Obese Records – Frankston Store Opening

Obese Records, Australia’s first hip hop label, was established in 1995 as a small record store originally named OB’s. After the business was bought and renamed by Tirren Staaf (Pegz) in 2002, the label was created as an outlet for the distribution of Australian hip-hop. Melbourne’s emcee Reason with his album Solid, was the first release on the label, closely followed by the scene-defining Culture of Kings and Obesecity compilations. Over the course of its twelve years, Obese Records has seen success stories such as Hilltop Hoods, Muph & Plutonic, Drapht, Illy, release award winning albums, play to crowds of … Continue reading Obese Records – Frankston Store Opening

Hons – Hons Solo

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… 4 friends created one of the most irresponsible groups in Australian music, 10 years later they are still around and continue to be a burden to their fans and loved ones. Now, on the eve of his best friends (and fellow crew member – Mr Trials) wedding, Hons, has been given the task of planning the Bucks party to end all Bucks party’s. Hons assembled a 6 track solo EP in order to raise sufficient funds to send Trials off with a universal size Big Bang. The aptly titled Hons Solo is produced … Continue reading Hons – Hons Solo

Dialectrix – Satellite Official EP Launch

After spending the last year or so accustoming himself to fatherhood and fine tuning his 3rd LP The Cold Light Of Day with long time collaborator Plutonic Lab, Dialectrix is kickstarting 2013 with a rare and limited edition release involving some of the worlds best talents. The result is Satellite, an exclusive 5 track EP being released to vinyl only (digital D/L included) with each track showcasing an overseas producer while Dtrix exhibits the hunger and versatility the Sydney wordsmith is known for. Artwork for the EP is being handled by April77 Creative, longtime collaborators with Dialectrix and creators of artwork for Obese … Continue reading Dialectrix – Satellite Official EP Launch

Seven Local Acts Chosen To Rev Up The Clipsal 500 Adelaide Concert Series

Music SA is pleased to announce that seven South Australian acts have been selected to open up for some of Australia and the world’s biggest bands at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide Concert Series this March. Chosen through Music SA’s Bands on Track 2013 project – a partnership with the SA Motor Sport Board with support from Nova 91.9 and Mix 102.3 – the local acts to perform over three nights on the Clipsal 500 Concert Oval Stage are: Fri March 1 – Vents & Purpose – supporting Hilltop Hoods, Drapht, Illy and Pez Sat March 2 – Move to Strike … Continue reading Seven Local Acts Chosen To Rev Up The Clipsal 500 Adelaide Concert Series

Koolta Announces Possessions Tour Dates

Adelaide MC and producer Koolta has just announced final dates and supports for his upcoming Possessions single tour in early February. 2012 was a huge year for the hip-hop favourite, releasing his debut album The Extraordinary Average Joe, supporting the Hilltop Hoods, opening the Adelaide leg of the national Parklife Festival tour and being awarded the MRC’s Clip It! Initiative. Taking in four dates only, Koolta is bringing some of his mates with him, with support nationally from Sydney’s Electric Elements crew, along with DeathStarrs (BRIS), Prime (ADL), Ry (MELB) and Mute MC & Kit Complete (Big Village – SYD). … Continue reading Koolta Announces Possessions Tour Dates

2013 Hilltop Hoods Initiative

Applications are now open for the 2013 Hilltop Hoods Initiative! The Hilltop Hoods and APRA are teaming up again to give a career changing $10K to the most impressive emerging Hip Hop/Soul act in Australia.   Aimed at helping fund the manufacturing and marketing of an album release, the grant is open to any act that hasn’t had a previous professional commercial release. For application instructions and terms log on here. Applications close on Tuesday 26th February and the grant recipient will be announced on Thursday 28th March. Good Luck! More Information  ||  APRA / AMCOS  ||  Hilltop Hoods Continue reading 2013 Hilltop Hoods Initiative

