MC Pressure

Last updated

Pressure
Background information
Birth nameDaniel Smith
Also known asMC Pressure
Born (1977-12-19) 19 December 1977 (age 46)
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Genres Hip hop
Years active1995–present
Labels Obese Records (2001–2008)
Golden Era Records (2008–present)
Website Official website

Daniel Smith [1] (born 19 December 1977), better known by his stage name Pressure, is an Australian rapper who serves as one of the MCs of the hip hop group Hilltop Hoods, formed in Adelaide, South Australia.

Contents

Early life

Born in Adelaide, South Australia, [2] Pressure attended Blackwood High School in the hills area of Adelaide and Suffa (Matt Lambert), his future bandmate, was a fellow student. The two established a friendship based on common musical ground and later met the third member of the Hilltop Hoods, DJ Debris (Barry Francis [1] ). [3]

Music career

Along with Suffa and DJ Next (later replaced by DJ Debris), Pressure formed the Hilltop Hoods in 1991, a trio that has since become one of the most popular hip hop groups in Australia, [1] with six album releases, a record label, and over 644,000 Facebook fans (as of July 2020). [4] [5] In regard to the success that the Hilltop Hoods has achieved, Pressure has stated that the group has made a concerted effort to distinguish "self-belief from self-importance", explaining that "I would hate to think people see us as arrogant. That's how we are as people and it's reflected in the music. We're confident and outgoing people but I listen to some rappers and think, 'That's so arrogant, just pull your head in, mate." [1]

After the Hilltop Hoods' album The Calling was listed at No. 23 in the "Hottest 100 Australian Albums of All Time" poll, conducted by national Australian radio station Triple J, Pressure and Suffa revealed in an interview with the station's magazine publication that the two bandmates have consistently engaged in one major argument during the production of each of the group's albums. While laughing, Pressure revealed during the interview, "It's not a record if we haven't had one big blowout during the making of it." [4]

For the Hilltop Hoods' seventh studio album, Walking Under Stars, Smith composed the song "Through the Dark" about his son's struggle with cancer and explained in a promotional interview, published on 6 August 2014:

Writing that song is one of the hardest things I have ever done ... I wrote it and rewrote it and rewrote it throughout his therapy and he responded very well to the treatment so it became a song of hope and perseverance. [6]

As of the interview date, Smith's son had not heard the track, as "He wants to wait for the album to come out before he listens to it." Smith said: "I might have to leave the room ... it might be a bit much." [6]

Smith revealed in an October 2014 radio interview that the Splendour In The Grass event is his favorite festival to perform at in Australia. [7]

Golden Era records

As part of his role within the Hilltop Hoods, Pressure was involved with the founding of the Golden Era Records (GE) Australian hip hop label. Launched in 2009, with the release of the fifth Hilltop Hoods full-length album State of the Art , [8] the label's roster also includes K21, Funkoars, Vents, Briggs and Adfu. [9] According to the GE website, the label "wasn't established to release throw-back records; instead we hope to make music that throws you back to the way you felt during the golden era of Hip Hop. Whatever year that was for you." [10]

Personal life

He sold a home in Flagstaff Hill. [11]

His son, Liam, [1] was diagnosed with leukaemia in February 2013, but was in remission in August 2014. [12] Smith explained in August 2014, following the release of Walking Under Stars: "He’s good now, he’s doing normal kid stuff, going to school and things like that. And there’s no sign of the cancer." [6]

Related Research Articles

Australian hip hop traces its origins to the early 1980s and was initially largely inspired by hip hop and other urban musical genres from the United States. As the form matured, Australian hip hop has become a commercially viable style of music that is no longer restricted to the creative underground, with artists such as The Kid Laroi, Manu Crooks, Onefour, Iggy Azalea, Hilltop Hoods, Bliss n Eso and Youngn Lipz, having achieved notable fame. Australian hip hop is still primarily released through independent record labels, which are often owned and operated by the artists themselves. Despite its genesis as an offshoot of American hip-hop, Australian hip hop has developed a distinct personality that reflects its evolution as an Australian musical style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hilltop Hoods</span> Australian hip-hop group

Hilltop Hoods is an Australian hip hop group that formed in 1996 in Blackwood, Adelaide, South Australia. They are regarded as pioneers of the "larrikin-like" style of Australian hip hop. The group was founded by Suffa and Pressure, who were joined by DJ Debris after fellow founder, DJ Next, left in 1999. The group released its first extended play, Back Once Again, in 1997 and have subsequently released eight studio albums, two "restrung" albums and three DVDs.

