Your Number 1 source for Aussie Hip Hop!
We are taking our new songs on tour, all around the world!
All tickets on public sale on Friday, June 21st
Aus/NZ friends, sign up here to score pre-sale tix and prizes https://arep.co/t/Hermitude-AUNZ-2019
Our new song ‘Northern Lights’ drops tomorrow 😘
Source: Urthboy on Facebook
Adelaide’s own celebrated son, Claz returns for the long-awaited and much-anticipated sophomore album release entitled “Before I Forget”.
This 7 track manifesto reflects on a young man’s mind, travelling through physical and mental states of bliss, pain and hope. The listener is presented with a transparent perspective on Claz’s mental health and outlook on life, with an extended invitation to take a seat next to him on a journey of extreme equilibrium.
Claz may ring the bells of familiarity from his sonic cult classics on youtube such as ‘Visions Of Happiness’ and ‘Living In The Meantime’ that date back to 2011, yet he still remains stubborn in being a prominent figure in the Australian hip-hop scene. Although a lot of his music stems from the beginning of the decade, Claz’s debut album came to fruition in 2017.
‘The Beautiful Distraction’ was released on all digital platforms, refurbishing listener’s memories and gaining a large handful of new fans, with the album itself claiming feature album of the week of it’s release on ‘The Hip Hop Show’ on Triple J.
Claz’s sound would best be described as butter on raisin toast, smooth with a generous sprinkle of soul and wit, leaving you with a bittersweet aftertaste that will have you reflecting on the future, past and present.
Once a very productive musician, an involuntary hiatus imposed itself upon Claz. The epitome and almost ‘nail in the coffin’ of this hiatus came in May 2018, in the form of an ironically unlucky and unfortunate diagnosis of hyperacusis, an extreme sensitivity to sound, particularly in the high and low-end frequency sound range. In short, every musician’s worst nightmare. This brought not only Claz’s musical aspirations but an entire life to a complete halt. An incurable condition with no promise of recovery, at first was depicted by Claz as an omen that a career in music was not meant for him.
“Not only did I face the thought that I’d never make music again, but I saw that this was the end of my social life, and essentially life itself”, Claz explains.
Months passed as Claz attempted to adapt to life with these new restrictions, and it seemed that time in a studio was no longer a tangible option. But as they say, time gradually heals all. In Claz’s situation however it wasn’t physical healing, yet a mental one. Knowing his limitations he eventually found ways of adaptation. Whether it was lowering the volume level in the headphones, or finding appropriate methods of coping, Claz slowly started to get back into the process of creating.
This progress of healing and adaptation was given a large boost when he endeavoured on a month long trip from the bottom of Australia in Adelaide to the top of it in the Daintree rainforest, an hour or so north of Cairns. Seeking inspiration, the distraction of being on the road, and living outside of a suitcase whilst exposing one’s self to beautiful scenery and experiences, Claz returned back home with a long lost hunger back in his belly.
“Hailing from Adelaide, at one point his local notoriety was so great that you couldn’t walk down Hindley Street without seeing a Claz sticker plastered to a stobie pole. And with his 2017 debut album The Beautiful Distraction culminating in a packed out launch at Adelaide’s Rocket Bar, it seemed that the hills of his hometown couldn’t contain the buzz much longer. The Claz that sits in front of me, however, is a different man. After that launch, life enforced an involuntary hiatus that saw him go through a flurry of mental and physical health problems. But after some much-needed soul searching on a bus-based voyage through Australia, he’s returned with his upcoming album Before I Forget.” Explained in a recent Acclaim Magazine write up.
Having recorded three tracks prior to encountering problems with his ears, Claz returned back to the studio to complete a project that had once seemed lost. The three songs that had been recorded previously, detailed the man’s philosophies on life and flirted with the unknown whilst attempting to find understanding within it, along with pondering on past memories before his conscious mind lets them go. The following four tracks that were created post trip outlay the tribulations experienced, lingering dark thoughts, all the while projecting newfound wisdom and outlook on life.
