Australian hip hop

Australian hip hop music began in the early 1980s, primarily influenced by hip hop music and culture imported via radio and television from the United States of America. Since the late 1990s, a distinctive local style has developed. Australian hip hop is a part of the underground music scene with only a few successful commercial hits in the last decade. Albums and singles are released by mostly independent record labels, often owned and run by the artists themselves. Australian hip hop has achieved minimal mainstream success in recent times.^[1] The development and maintenance of a hip hop community in Australia continues to rely on the efforts of various social agents to reinscribe their own social world with logics, truths, actions, and interpretations that arrived in Australia predominantly through mass-mediated channels: television, radio, and imported fanzines and recordings^[2], as well as social network web pages, in more recent times.

"The... contextual dis junctures between the "orginary" African American hip hop culture of urban North American and hip hop culture as it developed in Australia, is, of course, self-evident. The development and maintenance of a hip hop community down under relied (and, to an extent, continues to rely) upon the efforts of various social agents to reinscribe their own social world with logics, truths, actions, and interpretations that arrived in Australia nor through a physical diaspora, not through the embodied importation of cultural form or memory, but pre-dominantly through (mass-) mediated channels: television, radio, and imported fanzines and recordings".^[3]

History

In 1981, the video "Buffalo Gals", a novelty single from Malcolm McLaren, was shown on a television music show called Sound Unlimited. The show was staged in a Manhattan basketball court and featured images of graffiti and break dancers. This left an impression on the Australian youth, as after seeing the video, kids all over were attempting the dance moves they saw on the show. ^[2]

The first Australian hip hop record released was "16 Tons" / "Humber Mania Time" by Mighty Big Crime released by Virgin Records and Criteria Productions in 1987 (Catalogue number VOZC 026).^[4] The single was a Beastie Boys derivative^[5] and the Melbourne based duo soon disbanded.^[6] Although it is claimed by Gerry Bloustein in his book, Musical Visions, that that the first 'true hip hop' release was, "Combined Talent" / "My Destiny" in 1988 by Just Us (consisting of Maltese DJ Case and Mentor). ^[7]

In the late 1980s, Sound Unlimited Posse became the first Australian hip hop group signed to a major record label (Sony BMG), releasing A Postcard from the Edge of the Under-side in 1992, the first Australian rap album.^[7] The group initially received some criticism for their instrumental style and commercial success, particularly from other Sydney-based hip hop outfits. In 1993 the independent Random Records released Def Wish Cast's album: Knights of the Underground Table. After this there were a string of independent CDs and tapes released by various artists from the Western Suburbs of Sydney, an area traditionally regarded as working class, underprivileged, and crime-ridden, with a large population of immigrant inhabitants.^[8]

After Sound Unlimited split in 1994, there was little commercial activity within Australian hip hop. However, underground artists continued to play plenty of small live shows and release independent recordings.

The first female Australian hip hop artist to receive national recognition in Australia was Opi Nelson, her hip hop/raggamuffin rap collaboration effort with Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) awardees Paul Kelly and Christine Anu on the song "Last Train"^[9] saw the song hit the National Top 10 in Australia in 1994. "Last Train" (Mushroom/EMI) was nominated as one of the best ARIA debut singles.^[10]

By the early 2000s, the Australian Record Industry Association began to recognise the growth of interest within Australia and then in 2004 introduced a new category in their annual awards, Best Urban Release (artists working primarily within the urban genre, eg: R&B, hip hop, soul, funk, reggae and dancehall). The inaugural award was won by Koolism for their album, Random Thoughts.^[11] At the 2006 and 2007 Awards it was won by Hilltop Hoods for their albums The Hard Road and The Hard Road Restrung respectively.^[12]^[13] The Hard Road also became the first Australian Hip Hop Album to take the No. 1 position in the ARIA Charts in 2006.

