terrible and engaging takes on it.
L-Fresh: We adopted Hip Hop in this country. We didn’t have to directly experience the civil rights movement or the oppression that the communities who birthed Hip Hop did. We adopted elements on the culture and expressed them here. It was pretty much graffiti and breaking (break dancing) at the beginning. The music aspect came later on.
Tuka: Hip Hop made in Australia originates and grew from the same place all Hip Hop came from – New York.
How Location Plays Into Creation
Urthboy: It’s impossible for me remove all those cultural references out of the choices I make when writing and performing lyrics. They just have a way of imposing themselves on the song. At the same time, I rarely have any conscious awareness of my geographical roots defining my song writing. The only rule I try to bring to what I write, is to be honest.
L-Fresh: I was born and raised in South West Sydney and that definitely lays in the foundation of the sounds I create. Where I came from will always impact the style, the way in which the stories are told and the subconscious mentality that exists within me.
Tuka: Personally, growing up in the Blue Mountains played a massive role in my sound and the people I make it with so yeah, location was a huge factor. I guess I like to make music that reflects where I’m at in life so my surroundings and the community that I spend my time with have always rubbed off on me while writing.
One thing that is cool about rapping in an Australian accent is that it can be quite varied to the trained ear, I can usually tell where an artist is from by listening to their accent in a song, it’s almost a stylistic difference. It tends to transform through the generations as well.
That being said, the same goes for the different areas in the U.S/U.K. Not always but you can kind of guess where people are from by the way they rap, most regions have a sound.
Has Australian Hip Hop Moved From The White Suburbs To A More Vast Cultural Community?
Urthboy: There’s always been Indigenous artists, African Australians, etc in the hip hop scene, but they weren’t as visible as some coming through now. I could offer some thoughts as to why but we’d be here all day and there are better people with more insightful perspectives on this.
Artists like Sampa, Tkay, Remi, Jimblah and B-Wise are getting people talking and local fans are hungry for new voices, new styles, new views. These are the artists I believe will have an international impact and lend another level of credibility to Australia’s reputation.
L-Fresh: Hip Hop has always been grounded in cultural community, ever since its beginning here in Australia. If you dig deep into the history of it, you’ll find a wide collection of diverse artists. The music industry has only just started to catch on to and really recognise the music coming from diverse communities. But we’ve always been here.
Tuka: I think that the audience/industry is finally beginning to realise that “Aussie Hip Hop” can be made by everyone living here not just middle class white males. I’ve been rapping a while, along side all type of people from all types of backgrounds.
But until recently I don’t think that the recognition and support has been there for a other communities. I think it’s a super refreshing thing that is only just beginning to happen, I can’t wait to see what kind of artists are yet to add to their individuality to the scene.
What Does The Future Of Australian Hip Hop Look Like?
Urthboy: For a long time it felt like local hip hop was outrageously successful but not a trendy genre for inner-city tastemakers to align themselves with. That’s definitely changing at the moment. In five years it’ll be a long way from what it looked like in 2010.
L-Fresh: I’m not exactly sure to be honest but I do know that it’s an exciting time to be in Hip Hop in Australia. The sounds and styles are becoming so diverse and there’s such a wide range of artists for audiences to enjoy. The scene is growing exponentially and that’s great.
Tuka: I’m not sure what it will look like but it will sound like my next album hahaha…Cop That Shit.
Who We Should Be Listening To
L-Fresh: Sampa The Great. Philly. Dex. Soul Benefits.
Tuka: Jimblah is crazy dope on the raps and beats and he sings as well. He’d be my number one choice. Bwise is also great. And my homie Tenth Dan (if he ever releases anything). For the beats check out my homie Poncho, Big Village king Roleo… Also Nic Martin has crazy chops.
Biggest Challenges Aussie Hip Hop faces Overseas
Urthboy: The main challenge is making important music that resonates with international audiences. It sounds pretty simple doesn’t it? Above that there’s a daunting amount of work persevering with touring and time spent on the ground in order to support the push.
You generally need a huge amount of groundwork here before you can even have a crack OS. There’s a lot of local acts that are hugely successful here that international audiences don’t care about – that’s ok. UK people say the same thing about grime for the most part.
L-Fresh: Australia is geographically so far away from Europe and the US, which makes it financially challenging to get out there, especially when you’re an emerging artist.
[include_post id=”450045″]We’re so close to Asia but it isn’t always clear as to how to crack it there and the sounds coming out of there are so different. I feel the world is always hungry for new music, so it’s in our interests to get out there, but the finances make it a challenge.
Tuka: Some might say our accent but I honestly don’t believe that. I think it’s the asset that will be a key factor when whoever it is actually breaks overseas (Iggy doesn’t count, sorry…)
Other than that it’s all up to the song. It will be a song that can appeal to anyone from anywhere. That is the challenge for any artist really, make something that’s dope and cool and makes everybody feel some type of way.
But yeah, it’s just a matter of time. I feel like we are really starting to show signs of an international scene emerging. Sorry I didn’t really answer this question as I’d prefer to focus on the positives.
You’re playing at THE PLOT in Parramatta Park on Dec 5th – What is Your Connection to Western Sydney?
Urthboy: I was born in Camden, first few years in Campbelltown, then moved to the Blue Mountains, so my personal history is tied up in Western Sydney. People talk about Western Sydney as if it’s one big suburb but Parramatta is different to Campbelltown which is different to Penrith and so on.
Western Sydney is the most diverse place in the country but it’s traditionally the definition of ‘working class Australia’ – it’s not what people think. It’s a melting pot that’s as Australian as a Vietnamese restaurant in an RSL Club.
L-Fresh: I grew up in Western Sydney. Its home. It’s where I became me. So it’s exciting to be playing at The Plot in my own backyard. We’ve been hungry for a festival like this for a long time.
Tuka: From the Blue Mountains to the Inner West, this is my home. So yeah I do have a huge connection to Western Sydney.
The Plot 2015 Festival
5th December
Parramatta Park
Tickets at info at www.theplot.co
