Obese Records pretty much had a strangle hold over the Australian hip - hop scene.
Anybody getting any decent air time was expected to be from their stable of stars, the likes of The Hilltop Hoods, Muph & Plutonic and Pegz.
But there is a challenger to the throne with Sydney based Elefant Traks coming after the Melbourne Based Obese.
Elefant Traks is getting it's act together.
Astronomy Class are getting tighter on each record and if Urthboy keeps going the way he's going he'll be unstoppable on hi upcoming 3rd album.
There's a few new up and comers coming out of Elefant as well, Horrorshow have received positive feedback on their first album and have been on high rotation on Triple J for the last few months.
Oh, and don't forget their out and out thoroughbred, The Herd.
Whilst Elefant Traks is getting bigger, the opposite seems to be happening at Obese.
The all conquering Hilltop Hoods have left to form their own label, Golden Era and CEO Pegz has hung up the microphone.
Though not all is doom and gloom, Drapht has become a shining light at Obese, with his "Brothers Grimm" album getting two songs on this years Triple J Hottest 100.
"Jimmy Recard" is one of the best Aussie hip - hop songs of all time.
Obese still has Muph & Plutonic as well, who have been getting rave reviews in the US and their last effort, "And Then Tomorrow Came" can match it with the Hoods "The Hard Road".
All in all these aren't bad things, if both Obese and Elefant are healthy and competing with each other than hip - hop music in Australia is on the right track.
Monday
Phil's Five To Look Out For.
4There are a few Aussie acts around that will be doing big things soon.
5. TZU.
This folk/rap duo hit the big time with their sophomore album "Computer Love" late last year.
The blend of electro meets folk meets rap is pretty uniique in Australia and "Computer Love" is an 8 out of 10 album.
Not only that, MC Count Bounce from the group has his fingerprints all over Australian hip - hop be it producing or featuring on what seems to be just about every new release.
4. Pez.
Not to be confused with Pegz, this Aussie MC had the hit of the summer with his rookie release "Summerdays" of his first album, "A Mind Of My Own."
The song was on high rotation on Triple J and surprisingly, Channel [V].
"Summerdays" climbed to number four on the latest Triple J Hottest 100.
Not a one hit wonder, the rest of the album is packed full of mellow hip - hop, and yes does feature Count Boucne.
3. Drapht.
The 27 year MC from Perth is a late bloomer, bursting on to the scene again via Triple J.
His singles, "Jimmy Recard" and "Falling" seemed to follow each each time they were played on the j's, and again he received solid airtime on Channel [V].
In his favour is the fact that he's signed to Obese Records who only ever seem to produce stellar music.
2. Ladyhawke.
Ok she's not really an Aussie, but when has that stopped us from claiming a Kiwi as our own?
Crowded House anyone?
Again a late bloomer, in an environment awash with electro pop, Ladyhwake seems to stand out from the rest.
Her singles, "Paris is Burning", "My Delirium" and "Dusk Till Dawn" off her self titled release have crossed the divide from Triple J to commercial radio and TV.
The only thing that could hinder her progress is her recent diagnosis with Aspergers Syndrome.
1 A-Love.
In a world dominated by male rappers A-Love stands out. Not just because she has two X chromosomes, but because she has talent.
Her flow rivals that of any rapper in Australia, male or female.
The young Victorian had a killer single with "Love Is" off her "Ace of Hearts" album, a great effort from a first timer.
Not only has she experienced success here, but she has a growing fan base in the US.
5. TZU.
This folk/rap duo hit the big time with their sophomore album "Computer Love" late last year.
The blend of electro meets folk meets rap is pretty uniique in Australia and "Computer Love" is an 8 out of 10 album.
Not only that, MC Count Bounce from the group has his fingerprints all over Australian hip - hop be it producing or featuring on what seems to be just about every new release.
4. Pez.
Not to be confused with Pegz, this Aussie MC had the hit of the summer with his rookie release "Summerdays" of his first album, "A Mind Of My Own."
The song was on high rotation on Triple J and surprisingly, Channel [V].
"Summerdays" climbed to number four on the latest Triple J Hottest 100.
Not a one hit wonder, the rest of the album is packed full of mellow hip - hop, and yes does feature Count Boucne.
3. Drapht.
The 27 year MC from Perth is a late bloomer, bursting on to the scene again via Triple J.
His singles, "Jimmy Recard" and "Falling" seemed to follow each each time they were played on the j's, and again he received solid airtime on Channel [V].
In his favour is the fact that he's signed to Obese Records who only ever seem to produce stellar music.
2. Ladyhawke.
Ok she's not really an Aussie, but when has that stopped us from claiming a Kiwi as our own?
Crowded House anyone?
Again a late bloomer, in an environment awash with electro pop, Ladyhwake seems to stand out from the rest.
