The Hilltop Hoods

[Lex Diamonds]

I've been down with HH for a while thanks to the Aussie heads on here but I kind of forgot about them when I discovered The Funkoars who I preferred at the time. Recently a friend of mine dumped a whole load of their shit onto my iPod and I'm getting more into them.

Their tunes are structured like "golden age" hip-hop (beat breaks, DJ bridges, taking turns with battle verses etc) with fresh samples and scratches, the type of shit you don't get much in American hip-hop anymore (that shit is enjoying a resurgence in the UK at the moment with the Foreign Beggars, Akala etc). Right now I'm feeling The Nosebleed Section and The Hard Road the most, those chorus samples are mad. (y)

The only downside is that they have Australian accents but their lyrics are good enough that I can put up with it.

[Kid Presentable]

I don't like Aussie hip-hop for the most part. It just bores me to death and fuck all of them have what I'd qualify as skills. I'd prefer if some of them tried to innovate rather than replicate the era they grew up with. To me that shit doesn't show a command of one's craft, but instead just shows them to be adept at mining a time and place they can't seem to escape.

The Downsyde boys are alright though. Maybe look for some of their shit (although they rip off a few obvious acts here and there as well), and Koolism are ok-ish. Lots of people love local hip-hop, which ameliorates my finding it to be terrible.

[roosta]

Nosebleed Section is a choooooooooon.

[Kid Presentable]

Serious? I guess I just don't like the rap musics as much as I thought...

[mikizee]

This is the post where I state that HH and funkoars have been great personal friends of mine for the last 10 or more years. I had a hoods t shirt in 1994. I am so cool.

HH are definitely the successful australian hip hop act. We never would have EVER imagined that 10 years ago.

funny how things turn out

Oh yeah, and left foot right foot is definitely my favourite album.

Oh and paddy check the funkoars new album 'the hangover', I made the film clip for the lead single. Its a great album.

[Kid Presentable]

Your clip is pretty nice Mike, I see it a lot. (y)

I'm sure these guys are all nice as, the music just isn't my thing I guess.

[Tzar]

TZU ftw. they're my favourite aussie hip hop at the moment. the best thing about aussie hip hop is there is always new material so you can never get bored with it all because you can in this genre. funkoars are a fucking laugh though.

[Lex Diamonds]

This is the post where I state that HH and funkoars have been great personal friends of mine for the last 10 or more years. I had a hoods t shirt in 1994. I am so cool.

HH are definitely the successful australian hip hop act. We never would have EVER imagined that 10 years ago.

funny how things turn out

Oh yeah, and left foot right foot is definitely my favourite album.

Oh and paddy check the funkoars new album 'the hangover', I made the film clip for the lead single. Its a great album.
Yeah you were meant to send me some of their shit a year or two ago, I think I gave my address and everything. You never came through though, punk.

Tzar: what is TZU? And what is the best thing about Aussie hip-hop? That post doesn't really make any sense.

[Tzar]

TZU (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TZU) is a group.

what's hard to understand... there is always a new cd out every couple of months from an aussie hip hop group. it's still a small genre compared to anything else in australia so it could be easy to have the same 3 cds in your car for a year.... but the upside is, that isn't the situation hence why i reckon it's the best thing about it.

2 of those 3 cds will be hilltop hoods because they are, favourably, the best aussie hip hop out at the moment (i personally prefer TZU and downsyde).

[Lex Diamonds]

Ah cool, sorry I didn't quite get the "because you can in this genre" part. I'll check out those other groups when I've got the time, what's the best album/EP to get for a first time listener to each?

[Tzar]

i reckon, with TZU, any album is good for the first timer. their first album, position correction, is their most hip-hopish though. it's good. their next two albums show them moving into different musical tastes; electronical + instrumentalish. nothing huge, just different as far as beats and samples go.

i forgot to mention Drapht, a local perth boy. his latest album, brother's grimm is a good listen. the sound of his voice reminds me of eminem.

[mikizee]

Haha another personal connection. Me mate Trials produced that album. I think its average though.

Yeah I know I never came thru with that parcel paddy.... I was going to send it... then I just carried on with my life :p

Actually the real reason I hadn't sent it is that even though I keep bugging their management they had yet to give me any more promo copies of their album. Still haven't. Pricks.

But do yourself a favour and order the Funkoars Greatest Hits DVD off eBay. I produced it, and I want that damn gold sales plaque. I'm getting closer.

Help a pal out.

Also I don't think its a small genre compared to anything else in Oz, I think its actually the most prolific and exciting genre to be watching at the moment. Just look at how much aussie hip hop is being played on JJJ now.

[mikizee]

Your clip is pretty nice Mike, I see it a lot. (y)

I'm sure these guys are all nice as, the music just isn't my thing I guess.

Hey thanks, where have you seen it? The version than Channel V are playing right now wasn't dubbed to digibeta properly and it looks like a shoddy handicam clip, quality is terrible.

I just shipped off teh proper versions to V and MTV today.

[Tzar]

Also I don't think its a small genre compared to anything else in Oz, I think its actually the most prolific and exciting genre to be watching at the moment. Just look at how much aussie hip hop is being played on JJJ now.
oh no doubt it's the most exciting. it's still growing, which is awesome. it's probably mega huge in SA because you've been around the best for quite some time now.

were you referring to drapht's album btw?

[mikizee]

Yeah Drapht's album. It definitely has some great tracks on it but theres a bit of filler as well.

Paddy and Tzar I highly highly recommend to both of you to get Vents- Hard to Kill.

Trials produced it as well and its fucking awesome.

[Kid Presentable]

I think I saw your clip on Rage, Mike. I can't get into the song, but the clip elevates it.

I will agree that there's always new shit popping off; once these dudes get to recording it seems like they never want to stop. I was sort of into it in 2001, groups like the Morlocks but fuck knows what happened to them.

[russhie]

For whatever reason, the Hilltop Hoods remind me of those Cat Empire people. Just...they seem to be everywhere at once, and then not.

I find it all strangely annoying.

[mikizee]

After making the Hard Road, Hard Road Restrung, the City of Light DVD and endless touring the guys purposely decided to have an extended break and drop off the radar for a while.

In the meantime they left their old label and have established their own, and started recording their new album. I've heard a few very early versions of tracks and they're sounding good. Should be out in about 9-12 months.