Style

Australian hip hop, since its inception, has been very influenced by the urban African-American styles.^[1] Like many hip hop scenes outside the United States, some Australian hip hop artists were also heavily influenced by reggae as well.^[14] One artist describes his own style has having been "influenced by London reggae rap rather than North American rap, conceding the Afro-Caribbean 'roots' of that scene, but carefully distancing himself from charges of imitation or of subjection to a putative American cultural imperialism."^[15] as general Australian hip hop is more similar to American hip hop as stylish, but the diversity of American hip hop is very different than Australian. In the United States hip hop artists are predominantly Black, and Latino American. Possibly due to demographic differences, this contrasts with Australian hip hop artists, a majority of whom are White. Though not at the forefront of Australian hip hop scene, Aboriginal rappers such as the duo Blackjustis produce songs that describe the plight of Indigenous Australians. ^[2] One of their musical influences is the American hip hop group Public Enemy. ^[16] Since the early 1980s, many crews have focused on their presentation in the eyes of their competitors, portraying their skills as better and their turf as tougher.

In Australia, dance moves associated with hip hop, like locking and popping has been one of the main things that has drawn public interest in hip hop, and contributed to its popularity. ^[17] These dance moves that make Australian hip hop so intriguing to Australians, however, has being criticized as not original and another sign of proof that Australia suffers from not having a hip hop cultural identity of its own. ^[18] As a result, it is hard to pinpoint what in Australian hip hop makes the hip hop Australian.

Some say that Australian hip hop is an example of how the country has been Americanized. However others argue that Australian hip hop has been localised with the use of Australian slang, political views, references to localities. This is demonstrated in the lyrics of early Western Sydney artists such as 046, Def Wish Cast and the White Boys. Additionally the non-Anglo immigrants of theses areas were attracted to hip hop because of it features in lyrics and content of racial opposition such as in African American hip hop.^[8] The American influence in Australian music and film has actually made its biggest impact in the 21st century with the internet. The internet has made American film, music, language and fashion popular worldwide ^[19].

In the industry this debate is a sore point with many Australian hip hop artists denying any association with American hip hop. One way of asserting their authenticity is by making clear that, for them, hip hop is not about race. This distinguishes Australian rap, the performers and enthusiasts of which are mostly white males, from U.S rap, which is very much associated with African American culture and style. Although one cannot deny that hip hop originated in the U.S. and that U.S. hip hop has major influences on hip hop scenes around the globe, in emphasizing the lack of racial issues in Australian hip hop, Australian rappers imply that their hip hop scene developed separately from America's and is its own entity. In the lyrics of Def Wish Cast it is "down under, comin' up."^[2]^[20] But, despite the absence of a racial undertone Australian hip hop shares the same sexualization found in its U.S. equivalent. Maxwell believes that the teens of the area find it "exotic". ^[21] One problem is that Aussie hip hop does not play a large role in the grand scheme of things and many of the artists now it saying "once you leave our shores you realise how small a part we play". ^[22] This tends to create a problem for the style of Aussie music as they may not be able to create their own identity and have to follow the more traditional Western hip hop fads.

As it progressed, Australian hip hop has taken on a greater diversity with influences from New Zealand and United Kingdom, but also by developing its own unique flavour with a focus on the Aussie battler, jovial, larrikin lyrics, the heavy use of samples and sound bites and in some instances the use of an exaggerated Australian accent. There are, however, many instances of artists and their works that use intelligent lyrics to analyse and discuss society, politics and how Australian suburbia interacts with the Australian culture.^{citation needed}

Issues in Australian hip hop

The presence of hip hop in Australia brings the issue of race to the forefront of the genre, as a perennial black form of music is nearly divorced from its racial background in Australia^[2]. However, ideas concerning race, minority status, and cultural background does crop up in the work of hip hop artists such as Curse Ov Dialect who play up a certain "native" influence in their lyrics and music. ^[23]. Phillip Kalantzis-Cope asserts that hip hop in Australia is intimately tied to race, and that hip hop as an art form is more attractive to ethnic Australian youth than their “anglo” counterparts, although the demographics of Australian artists would seem counter to this. Kalantizis-Cope believes it is possible for all Australians to look beyond hip hop as a means of expression for disadvantaged African-American youth, and be appropriated for expression of issues pertinent to their lives as well^[24]. Indeed, as Demonstrated by Ian Maxwell’s study, hip hop in Australia has transcended race, having travelled as an art form through mass media directly to all Australian youth. Due to a lack of the historical, cultural, economic and racial context of hip hop, Australian artists such as Ser Reck are able to declare hip hop is “their thing.”^[25] Rather than embrace the race factor of hip hop, many Australian artists strive to illustrate that rap has nothing to do with race, and that hip hop is for everyone who loves hip hop and connects with the music. A statement that really captures the ideas of many Australian artists is the following, "...Above all, remember this: all other things being equal, here, in the far western suburbs of Sydney (but anywhere really), hip hop is not a black thing." "Hip hop is something that is felt in particular bodies, almost (and certainly in the accounts of those who have experienced this connection) as an irreducibly primary experience: either you get it, in which case you're one of us, or you do not, in which case you're not..."^[26] In Australia it is interesting to study the mindset of the hip hop artists and supporters because it is one of the only places where a black population isn't closely identified with the hip hop scene, yet the people there would say that that fact doesn't matter and that hip hop is just as important and authentic as anywhere else. Furthermore, artists like differentiate themselves from bling-bling rappers like 50 Cent. In an interview, one of the most successful Australian rappers Pegz states, “In general, Aussie rap is just an honest perspective on life,”^[27] and to the rappers in Australia, that is just what rap is, which has nothing to do with race.