Purpose’s single ‘Comin Home’ goes into rotation on triple j & he is named #1 Most Played Artist of 2012 on triple j Unearthed

It has been a big week for the young MC/producer who is 3 weeks away from delivering his beyond anticipated debut album Where It Starts. Wednesday saw his most recent single Comin Home feat. Illy, Jimmy Nice & Joyride get added to rotation on triple j, a huge feat for an entirely independant artist without label support. Perhaps the most fascinating and defining detail of Purpose’s recent newfound light is that he has established it by working at a level that has allowed him to keep pace with his peers despite having no backing at all. The following day triple … Continue reading Purpose’s single ‘Comin Home’ goes into rotation on triple j & he is named #1 Most Played Artist of 2012 on triple j Unearthed

Itchy Beats December

The next Itchy Beats will be headlined by DeathStarrs. With the help of their two latest singles Immortal and Take It Or Leave receiving national airplay on triple j, the Gold Coast duo went to Brisbane to appear at the Sprung Hip Hop Festival 2012, alongside Hilltop Hoods, Seth Sentry, Illy and more. DeathStarrs will be appearing alongside Johnny Utah, Deadbeat and Hazy and Sammy G. Johnny Utah is a part of the artist collective I Forget, Sorry! with Mind Over Matter, Chance Waters and Coptic Solider. He has been actively playing live shows and touring for close to three years, and in … Continue reading Itchy Beats December

Deece – A Cornered Season

A Cornered Season is the debut solo album from the well oiled Melbourne MC, Deece (of B Wiv Deece fame). While B Wiv still has a strong presence on ‘A Cornered Season’ producing six of the sixteen tracks, this album sees Deece team up with some of the best MC’s & producers this country has to offer. The result? A beautifully sculpted dynamic soundscape that complements Deece’s ever evolving sound. On the producer front Plutonic Lab has lent a hand between relentless Hilltop Hoods duties, WIK has jumped on board fresh from handling production on Maundz’s latest album Zero, Alter Ego … Continue reading Deece – A Cornered Season

triple j – J Awards 2012

The first batch of acts vying for Australian Album of the Year at the 2012 J Awards were announced recently on triple j Breakfast with Tom & Alex. The 2012 Unearthed Artist of the Year and The Music Video of the Year nominees have also been announced. Out of the five nominees, two of the acts – The Rubens & Alpine – are being noticed for the debut long-players. Hermitude pick up their first nomination for their fourth album Hyper Paradise. Ball Park’s nomination comes just a year after their first, for their debut Happiness & Surrounding Suburbs and Tame Impala follow … Continue reading triple j – J Awards 2012

DeathStarrs – Immortal (Prod. Suffa)

Proving they’re not single trick ponies, Immortal is the guitar fueled emotional new song from DeathStarrs – a melodramatic masterpiece that comes in the wake of winning the triple j Unearthed Hilltop Hoods Remix Competition. As a collaboration with Hilltop Hoods producer Suffa MC, Immortal is the definitive ‘then till now’ ballad – the all consuming quest for artists trying to achieve immortality through music. Immortal is the first single for the duo, taken from an upcoming LP currently in development, slated for release in early 2013 through their own Formula Recordz label. The second single Take It Or Leave, … Continue reading DeathStarrs – Immortal (Prod. Suffa)

B.V.A – Portrait Of A Monster

B.V.A is an Adelaide based artist who has been part of the Australian hip hop scene for an inordinate amount of time. In the late 90’s he started his group Mnemonic Ascent with DJ Ransom & Raph Boogie (Melb). They later went on to start the independent record label Crookneck which released a slew of quality records. As a rapper he has guested on many records over the years and as a producer he has had the pleasure of collaborating with an extensive list of the who’s who of Australian hip hop. Portrait Of A Monster is the 1st single taken from the … Continue reading B.V.A – Portrait Of A Monster