Against all odds, Claz has proven time and time again his dedication to his craft, and this is showcased throughout the whole album. Distributed through Sydney record label Low Key Source, take the extended open invitation into his mind and listen to the album. Before I forget…
Source: AllAussieHipHop.com
After a two-year sabbatical following the birth of his daughter, Brisbane Producer/MC Calski has returned with the release of ‘All Coming Back’. Featuring fellow veteran Brisbanites, Jake Biz and Lazy Grey, ‘All Coming Back’ is a heavy soul-infused boom bap reflection on times past, appreciation of the present delivered with staunch ambition.
‘All Coming Back’ will be released on 12” vinyl, complete with clean edit, a Capella and instrumental, through OG Australian Hip Hop label Hydrofunk Records. The single is out on Saturday April 13 to co-incide with Australian Record Store Day and includes the banging B-side track ‘Larry Sengstock’. Calski doubles down with Jake Biz and Lazy Grey on features. Both tracks will be available on the forthcoming album set for release later this year – stay tuned for details.
“Both tracks were written during late 2017 early 2018 after the birth of my first child. With Jake and Lazy already being Fathers there was plenty of heavy conversation, advice and stories being shared and the gravity of the situation led to the theme of All Coming Back, where these guys could share some insight into themselves and their lives beyond being Hip Hop artists. B side Larry Sengstock is some straight up Brisbane represent shit! Lazy and Jake just brought in a book of back and forth bars they’d written together over the demo beat I sent. No chorus, no hooks, just a banging beat with some iron heavy bars. It’s a good way to compliment the A side which is a more serious track with the standard 16 bar verse, chorus, 16 bar verse, chorus, 16 bar verse, chorus format”. – Calski
Calski has been a consistent presence in the Hip Hop community in Australia since the early 2000’s. Known for his unmistakable production and thoughtful lyricism, Calski is also a mix engineer, DJ and multi-instrumentalist, playing bass, keys and guitar.
The lyric video combines both tracks. The first two verses of All Coming Back with the first part of Larry Sengstock.
Having supported the likes of Ghostface Killah (USA), Public Enemy (USA), Total Eclipse (USA), The Herd, Urthboy, Mantra, Spit Syndicate and Joelistics, Calski has long been considered a peer amongst Australian Hip Hop greats and attributes his style to the influences of Pete Rock, 9th Wonder, DJ Premier, Black Milk, Apollo Brown and more.
Calski Feat Lazy Grey & Jake Biz 12” vinyl single ‘All Coming Back’ / ‘Larry Sengstock’ available now in limited numbers here
fb: @calskibeats IG: @calskipics Twitter: @calskibeats Soundcloud: calskibeats
Produced by multi platinum, multi Juno Award winner Rob The Viking, Stick Up Kids is quintessential Smiley – viciously up-tempo and relentless – giving him all the room he needs to spit with precision and impunity. Dark and shady as only Smiley can do it, Stick Up Kids is raw, real and sinister. But versatility is the key to Smiley’s successes.
Colliding skill and tenacity, Smiley has always been a legit contender. Proudly carrying the torch passed down from exalted artists like Downsyde and late icon Hunter, Smiley is the next heir to the throne in Perth’s hip hop lineage – a challenge he has risen to with gusto. Brash, free-thinking and relatable, Smiley typifies the wave of new artists that are currently ushering in an exciting new era of the genre.
Source: AllAussieHipHop.com
Nabiiou$ is a key member of the highly underrated and hungry rap collective, Section 6ix which includes artists such as Roi Choisi, Lordskii and many more.
After the release of Ten Toes last year we wanted to dive deeper with Nabiiou$, having him share his top 5 local artists. Check out the list below.
Furious Fusionz: Dun Finesse x Kay Mass
Figuero Jones x Sowdy
Home Baked: Luchii x Evanda x Kinglear
Miso Seup
506
One for the club and for the car, ‘YEAH’ RMX is 4 minutes of unrelenting power. Shadow and Nerve’s respective verses embrace the 140BPM energy whilst giving it their own unique Aussie flair – musically and visually.
Yizzy is an MC demanding attention. A massive 2018 for the artist saw him release the critically acclaimed EP: ‘SOS’ – stacking up several million Spotify streams, and numerous end of year lists.
Both Shadow and Nerve are known figures on the Australian hip hop scene and are now emerging onto the global grime scene with features on the Triple J show and 100’s of live shows under their belt.
