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.
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.
The Calling is the third studio album by Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods and was released on 22 September 2003 through Obese Records. The success of the album was significant in the Australian hip-hop scene because it demonstrated popular recognition for a genre previously supported by a comparatively small, "underground" fan base.
"Tipsy" is the debut single by American rapper J-Kwon, released through So So Def Recordings and Arista Records on January 12, 2004, as the lead single from his debut studio album, Hood Hop (2004). Written by J-Kwon alongside Joe Kent and Mark Williams, "Tipsy" was produced by American production team Trackboyz.
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.
"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.
Paul Reid, formerly Paul Gary James Ridge,, better known by the stage name Drapht, is an Australian hip hop artist from Perth. Drapht is a member of the Syllabolix (SBX) crew, a collective that includes fellow Perth-based hip hop artists such as Downsyde.
The Hard Road: Restrung is a remix of Hilltop Hoods' previous album The Hard Road, featuring the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and American freestyle rapper Okwerdz.
"Won't Let You Down" is a song by Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods featuring Irish-English singer-songwriter Maverick Sabre, released through Golden Era Records on 27 June 2014 as the lead single from their seventh studio album Walking Under Stars (2014).
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.
State of the Art is the fifth studio album released by Australian hip hop trio, Hilltop Hoods, on 12 June 2009.
Matthew James Colwell, better known by his stage name 360, is an Australian rapper. He has released four studio albums: What You See Is What You Get (2008); Falling & Flying (2011), which peaked at No. 4 on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified platinum; Utopia (2014), and Vintage Modern (2017). 360's second album provided four charting singles, including "Boys like You", which peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified 4× platinum. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2012, he received six nominations and won the 'Breakthrough Artist – Release' award for Falling & Flying, while Styalz Fuego won the ARIA 'Producer of the Year' Artisan award for the same album.
"Cheers (Drink to That)" is a song recorded by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, from her fifth studio album, Loud (2010). The song impacted American mainstream and rhythmic radio on August 2, 2011, as the seventh and final single released from Loud. The song was written by Andrew Harr, Jermaine Jackson, Stacy Barthe, LP, Corey Gibson, Chris Ivery, Lauren Christy, Graham Edwards, Avril Lavigne, Rihanna and Scott Spock, while production of the song was completed by Harr and Jackson under their stage name, the Runners. The song also contains samples from Lavigne's song "I'm with You", which is featured on her debut album Let Go (2002). Lyrically, "Cheers (Drink to That)" is a party song featuring multiple references to The Weeknd, including “cheers to The Weeknd”. The song received positive reviews from music critics, who praised the interpolation of the sample and also commented that it should prove to be a successful club song due to its lyrical content. "Cheers (Drink to That)" reached number one in Lebanon, the top 10 in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States, and the top 40 in Ireland, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom. The music video for the song, directed by Evan Rogers and Ciara Pardo, shows footage of the singer on tour and enjoying different activities during her homecoming trip to Barbados. "Cheers (Drink to That)" was included on the set list of the Loud Tour (2011).
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.
"I Love It" is a song by Australian hip hop band, Hilltop Hoods, featuring Sia. The single was released on 25 November 2011 and its radio debut occurred on 21 November 2011 on Australian youth radio station, Triple J. "I Love It" is the first single from the album, Drinking From the Sun, and three different music videos were produced for the single. The single is the Hilltop Hoods' second highest-charting and biggest-selling single for the entirety of the group's career.
"Speaking in Tongues" is a song by Australian hip hop band, Hilltop Hoods, featuring American rapper, Chali 2na. The song was released in April 2012 as the second single from their sixth studio album, Drinking From the Sun. The song peaked at number 88 on the ARIA charts.
"Cosby Sweater" is a song by Australian hip hop group, Hilltop Hoods. It was released as the third single from the group's seventh studio album, Walking Under Stars (2014). In Australia, "Cosby Sweater" peaked at No. 4 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, becoming Hilltop Hoods' highest-charting single to date and their third top ten hit overall. The song was rated number three in Triple J's Hottest 100 2014. The song's accompanying music video was released on 3 October 2014 via the Australian iTunes Store.
Drinking from the Sun, Walking Under Stars Restrung is a 2016 remix album from Australian hip hop group, Hilltop Hoods that follows their 2014 release Walking Under Stars and their 2012 release Drinking from the Sun. This is the second launch of a "restrung" album after The Hard Road: Restrung in 2007. The 19-track release features a collection of new tracks alongside singles such as "Cosby Sweater" and "I Love It". This is the second time Hilltop Hoods have collaborated with the 32-piece Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and one of many collaborations with arranger/composer Jamie Messager, but is the first collaboration with the 20-piece Adelaide Chamber Singer Choir and conductor Hamish Mackenzie. The song "Higher" is featured in Forza Horizon 3.
"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.
The discography of Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods consists of seven studio albums, six extended plays (EPs), twenty-four singles and three DVDs. Their debut studio album A Matter of Time was released independently in 1999.