Hunter: For The Record – The life and rhymes of an Australian Hip Hop pioneer

Robert Hunter died a pioneer of a musical genre, young father, digital communicator, ex drug and alcohol abuser and ultimately a terminal cancer patient. At 35 his time on this earth was in danger of being cruelly cut short. With a digital camera in hand, for Hunter cancer would become the lens through which life suddenly came sharply into focus. A year after his passing Periscope Pictures release Hunter: For The Record, a documentary journey that takes us deep into the psyche of an Australian sub-culture, and into the mind of one its greatest pioneers. The ‘largest ever crowd-funded project … Continue reading Hunter: For The Record – The life and rhymes of an Australian Hip Hop pioneer

Chance Waters – Young & Dumb feat. Bertie Blackman

Chance Waters has come back swinging with Young & Dumb, the under-your-skin-catchy follow up single featuring enchanting Australian songstress, Bertie Blackman, which was exclusively premiered on triple j’s Good Nights with Linda Marigliano tonight. On the seemingly unlikely collaboration, Chance Waters explained that once he had the song concept in mind, he needed the right female vocalist to complete the track. He felt that Bertie Blackman and he were moving in parallel paths in their production, their sound and unusual pop aesthetic. After numerous Skype conversations and e-mails, a friendship was forged and thus commenced this exciting collaboration. With production … Continue reading Chance Waters – Young & Dumb feat. Bertie Blackman

Death Starrs – Immortal

Death Starrs is a throwback to colourful video stores, puffy VHS jackets, and pays homage to cinema’s greatest movie composers with slick samples, inventive pop culture infused lyrics, and a masterful overtone of well crafted production. Immortal is the brand new track from Death Starrs feat. production from Suffa (Hilltop Hoods). Both artists are no strangers to the aura of success; Syntax’s 2010 debut The Musical was credited with a whole swag of four and five star reviews, and branded the Gold Coast turned Melbourne rapper with a positive stigma as one of Australia’s most notable rap vocalists. As a … Continue reading Death Starrs – Immortal

Mase & Mattic X SCOSA – Who I Am featuring Echo and The Empress

In a fresh and innovative way to raise money to support people living with disabilities, Adelaide hip hop band Mase N Mattic has teamed up with SCOSA (formerly the Spastic Centres of South Australia) to launch Who I Am. 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of this track will go to SCOSA and will be used to provide vital services to South Australians living with disabilities. Mase N Mattic — aka Jason Willoughby, Matthew Patti, together with DJ PT, Paul Tate — are developing a strong following around Australia after the release of their first album Sound The … Continue reading Mase & Mattic X SCOSA – Who I Am featuring Echo and The Empress

The Funkoars – Carl Sagan

2012’s Golden Era Mixtape was the second in the series of mixtapes showcasing the talent, depth and skill of the artists on the Golden Era Records label, including artists Briggs, Hilltop Hoods, Adfu and more. Released on the triple j hip hop show with Hau, The Golden Era Mixtape 2012 featured a host of dope tracks including Funkoars – Carl Sagan. As a part of the ‘Funkoars Fam Appreciation Day‘, Carl Sagan has been released as a free download, minus any drop overs. Written by Hons, Trials & Sesta with cuts from DJ Reflux, and production from Trials, this is the … Continue reading The Funkoars – Carl Sagan

Obesecity 2

10 years ago, at a time when Australian hip hop was still struggling to be heard, Obese Records released Obesecity. Invited from all corners of the country, emcees and producers hungry to showcase their skills contributed tracks, unbeknownst of the powerful ripple effect it would create. Bolstered by the humble independent label, the compilation birthed a generation of hip hop heavyweights, recognised today as the true pioneers of a flourishing industry. Hilltop Hoods, Muph & Plutonic, Bias B, Pegz, the late Hunter and more united to give the growing genre a voice. To celebrate its anniversary Obese Records is extremely proud to present Obesecity 2. A dual-disc compilation showcasing … Continue reading Obesecity 2