<i>A Matter of Time</i> (Hilltop Hoods album) 1999 studio album by Hilltop Hoods

A Matter of Time is the debut album by Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods, released in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suffa</span> Australian musical artist

Matthew David Lambert, known by his stage name Suffa or MC Suffa, is an Australian rapper and producer. He is best known as one of the members of the hip hop group Hilltop Hoods, and has been a recording artist since the 1999 release of the band's debut album, A Matter of Time. He has also produced tracks for other artists.

<i>The Hard Road</i> 2006 studio album by Hilltop Hoods

The Hard Road is the fourth studio album by Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods. Released on 1 April 2006 by Obese Records, it debuted at number one on the Australia ARIA Albums Chart, and was the first album by Australian artists to achieve that position. It contains the top 20 single "Clown Prince". It achieved Gold status on 8 April 2006, a week after release, and has now surpassed Platinum status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obese Records</span> Former Australian record label

Obese Records was a record label that released music from the Australian hip hop genre. It was the largest Australian independent hip hop label, including performers Pegz, Hilltop Hoods, Thundamentals, Reason, Andy Struksha, and Dialectrix. Obese Records also operated two retail stores in Melbourne, a record distribution company, a soul imprint named Plethora Records, and operated the artists' management and touring company Obese Records Artist Management.

The Funkoars are an Australian hip hop act from Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The group is part of the Certified Wise crew of hip hop artists from South Australia, who also collaborated on various recordings. Despite being on hiatus since 2016, Funkoars are still rostered to Golden Era Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clown Prince</span> 2006 single by Hilltop Hoods

"Clown Prince" is a song by Australian hip-hop band, the Hilltop Hoods. It was released in January 2006 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, The Hard Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Era Records</span> Australian record label

Golden Era Records is a record label that specializes in Australian hip hop music and is based in Stirling, South Australia, Australia. The label was founded in 2008 by South Australian hip hop trio Hilltop Hoods.

<i>State of the Art</i> (Hilltop Hoods album) 2009 studio album by Hilltop Hoods

State of the Art is the fifth studio album released by Australian hip hop trio, Hilltop Hoods, on 12 June 2009.

<i>Back Once Again</i> 1997 EP by Hilltop Hoods

Back Once Again is the six-track debut extended play by the Australian hip hop group, Hilltop Hoods. It was released as a 12" vinyl EP in 1997 and, as from September 2015, is rare. The title track contains a vocal sample from "Bring the Noise" by Public Enemy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vents (musician)</span> Musical artist

Joseph Lardner, better known by the stage name Vents and also known as Vents One, Vents 1 and Vents Uno, is an Australian hip hop artist from Adelaide, South Australia. He has released two albums, 2007's Hard to Kill and 2011's Marked for Death. The latter was nominated for an ARIA Music Award.

<i>Golden Era Mixtape 2011</i> 2011 mixtape by Golden Era Records

Golden Era Mixtape 2011 is a mixtape by all artists signed to Australian Hip hop label Golden Era Records. It was released as a free download on 17 January 2011 on the Golden Era Records website. In an interview about the mixtape on Triple J, Suffa of the Hilltop Hoods said that "everyone's been downloading it so much that the website has crashed". There is not going to be a commercial release of the album, although physical copies were distributed free with purchases of Golden Era releases and at gigs featuring Golden Era artists.