Her singles, "Paris is Burning", "My Delirium" and "Dusk Till Dawn" off her self titled release have crossed the divide from Triple J to commercial radio and TV.
The only thing that could hinder her progress is her recent diagnosis with Aspergers Syndrome.
1 A-Love.
In a world dominated by male rappers A-Love stands out. Not just because she has two X chromosomes, but because she has talent.
Her flow rivals that of any rapper in Australia, male or female.
The young Victorian had a killer single with "Love Is" off her "Ace of Hearts" album, a great effort from a first timer.
Not only has she experienced success here, but she has a growing fan base in the US.
Sunday
Album Review - Pegz: Burn City
When a hip-hop artist retires there can be two problems.
One is whether or not they have retired, to often a “retirement” announcement is made null and void two years later when an artist returns with a mediocre release.
The second problem is the “party album” phenomenon where each song features five artists and you can’t tell who you’re supposed to be listening to.
Thankfully Aussie hip-hop star and music mogul Pegz seems to have bucked both these trends with his latest and last album, Burn City.
With his focus now on running Australia’s biggest hip-hop label, Obese Records, it’s unlikely that Pegz would have the time to release another album and aside from a few verses from some Australian hip-hop stalwarts, Pegz owns Burn City.
From the outset you can tell that Burn City is going to be an up-tempo record.
The first track, Know comes in under a minute and a half and Pegz uses it to tell us what’s coming up:
"No synthy synth no singy sing,
Just hip-hop on the gritty tip,
Strictly hardcore no ifs or buts"
From there on, the next 14 songs stick to this formula, a gritty urban sound with simple beats and hooks that let the lyrics take the main stage.
The albums title track explains to the listener why Pegz is quitting recording.
He raps a about working 60 hours a week in a dull city and feeling burnt out, it appears managing Australia's biggest urbna record label and pursuing a recording career has taken its toll.
Though if the next track, "7 Days 6 Nights" is anything to go by, maybe it's Pegz's social life that has bought him undone.
"7 Days 6 Nights of animal instincts
A one way ticket traveling business
Random acts of passion and kinship
Backpacking through Paris in winter
Damage your liver with a Japanese stripper
And wake up in a national geographical picture"
"Block to Block" with the Funkoars and "No Attachments" follow this and keep the up tempo style going, both songs being about partying and living life, what most Australian hip - hop artists rap about really well.
The back end of the album is a bit of let down.
"I Don't Need Your Judgments" and "The Fight" are skippable tracks, but the witty back and forth with Muph on "Just Married" is excellent.
"Ali Shuffle", "Diligent Music" and "Before I Leave" round out an overall good album.
Any rap artist would be proud to produce an album of this quality any time in their career.
8 out of 10.
One is whether or not they have retired, to often a “retirement” announcement is made null and void two years later when an artist returns with a mediocre release.
The second problem is the “party album” phenomenon where each song features five artists and you can’t tell who you’re supposed to be listening to.
Thankfully Aussie hip-hop star and music mogul Pegz seems to have bucked both these trends with his latest and last album, Burn City.
With his focus now on running Australia’s biggest hip-hop label, Obese Records, it’s unlikely that Pegz would have the time to release another album and aside from a few verses from some Australian hip-hop stalwarts, Pegz owns Burn City.
From the outset you can tell that Burn City is going to be an up-tempo record.
The first track, Know comes in under a minute and a half and Pegz uses it to tell us what’s coming up:
"No synthy synth no singy sing,
Just hip-hop on the gritty tip,
Strictly hardcore no ifs or buts"
From there on, the next 14 songs stick to this formula, a gritty urban sound with simple beats and hooks that let the lyrics take the main stage.
The albums title track explains to the listener why Pegz is quitting recording.
He raps a about working 60 hours a week in a dull city and feeling burnt out, it appears managing Australia's biggest urbna record label and pursuing a recording career has taken its toll.
Though if the next track, "7 Days 6 Nights" is anything to go by, maybe it's Pegz's social life that has bought him undone.
"7 Days 6 Nights of animal instincts
A one way ticket traveling business
Random acts of passion and kinship
Backpacking through Paris in winter
Damage your liver with a Japanese stripper
And wake up in a national geographical picture"
"Block to Block" with the Funkoars and "No Attachments" follow this and keep the up tempo style going, both songs being about partying and living life, what most Australian hip - hop artists rap about really well.
The back end of the album is a bit of let down.
"I Don't Need Your Judgments" and "The Fight" are skippable tracks, but the witty back and forth with Muph on "Just Married" is excellent.
"Ali Shuffle", "Diligent Music" and "Before I Leave" round out an overall good album.
Any rap artist would be proud to produce an album of this quality any time in their career.
8 out of 10.