Pushing for international grime to be more than a passing trend – this collaboration is defining the evolving scope of what it might look like.
Source: AllAussieHipHop.com
aahh: You released your debut solo album South Side Story back in 2017, but you have been an integral part of the scene in this country for over a decade now. Why was the decision made to wait until you did to release a solo album?
Nter: I wanted to wait for the right time to release the South Side Story, to the point were I thought it was some of my best work. I didn’t want to just drop an album with tracks that meant nothing. Every song on South Side Story tells a story and has meaning. The beat and production definitely has to talk to me before I can start to work.
aahh: Your raps reflect life in Hurstville and the experiences you’ve faced throughout not only your childhood but also the life as you live it now. How important to you is it to reflect your life stories throughout your music and how do you feel about those who just do it to promote an image that may not accurately represent their lives?
Nter: Hurstville isn’t so much a ghetto but a really rough and bad neighbourhood. It was the environment we grew up in. The situations we faced as kids and the things we went through and did just to move forward… its important to tell that story. You can’t just make this sort of shit up. If you haven’t been in that environment it’s easy to tell, people just need to keep it real…
aahh: You’ve been touted as one of the innovators in the local scene especially when it comes to Gutta rap. Where did you draw your influences from when you first started out with the crew Sydney Serchaz. Can you also tell us a bit about that crew and how it came to be formed?
Nter: I drew a lot of influences out of what was really going on and what was really being done on our part back then. Rapping about selling drugs wasn’t a huge thing in the Sydney game. Forty was always on that hustle and he was one of the first but Sydney Serchaz told the story of the searcher, the hustler and the thieves story from where it was happening it also highlighted the struggle.
Sydney Serchaz was like a family to me with Skeamo being my brother and Sky-High teaching me a lot of what I know today. At first it was just them two then I came along and from there we just ran with it. Doing some of Sydneys first gutter rap shows and then taking it to a new level.
aahh: As with many rappers in the scene, there seems to be a constant juggle between making music and balancing out all the other responsibilities people face in life such as family and or other work commitments. How do you find dealing with that kind of thing?
Nter: In this day and age you have to work. Music isn’t going to pay the bills unless you’re Kerser or ChillinIT no matter how many views or likes you’re getting. Let’s be real all that shit means nothing, at the end of the day I work. I’ve had the side hustle but I can’t pay bills from a jail cell. I manage both as well as I can but if it came to be, it would be my job because its a pay check each and every week.
ahhh: You rep Trap Runners, how did this crew come about? Is there still a Trap Runners album in the works and what can you tell us about that project?
Nter: Yeh, Trap Runners is what it is now. Myself, Merks and one of the other boys, Jake came up with the idea. It started just as a little group, we first called it THE REAL but changed a few things and then we just started repping Trap Runners. The boys were off doing their thing and I was doing my music so we came together under that banner and now we’re the number one group in the underground..real…but yeah we are working on an album for later this year.
aahh: You’ve steadily been releasing new music including the tracks Legacy, and Wrong Turns which dropped just the other day. This is apart from all the tracks you’ve been featuring on with Sesk and also Merks. Are you currently working on a new album or mixtape?
Nter: Yeah, I try to keep constant music dropping every month or so. Just not too much because then its just overplayed or boring. At the moment I am just looking around for beats for an album. It’s not 100% certain but I’m slowly working on it. I am also working on a mixtape, but it will be a gutter tape
ahhh: Will you be working with Sam Mason on your next project. You’ve both worked closely together over the years including on your debut South Side Story?
Nter: Yer Sam Mason will most problem produce most of the beats, but I will be using some other producers. We’ve actually been boys since rugrat days.
ahhh: What’s the biggest change you’ve witnessed throughout the local scene over the past 10 years?
Nter: The biggest change is that everyone is rapping now but there is no content to their music. No one is telling a story. It’s all who is the best fighter or who gets the best clothes. It’s fun all that but to tell the story of someone real and to stop show boating with shit that isn’t yours in ya clips… you should be able to free the realness.
ahhh: What do you think about rap beef and how people approach it in Australia. We rarely see diss tracks, yet there’s always an undercurrent of beef that occurs throughout the scene. Do you have any thoughts on that and what has your experiences been with that?