There have been some questions as to whether or not hip hop in Australia had anything to do with the Cronulla Race Riots. It is a popular belief that "the fundamentally anti-racist gesture implicit in anyone's serious engagement with the forms of hip hop. even on the quotidian level of challenging the sartorial--or sonic--norms of an otherwise invisible whiteness, by embracing hip hop white-kids-who-love-hip-hop can often productively animate public discussions and cultural politics around race."^[14] ^[28] ^[29] From an outside perspective hip hop in Australia, said to surpass racial boundaries can move a country like Australia away from its racial tensions.

Media exposure

Radio

The Australian hip hop scene/industry has numerous ways of how it is promoted and how it grows. The radio, particularly community radio, plays a huge role in the spread of hip hop in Australia as this is all explained in further detail below. As aforementioned, and according to Henderson April, in his article, ^[30] he outlines the fact that youth in Australia have had such a great impact on spreading hip hop, and one of the ways they do it is by adopting and incorporating new styles of music and dances they acquire from other countries or groups. The radio, internet radios and social network web pages are some of the sources or act as their libraries of information. According to some other sources such as ^[31] DJs in the hip hop scene of Australia find radio stations as a strong promoting tool for their music. Additionally, the Australian Government funds some projects/ organization with a major motive of promoting music nationwide. For example, among the above named sources, the later describes Australian Music Radio Airplay Project (AMRAP), being a project funded by the federal government to promote music. Among the music promoted or among the genres of music aired on some of the federal Government funded radios is hip hop. The radio is additionally a crucial factor in the growth and spread of hip hop in Australia because it is easily accessed and affordable to have in Australia.

Influential youth radio station Triple J introduced the Hip Hop Show, a weekly program initially hosted by Nicole Foote, then rapper Maya Jupiter and now (2008) by Hau from Koolism.

The Edge (96.1 FM) in Sydney plays primarily hip hop and R&B, with a segment called "The Tasman Connector" showcasing Australian & New Zealand hip hop.

2SER (107.3FM) in Sydney has a weekly program, "Droppin Science", which features hip hop from 1979 to the present day.^[32]. 2SER was also home to The Mothership Connection which lasted over a decade until 2003, initially hosted by Miguel D'Souza then Mark Pollard with Crazy Mike, Size 13 and Myme also contributing.

4ZZZ (102.1 FM) in Brisbane has a weekly program, "The Method", which features Australian hip hop. In 2006 the station the first annual 4ZzZ hip hop festival in Fortitude Valley featuring hip hop acts from around Australia.^[33]

Three D Radio (93.7FM) in ADL, South Australia, currently runs two hip hop programs, "Best Kept Secret" Thursday nights from 11pm-1am & "Permanent Midnight" Fridays 4-5pm, both shows showcasing both classic and fresh out the box hip hop, from local and overseas artists. Recently the shows have featured live interviews and freestyles from the likes of Paris, T-Kash, DJ True Justice, K.E.V., Dialect, Social Change & C-Rayz Walz.

Fresh FM (92.7FM) in Adelaide, "The Jump-Off" a weekly hip hop show is hosted by Dj Kronic, Kronic often features local rapper Six-Three.