<i>Drinking from the Sun</i> 2012 studio album by Hilltop Hoods

Drinking from the Sun is the sixth studio album by Australian hip hop group the Hilltop Hoods. The album was released on 9 March 2012. The album's first single, "I Love It", was released on 25 November 2011, and features vocals from fellow South Australian and Adelaide-born singer-songwriter Sia. The album debuted at number one on the Australian Albums Chart reaching gold status on its first day, making it Hilltop Hood's third consecutive chart-topping album. The album is certified double platinum in Australia. It received four nominations at the ARIA Music Awards of 2012, becoming the group's fourth consecutive release and third consecutive studio album to win Best Urban Album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shredding the Balloon</span> 2012 single by Hilltop Hoods

"Shredding the Balloon" is a song by the Australian hip hop group, Hilltop Hoods. It was released on 20 July 2012 as the third single from their sixth studio album, Drinking From the Sun.

<i>Golden Era Mixtape 2012</i> 2012 mixtape by Golden Era Records

Golden Era Mixtape 2012 is a mixtape by all artists signed to Australian hip hop label Golden Era Records. It was released as a free download on 30 January 2012 on the Golden Era Records website. The mixtape was launched on Triple J's Hip-Hop show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Briggs (rapper)</span> Aboriginal Australian rapper

Adam Briggs, who performs as Briggs and self-describes as Senator Briggs, is an Aboriginal Australian rapper, record label owner, comedy writer, actor, and author. Briggs became well known as a "solo rapper", signing with Golden Era Records in 2009, before co-founding the hip hop duo A.B. Original in 2016.

<i>Golden Era Mixtape 2013</i> 2013 mixtape by Golden Era Records

Golden Era Mixtape 2013 is a mixtape by all artists signed to Australian hip hop label Golden Era Records. As was the case with the Golden Era mixtapes that were released prior to 2013, the Golden Era Mixtape 2013 is publicly available as a free download.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1955 (song)</span> 2016 single by Hilltop Hoods featuring Montaigne and Tom Thum

"1955" is a song by Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods. It was released as the second single from the group's second remix album, Drinking from the Sun, Walking Under Stars Restrung (2016). In Australia, "1955" peaked at No. 2 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, becoming Hilltop Hoods' highest charting single to date. The song was rated number four in Triple J's Hottest 100 in 2016. The song's accompanying music video was released on 7 February 2016 via their Facebook page.

<i>The Great Expanse</i> 2019 studio album by Hilltop Hoods

The Great Expanse is the eighth studio album by Australian hip hop trio Hilltop Hoods, released on 22 February 2019 through Universal Music Australia. The album was produced by members Suffa and DJ Debris, and features gold selling ARIA Award winning single "Clark Griswold" featuring Adrian Eagle, platinum single "Leave Me Lonely", and new single "Exit Sign" featuring Illy and Ecca Vandal.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Craig Mathieson (19 July 2009). "Interview – Hilltop Hoods". The Vine (originally from The Age). Digital Media. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  2. ↑ Ruth Bailey (2010). "Calling from the top". The Blurb. Archived from the original on 16 February 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  3. ↑ "Hilltop Hoods". Golden Era Records. 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Hilltop Hoods". Triple J Magazine. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  5. ↑ "Hilltop Hoods". Hilltop Hoods on Facebook. July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020– via Facebook.
  6. 1 2 3 Kathy McCabe (6 August 2014). "Pressure details son's cancer battle on Hilltop Hoods' Walking Under Stars – and it will make you cry". News.com.au. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  7. ↑ "Browny & EJ" (Audio upload). Audio Boom. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  8. ↑ "Golden Era Records". Discogs. 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  9. ↑ "Artists". Golden Era Records. 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  10. ↑ "About". Golden Era Records. 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  11. ↑ Tom Bowden (14 September 2013). "Hilltop Hoods hip-hop star Dan Smith, aka MC Pressure, selling his Flagstaff Hill home". News.com.au. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  12. ↑ Matt Shea (5 August 2014). "Hilltop Hoods: "Music is not a competition"". Faster Louder. Faster Louder Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
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