Nter: This rap beef isn’t real at all. It is easy to get on Instagram and talk shit or throw subliminal’s in tracks, but how you gonna handle it when its sitting on ya door step or you’re out in public and some one pulls up on ya… if you haven’t got the heart to carry on with it just go about your business. I try keep outta all that shit these days. I’m too old to be beefing on social media with pensioners.
Source: AllAussieHipHop.com
Drawing on influences from all corners of hip-hop and electronic music to deliver intricate wordplay, complex flows and a unique perspective on concepts and themes, Macshane explores all of this and more on his debut EP. In 2018, Macshane released three singles further highlighting his innate skills not just as an MC but as a lyrical wordsmith as well, capitalising on his collaborative friendship with producer Unkle Ricky to create genre-defying tracks that see the two working in perfect harmony, with the pair “bouncing drums and melodies back and forth until we found a vibe.”
Straight off the back of his most recent single, ‘I Said’, which was described by Macshane as a “declaration of intent, a call to arms and an assertion of self in three minutes of fury,” Macshane is doubling down with the release of his long-awaited debut. Describing it as “nothing less than a journey from conception to writing and recording,” he went onto say he felt “lucky to finally tap a highly talented musical medium to unleash my thoughts, struggles and self realisations.” “I finally learnt to speak my mind and make music for myself as opposed to appeasing a trend or particular sound. Therefore I was unapologetic in dealing with themes such as self doubt, relationships, and ultimately the battle between who I think I am and what others think of me.” Solidifying his reputation as one of the country’s finest rappers, Macshane delivers a consistent body of work that isn’t afraid to dig deep into his own mind as well as society at large. Not shying away from trying new things and subverting preconceived notions of rap and hip hop in Australia, Macshane lays it all out on the table across seven tracks that each showcase a different element of his artistic identity.
With four singles already out in the world and three previously unheard new tracks, The Macshane EP highlights a rapper truly stepping into his own as an artist, and serves as not only the end of one chapter but the start of another – this really is just the beginning for Macshane.
The Macshane EP is out April 12th.
Source: AllAussieHipHop.com
Lottery, features dirty, dense production and heavy lyrics however, in Lottery Talakai brings the bounce, with an echoing, resonating hook which carries an underlying message of persistence and positivity. Renowned for heavy bars, razor flows and pine point delivery Talakai is at the forefront of the Australian Grime scene. After touring late 2017 off the back of the “Get Bodied” viral video series Talakai has been on the come up, playing sold out shows around the country and making cheeky appearances on Triple J’s Hip Hop show.
Far from the young kid coming up locally in the Newcastle scene Talakai has taken the movement nationally, oozing bravado and lyricism to rival the countries best. Gearing up for a huge 2019, Talakai sets his sights on the top with his debut EP in the works. With 2019 off to a blazing start, you can catch Talakai supporting ChillinIt on his sold out The Ashes “Women Weed and Wordplay” Tour throughout March, April and May.
Source: AllAussieHipHop.com
First created at Red Bull Studios, Auckland, ‘64 Bars’ recently launched in Australia with an episode from Brisbane independent artist, Jesswar. Grounded and deep-thinking, B Wise jumps into the ‘64 Bars’ booth to deliver sharp-witted verses with a meaningful message. Following last year’s acclaimed debut album Area Famous, that was recently named FBi SMAC Record of the Year – B Wise has leapt from strength to strength, sitting at the forefront of the local hip-hop landscape with hard-earned perspective and experience.
The 64 Bars project was first founded at Red Bull Studios Auckland with David Dallas, as a simple method of having handpicked MCs hit the booth and lay down 64 bars. The series launched to critical acclaim with Brooklyn-based world-renowned rapper Talib Kweli and has since travelled the globe with regular episodes from Japan and now Australia. Taking rap back to basics, 64 Bars gives audiences the chance to hear their favourite artists flex the skills that launched their careers, and places a firm eye on rap’s upcoming best voices.
Tune in to Red Bull Music & Culture for the latest episodes of 64 Bars.
Source: AllAussieHipHop.com