Wednesday
Album Review - Urthboy, The Signal
"The Signal" is Urthboy's second solo effort, following on from 2004's "Distant Sense Of Random Menace".
For many, Urthboy is better known as half of the MC team from The Herd, the other half being Ozi Batla, yet his solo work is some of the best in Aussie hip - hop, his first album was described by the now defunct music mag, The Brag as "The album Australian hip - hop had to have".
"The Signal", follows up from where "Distant Sense Of Random Menace" left off.
The album is pure Urthboy, when he's with The Herd, the red headed MC has to take a step back, but he's at his best when he's out front having fun and delivering rhymes at top speed.
The whole album is up tempo, the beats and loops are simple and well put together, allowing Urthy to take centre stage and show off perhaps the best flow in Australian hip - hop.
Unlike The Herd, on his own Urthboy can branch off from the politic rap they do so well, and in some places let him get his swagger on ala Scribe.
Throughout the album Urthy references his other love, sport.
"We follow on like Laxman and Dravid"
"It's like I haven't seen you since the Rabbitohs won"
"They might be the John Conrads and Steve Rogers"
This isn't to say that he's lost his political conscience, Urthboy indulges himself on "Clocks", a six minute verbal protesst that is just beaten by "We Get Around" for track of the album.
Though at his best when going flat chat, "Clocks" shows he can pull off a stripped back, slower sound.
The same can be said for the haunting "Black Dogs".
A reference to depression, you get the sense from the passion that he puts into this song that this topic is close to his heart.
Overall this album would have been the best hip - hop effort by an Australian by far in 2007, with only "Over Before It Began" with Mia Dyson being the only forgettable song on the CD.
9 out of 10.
For many, Urthboy is better known as half of the MC team from The Herd, the other half being Ozi Batla, yet his solo work is some of the best in Aussie hip - hop, his first album was described by the now defunct music mag, The Brag as "The album Australian hip - hop had to have".
"The Signal", follows up from where "Distant Sense Of Random Menace" left off.
The album is pure Urthboy, when he's with The Herd, the red headed MC has to take a step back, but he's at his best when he's out front having fun and delivering rhymes at top speed.
The whole album is up tempo, the beats and loops are simple and well put together, allowing Urthy to take centre stage and show off perhaps the best flow in Australian hip - hop.
Unlike The Herd, on his own Urthboy can branch off from the politic rap they do so well, and in some places let him get his swagger on ala Scribe.
Throughout the album Urthy references his other love, sport.
"We follow on like Laxman and Dravid"
"It's like I haven't seen you since the Rabbitohs won"
"They might be the John Conrads and Steve Rogers"
This isn't to say that he's lost his political conscience, Urthboy indulges himself on "Clocks", a six minute verbal protesst that is just beaten by "We Get Around" for track of the album.
Though at his best when going flat chat, "Clocks" shows he can pull off a stripped back, slower sound.
The same can be said for the haunting "Black Dogs".
A reference to depression, you get the sense from the passion that he puts into this song that this topic is close to his heart.
Overall this album would have been the best hip - hop effort by an Australian by far in 2007, with only "Over Before It Began" with Mia Dyson being the only forgettable song on the CD.
9 out of 10.
Sunday
Phil's Top 5 Australian Political Songs
Listening to the The Herd the other day it dawned on me that, proportionally Australia seems produces more musicians that are political than any other countries.
I don't mean political like Jamie Foxx or Beyonce at a Barack Obama rally, but political in their work.
Without even putting much effort into it how many political Australian musicians can you name?
The Herd, Midnight Oil, Kev Carmody, Redgum, Powderfinger, Blue King Brown, John Butler Trio, Xavier Rudd.
With this in mind, I've decided to come up with my 5 favourite Australian political songs.
5. Powderfinger "Like A Dog" 2001.
Though this came out in 2001, five years after John Howard was first elected, it was still one of the first songs to publicly attack the platform on which he campaigned on.
Though it was a bit of a trend setter, it was also a little contained. From a band such Powderfinger you come to expect a litte more outrage and anger.
4. Redgum - "I Was Only 19 (A Walk in the Green Light)"* 1983
The lead singer of Redgum, John Schuman wrote this song after speaking to his brother in law about his experiences in the vietnam war.
Because of the depth of research Schuman put into writing this song it sounds as if Schuman himself had been there, not just some tacky grab for money.
Also the fact that all the royalties from this song go to the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia is highly commendable.
* I included The Herd's 2005 cover version in this as well, as it's pretty much the same thing.
3. Eric Bogle "And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" 1971
Gallipoli is one of has almost a sacred spot in the hearts of most Australians and Bogle's song is one of the few that criticised the futility of the Gallipoli campaign.
Bogle's song has been praised for the haunting images it's lyrics conjure, and was voted one of the top 30 Australian Songs of all time by APRA.