Obesecity 2 – Track List Revealed

10 years ago, at a time when Australian hip hop was still struggling to be heard, Obese Records released Obesecity. Invited from all corners of the country, emcees and producers hungry to showcase their skills contributed tracks, unbeknownst of the powerful ripple effect it would create. Bolstered by the humble independent label, the compilation birthed a generation of hip hop heavyweights, recognised today as the true pioneers of a flourishing industry. Hilltop Hoods, Muph & Plutonic, Bias B, Pegz, the late Hunter and more united to give the growing genre a voice. To celebrate its anniversary Obese Records is extremely … Continue reading Obesecity 2 – Track List Revealed

Hilltop Hoods – Shredding The Balloon

Shredding The Balloon, the third single from Drinking From The Sun and is now available on iTunes. Hilltop Hoods have released the single as a bundle that includes Shredding The Balloon (Radio edit), Shredding The Balloon (Suffa Remix) and Shredding The Balloon (Uncut) video clip. The Shredding The Balloon bundle is now available on iTunes. A teaser of Suffa’s remix can be previewed on Soundcloud here. The Shredding The Ballon official film clip made it’s debut on Channel [V] earlier this month and is now available on Youtube as an uncut version. The crisp video is directed by Selina Miles and was produced … Continue reading Hilltop Hoods – Shredding The Balloon

Koolta – The Extraordinary Average Joe

Adelaide MC/Producer Koolta has just released the second single, Birth, from his debut album The Extraordinary Average Joe (out this Friday, 13 July in stores nationally). The single is available for free download from Koolta’s triple j unearthed page here. Having already released two well received independent EPs, Koolta continues his DIY ethic handling all production, writing, recording and mixing on the new album. The Extraordinary Average Joe is not your standard local Hip Hop album. This is music that lives up to this bold statement. Koolta has crafted multi-layered instrumentals with the use of live instrumentation and synths, rather than sampling. The lyrics are … Continue reading Koolta – The Extraordinary Average Joe

Hilltop Hoods – Shredding The Balloon Official Video Clip Preview

Tune into WTF on Channel [V] from 4pm on Wednesday July 11 for the exclusive world premiere of Hilltop Hoods’ – Shredding The Balloon video. They will also have the premiere posted online. Shredding The Balloon is the follow up to the triple platinum single I Love It and airplay hit Speaking In Tongues from the band’s latest number one album, Drinking From The Sun. To whet your appetite for the Shredding The Balloon video, check out these exclusive pics. Hilltop Hoods  ||  Facebook  ||  Source  Continue reading Hilltop Hoods – Shredding The Balloon Official Video Clip Preview

Chance Waters – Maybe Tomorrow Tour

This August Chance Waters is celebrating his recent success with his Maybe Tomorrow Tour. Chance will play a string of dates along the east coast throughout August following the success of the recent single Maybe Tomorrow. Maybe Tomorrow was added to rotation on triple j, and subsequently multiple stations nationally. Upon its release the single flew to #9 on the Most Added National Radio chart and #4 on the Most Added Alternative National Radio chart. These achievements assisted Maybe Tomorrow to reach the latest height of #30 on the iTunes Hip Hop chart. In its 2 weeks in the AIR … Continue reading Chance Waters – Maybe Tomorrow Tour

Koolta – The Extraordinary Average Joe

Koolta’s long awaited debut album. Since winning the Hilltop Hoods Initiative in 2011 ($10 000 grant from APRA and HH to help in the release of a debut album) this young MC/Producer from Adelaide has hit the ground running. Having already released two well received independent EPs, Koolta continues his DIY ethic handling all production, writing, recording and mixing on the new album. The Extraordinary Average Joe is not your standard local Hip Hop album. This is music that lives up to this bold statement. Koolta has crafted multi-layered instrumentals with the use of live instrumentation and synths, rather than … Continue reading Koolta – The Extraordinary Average Joe