RTRFM (92.1FM) in Perth, has two weekly hip hop programs, "All City" Friday nights from 11pm-1am which covers hip hop and beats from around the world and "Down Underground" which features local and Australia hip hop.^[34]

Radio Adelaide (101.5FM) in Adelaide, also features a weekly Australian hip hop show, "Hip Hop Mania". Its is hosted by local rapper, MC Frost, who showcases many unsigned local talent on his shows as well as Australian signed talent.^[35]

Mixtape Mondays (105.7) in the Gold Coast, Queensland, is a weekly hip hop and R&B radio show hosted by local producers, The Architects, ^[36] that focuses on playing cutting edge American urban music, as well as exposing talented Australian hip hop artists and DJ's.

90s hip hop artist Opi Nelson was also working in the early to mid 90s as a music journalist and television reporter for the alternative music TV show 'The Noise' on SBS National Television (interviewing the Beastie Boys and other hip hop and reggae artists) as well as a co-producer with Jaslyn Hall on The Australian Broadcasting Corporation/Triple J Radio Documentary 'Women on the Rhyme' 1990 (featuring New Zealand hip hop artists Moana and the Moa Hunters, Charlene from the Def Wish Cast and other female hip hop artists). Opi has also been interviewed on Australian national radio, in music press and other national press on the history of hip hop and ragamuffin in Australia.

Television

The first Australian hip hop documentary, Basic Equipment, was made in 1996 and released in 1997. It was narrated by Paul Westgate (aka Sereck) from Def Wish Cast and examined the Sydney hip hop culture. The documentary was made by Paul Fenech (creator of SBS' Pizza series).^[37]

In August, 2006 the ABC program Compass showed a documentary entitled The Mystery of Hip Hop which explored the cultural movement and popularity of hip hop in Australia. The film followed a week in the life of a local MC called Mystery in Melbourne and looked at the so-called "four elements of hip hop": breakdancing, DJing, rapping, and graffiti. It featured interviews from Mystery's friends, Maya Jupiter, and DJ Kool Herc.^[38]

Hip Hop TV was the first independently-produced "free to air TV" program dedicated to representing the strength and diversity of the Australian hip hop culture. The program featured international, as well as Australian hip hop and R&B talent. Formed in 2005, and debuted on Channel 31 in Sydney in Early 2006. It ran successfully showcasing both Australian and international stars, only to later move to Satellite CH4 AMTV, which later went into receivership. Hip Hop TV then went on to broadcast episodes on Youtube and Myspace.

Going on in 2007, Hip Hop TV set to debut on national TV, on the ABC. This didn't eventuated even after a tireless petitioning campaign, by the original members of Hip Hop TV. Hip Hop TV stars Sharni Pribadi, Jasmine Khan, Hazel Malis, Desiree Hurwood, Ali B and Blake Waterhouse who all played roles to play in the petitioning as well as staring in the show. Hip Hop TV is still web casting on a weekly basis and still yet to be syndicated on Australian TV, though international syndication looks more likely at this stage.

Film

Out4Fame presents 2003 MC Battle For Supremacy was the first (documented) national MC tournament and was responsible for kick starting the careers of many MC's across Australia. The following year MC's were invited to enter the tournament for the chance to compete in New Zealand. MC's whom have competed in Battle For Supremacy tournaments include Weapon X, 360, Anecdote, Nfa, Justice, Dragonfly, Bobby Bal Boa, Kaos, Tyna, Surreal, Cyphanetics, Delta.Oriel Guthrie also documented the the 2004 and 2005 events and released them on DVDs. MC Justice went on to win the 2005 Scribble Jam MC Battle, USA. The first Australian to win the competition

Publications

Australia has an illustrious history with printed publications including one of the first hip hop magazines in the world, Vaporz (1988), put together by Blaze (who also established the first hip hop shop in Sydney). Other notable zines include Hype (a pre-eminent graffiti magazine with a worldwide following through the late 1980's and 1990s) it was the first full colour graffiti magazine in the world, Zest, Raptanite, Arfek, Damn Kids, Artillery, Blitzkrieg, Slingshot and others. The first full colour hip hop magazine in the Southern Hemisphere was Stealth Magazine. It debuted in 1999 and has published over 14 issues since, and was distributed worldwide via Tower Records.

Following the popular Out4Fame: Battle For Supremacy tournaments, Out4Fame Magazine was launched as a free publication. Although the magazine achieved limited success within the local scene copies of the magazine soon became collectors items as the tournaments gained popularity. Out4Fame Magazine was later relaunched as Out4Fame presents ACCLAIM Magazine, later to simply become ACCLAIM Magazine.

Notable artists

Record labels

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