The song has also had a lasting impression. The Herd heavily sampled the track for their song, "The Metres Gained" off their "The Sun Never Sets" album.
2. Midnight Oil "Beds Are burning" 1987
This list wouldn't be complete without a song from the Oils.
Though just about everyone of there songs could have made this list, "Beds Are Burning" is most probably their biggest and most recognised song, both in Australia and around the world.
The song examines Aboriginal land rights and openly called for Native Title to be acknowledged and for land to be given back to it's traditional owners.
"Beds Are Burning" was voted as the third best Australian song of all time, behind The Easybeats' "Friday On My Mind" and Daddy Cool's "Eagle Rock."
And who can forget the song being performed at the closing ceremony of the 200o Olympics, the Oils wearing shirts that said "SORRY" and John Howard watching on?
1. The Herd "77%" 2003
Some may say that the top spot in this list should go to the Oils on sheer weight of numbers, but The Herd are no slouches themselves.
The majority of there songs have a political bent, and "77%" is the best of them.
The song was released after the Howard Government's reaction to the MV Tampa issue, and it's title is taken from the supposed proportion of Australians who supported the government's action.
What makes this song great is that it doesn't tip toe around the issue, it goes at it like a bull at a gate.
Wake up. This country needs a f---ing shake-up.
Wake up. These c---s need a shake-up.
Talkback? Squawking hacks - won't relax
until Jonesy, Zemanek and Laws are all axed.
77 per cent of Aussies are racist
and if you're here, I'll say it to your faces.
Rich, redneck pricks still hold all the aces
Rather than use clever innuendo, MCs, Urthboy and Ozi Batla tell the audience straight up what they think.
I don't mean political like Jamie Foxx or Beyonce at a Barack Obama rally, but political in their work.
Without even putting much effort into it how many political Australian musicians can you name?
The Herd, Midnight Oil, Kev Carmody, Redgum, Powderfinger, Blue King Brown, John Butler Trio, Xavier Rudd.
With this in mind, I've decided to come up with my 5 favourite Australian political songs.
5. Powderfinger "Like A Dog" 2001.
Though this came out in 2001, five years after John Howard was first elected, it was still one of the first songs to publicly attack the platform on which he campaigned on.
Though it was a bit of a trend setter, it was also a little contained. From a band such Powderfinger you come to expect a litte more outrage and anger.
4. Redgum - "I Was Only 19 (A Walk in the Green Light)"* 1983
The lead singer of Redgum, John Schuman wrote this song after speaking to his brother in law about his experiences in the vietnam war.
Because of the depth of research Schuman put into writing this song it sounds as if Schuman himself had been there, not just some tacky grab for money.
Also the fact that all the royalties from this song go to the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia is highly commendable.
* I included The Herd's 2005 cover version in this as well, as it's pretty much the same thing.
3. Eric Bogle "And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" 1971
Gallipoli is one of has almost a sacred spot in the hearts of most Australians and Bogle's song is one of the few that criticised the futility of the Gallipoli campaign.
Bogle's song has been praised for the haunting images it's lyrics conjure, and was voted one of the top 30 Australian Songs of all time by APRA.
The song has also had a lasting impression. The Herd heavily sampled the track for their song, "The Metres Gained" off their "The Sun Never Sets" album.
2. Midnight Oil "Beds Are burning" 1987
This list wouldn't be complete without a song from the Oils.
Though just about everyone of there songs could have made this list, "Beds Are Burning" is most probably their biggest and most recognised song, both in Australia and around the world.
The song examines Aboriginal land rights and openly called for Native Title to be acknowledged and for land to be given back to it's traditional owners.
"Beds Are Burning" was voted as the third best Australian song of all time, behind The Easybeats' "Friday On My Mind" and Daddy Cool's "Eagle Rock."
And who can forget the song being performed at the closing ceremony of the 200o Olympics, the Oils wearing shirts that said "SORRY" and John Howard watching on?
1. The Herd "77%" 2003
Some may say that the top spot in this list should go to the Oils on sheer weight of numbers, but The Herd are no slouches themselves.
The majority of there songs have a political bent, and "77%" is the best of them.
The song was released after the Howard Government's reaction to the MV Tampa issue, and it's title is taken from the supposed proportion of Australians who supported the government's action.
What makes this song great is that it doesn't tip toe around the issue, it goes at it like a bull at a gate.
Wake up. This country needs a f---ing shake-up.
Wake up. These c---s need a shake-up.
Talkback? Squawking hacks - won't relax
until Jonesy, Zemanek and Laws are all axed.
77 per cent of Aussies are racist
and if you're here, I'll say it to your faces.
Rich, redneck pricks still hold all the aces
Rather than use clever innuendo, MCs, Urthboy and Ozi Batla tell the audience straight up what they think.
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