Obesecity 2 Winners

Ten years ago, when Australian hip hop was little known, still struggling to be heard, Obese Records released the first ObeseCity compilation. Emcees and producers from across Australia, who are now revered as pioneers, contributed tracks. The likes of Hilltop Hoods, Muph and Plutonic, Bias B, Pegz, Hunter and many more, united to give their young genre a stronger voice.   Now, ten years later, Obese Records has much to celebrate as an independent label. With over sixteen rostered artists, an extensive distribution roster, three platinum records, three gold records, four ARIA awards, and countless fans from around the world. … Continue reading Obesecity 2 Winners

Illy – Heard It All Review

Following the success of his sophomore LP The Chase, fans have already begun counting down the days towards the next Illy album. With the drop of Illy’s newest single Heard It All, we all know that it can’t be far off. Heard It All, having been released a fortnight ago, is already in popular demand amongst staunch Illy fans and new comers alike. Illy uses Heard It All as an opportunity to investigate his inner convictions, while questioning the whole notion of creative originality. The track excels with Illy’s personable delivery and strength of conviction. Illy seems to be a … Continue reading Illy – Heard It All Review

Hilltop Hoods – Speaking In Tongues Official Filmclip Lookbook

To celebrate the release of Speaking In Tongues, Hilltop Hoods have just published a digital Lookbook to give listeners a glance behind the scenes of the film clip. The track, which features Chali 2na, is the second single taken from No.1 platinum album Drinking From The Sun. The lookbook takes a peek behind the curtains and shows how the film clip’s artwork courtesy of Sofles took shape. View the lookbook here. Hilltop Hoods begin their National tour (their only headline tour for 2012) on Thursday the 28th of June. The Speaking In Tongues Remix, is a free track the Hilltop Hoods have released to celebrate … Continue reading Hilltop Hoods – Speaking In Tongues Official Filmclip Lookbook

Illy – Heard It All

Illy returns in 2012 with his surefire hit of a single Heard It All from upcoming third album Bring It Back. Following the success of career defining sophomore LP The Chase, fans have been anticipating the next Illy release with baited breath. Heard It All embraces the irony of releasing something original, when everything seems to have been done before. Personable and full of conviction, in this track Illy investigates what he stands for, while aknowledging his fans for their ongoing support.   “I was having a really tough time getting inspired to write recently. I wrote this (Heard It … Continue reading Illy – Heard It All

Maundz – Take It Back feat. Bias B

Maundz, the outspoken rascal of Melbourne’s rap-scene; has a heart of gold, a potty mouth, and an acid tongue. His second LP Zero, is the first release of 2012 from irrefutable hip hop collective Crate Cartel. Zero is a fast approaching sun on the horizon after what has been a long winter for Maundz fans. Featuring collaborative efforts from New York’s number one man of the moment Action Bronson, ARIA award winning Drapht, Golden Era’s Vents and Sesta, Melbourne kings Brad Strut and Bias B, and of course Crate Cartel. Revered by the likes of Hilltop Hoods and Drapht as the “next big thing”, Maundz has become highly respected by his underground and commercially established cohorts alike. The lead single Take … Continue reading Maundz – Take It Back feat. Bias B

Chance Waters – Maybe Tomorrow

Following the success of his first single Infinity, (currently sitting at over 20,000 views on YouTube), Chance has had his head down in the studio and this week will release his new track, Maybe Tomorrow from his soon to be released album, Infinity. Produced by One Above, the new single demonstrates Chance’s lyrical potency and his potential to push the typical boundaries of the hip-hop genre with an up-beat tempo, off-beat rhythm, piano-rock influences and live instrumentation. Following widespread national acclaim under the appellation Phatchance, Sydney hip hop artist Chance Waters is losing the alias and going ‘au naturale’ with his given … Continue reading Chance Waters – Maybe Tomorrow