We don’t know what anyone else thinks, but goddamn 2010 was a disappointing year for Australian hip hop.
We don’t know what anyone else thinks, but goddamn 2010 was a disappointing year for Australian hip hop. Rather than waiting for you to share your own opinions Beat has gone to a far more reliable and educated source – ourselves, to see where it all lies in Australian hip hop as we cruise through 2011.
The year 2010 saw a huge array of releases that frankly didn’t deserve to be put out let along to receive the praise they did. Far too many acts were left thinking they were quality based on the online thoughts of their mates, thoughts which far outweighed the quality of their music, sadly for us the listener it did nothing to slow the quantity of shit being released, it was like unclasping the sewage pipe off of St Kilda beach at times. On top of all of that battles in the country have become poetry jams minus the soul patches and berets as groups of men stand in a pub drunk and yell about each other’s weight and penis size, it’s like the Sydney Mardi Gras with tighter jeans as the ‘artists’ and we use the term loosely attempt to make gags with lyrics they’ve taken three months to write. We at Beat admit we are getting on in years within in the scene and we briefly considered the notion that perhaps we just don’t get it? Sadly we do and it is the most cringe-worthy thing to be classed as hip hop since Figg Kidd got his ass handed to him by a major label. On top of this 2010 was the year the public as a whole decided to stop supporting international tours, a huge array of international stars hit our shores to repeated poor attendances, the numbers so low that we are in danger of missing a huge range of acts previously planned for this year, but that’s a whole different column for a later date.
With all that said and done 2011 and is actually one of the most exciting years in recent memory, a whole bunch of acts are hitting us with albums that have almost Dr Dre‘s Detox mythical status, minus the film clips where Eminem professes his love for us in a ‘more than friends’ manner. Firstly the year is off to an early bang with brilliant releases from Simplex and The Bingethinkers. Simplex has been around for a long time, has a mildly odd shaped head and produces some of the best music this country has seen. His solo debut is outstanding, a reminder of what talent this country has as opposed to what the radio suggests we listen too. Sydney crew The Bingethinkers have taken their time and produced an album of quality, Rinse, one of the most slept on emcees in the country and the overall package brilliant. Perhaps the best news though is what we still have to come this year.
A look around the country sees excitement like Miley Cyrus turning 18 caused men in trench-coats the globe over, as the who’s who of acts old and new prepare releases. Out of Melbourne to get things going Trem One has his long awaited debut all but ready to drop, dig a little deeper and Pegz is promising a game changer with his first solo release in a few years. For the next wave of acts Melbourne has much to offer, Raven, Geko, Maundz & Eloqur have talent that can lift our scene up to a level it both needs and deserves to be at. Whilst if you need something a little nastier the hard as fuck Grime sounds of Super Smash Bros will have you rioting like Liverpool had one the Champions League.
Skip across to Adelaide and arguably you will find the most exciting array of acts releasing this year. The debut record from Motion is sounding phenomenal in the snippets Beat has been lucky enough to hear, there are highly anticipated releases from Vents, Purpose, Prime, Mase & Mattic & K21 on the way names that instantly grab respect. Add to this arguably the best pure emcee in Australia Delta releasing his third album, the Funkoars and Hilltop Hoods back in the studio and a release from Theory Of Face (Trials & Adfu) that will smack you all upside your head to make sure you listen. Further around the country The Herd are back in the studio, Horrorshow are hard at work on album three, the almighty Def Wish Cast are promising a return and Mind Over Matter fresh of national Bliss n Eso supports are releasing their second album all out of Sydney town. Whilst if we head to the west the release that will most likely have the largest presence across the country and our airwaves Drapht‘s The Life Of Riley is imminent.
So after a bumpy 2010 do not lose faith the bat signal has been sent and 2011 will see cards pulled and brilliant albums released, now if someone can just get beats back to battles Beat will be able to sleep easy at night.
SHANE SCOTT
