Australian hip hop - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Australian hip hop music began in the early 1980s; originally it was primarily influenced by hip hop music

Hip hop music

Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

and culture imported via radio and television from the United States of America. However, since the 1990s, a distinctive local style has developed. Australian hip hop is an underground music scene with only a few commercial hits in the last decade. Albums and singles are released by mostly independent record label

Independent record label

An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...

s, often owned and run by the artists themselves.

History

In 1982, the video "Buffalo Gals

Buffalo Gals

"Buffalo Gals" is a traditional American song, written and published as "Lubly Fan" in 1844 by the blackface minstrel John Hodges, who performed as "Cool White." The song was widely popular throughout the United States...

", was shown on a television music show called Sound Unlimited. The show was staged in a Manhattan

Manhattan

Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...

basketball court

Basketball court

In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor with tiles at either end. In professional or organized basketball, especially when played indoors, it is usually made out of a wood, often maple, and highly polished...

and featured images of graffiti

Graffiti

Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....

and break dance

Break Dance

Break Dance is a Commodore 64 computer game that relies on players making dancing moves that resemble the classic game Simon says.-Gameplay:...

rs. This left an impression on many teenagers and many started attempting the dance moves they saw on the show.

The first Australian hip hop record released was "16 Tons" / "Humber Mania Time" by Mighty Big Crime released by Virgin Records

Virgin Records

Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...

and Criteria Productions in 1987 (Catalogue number VOZC 026). The single was a Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....

derivative and the Melbourne based duo soon disbanded. Although it is claimed by Gerry Bloustein in her book, Musical Visions, that the first 'true hip hop' release was, "Combined Talent" / "My Destiny" in 1988 by Just Us (consisting of Maltese DJ Case and Mentor).

Also in 1987/1988 former punk band turned hip-hop act, "Skippy the Butcher" performed at venues around Melbourne, most notably a residence at The Razor club around the end of 1988. Following this they joined in the first tour of RUN-DMC, playing support at the Festival Hall and Metro concerts in November 1988. After recording one 5 track EP; "Full Blown Rap" http://www.songstall.com/stb/fullblownrap at the ABC studios in Elsternwick, Melbourne the group disbanded.

In the late 1980s, Sound Unlimited Posse

Sound Unlimited

Sound Unlimited, formerly known as Sound Unlimited Posse and Westside Posse, was an Australian hip hop group from Sydney, New South Wales and the first Australian hip hop act signed to a major label during the 1990s...

became the first Australian hip hop group signed to a major record label

Record label

In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

(Sony BMG

Sony

, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....

), releasing A Postcard from the Edge of the Under-side in 1992, the first major-label Australian rap album. The group initially received some criticism for their instrumental style and commercial success, particularly from other Sydney-based hip hop outfits. In 1991 a local Sydney Rap Solo Artist, KIC, only 16 years old was signed to Sony/COLUMBIA records becoming the youngest to sign to a major label. His first debut single 'Bring Me On' was an instant hit in Australia and reached the top ten charts in Singapore and Hong Kong in 1994. Also in 1992, the independent label Random Records released Def Wish Cast

Def Wish Cast

Def Wish Cast are an Australian hip hop group originally from around Penrith, Sydney. Currently they reside in a few areas around the City of Sydney.-Biography:...

's album Knights of the Underground Table
Knights of the Underground Table
Knights of the Underground Table is the debut album by the Australian hip hop group Def Wish Cast. It was released in 1993 on CD and cassette by Random Records. The album was recorded in St Clair in Western Sydney. Group members Def Wish and Sereck designed the Def Wish Cast logo that appears on...

. 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.

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.

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

ARIA Music Awards

The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...

, 'Best Urban Release' (artists working primarily within the urban genre, e.g.: R&B, hip hop, soul, funk, reggae and dancehall). The inaugural award

ARIA Music Awards of 2004

The 18th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 17 October 2004 at the Sydney Superdome within the Sydney Olympic Complex...

was won by Koolism

Koolism

Koolism is an Australian hip hop duo originating from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.The members are lyricist Hau Latukefu and producer/DJ/musician Danielsan Ichiban .-History:Koolism started out in 1992 when Elleson joined a group by the name...

for their album, Random Thoughts. At the 2006

ARIA Music Awards of 2006

The 20th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 29 October 2006 at the Acer Arena at the Sydney Olympic Park complex...

and 2007

ARIA Music Awards of 2007

The 21st Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 28 October 2007 at the Acer Arena at the Sydney Olympic Park complex. Rove McManus was the host of the event...

Awards it was won by Hilltop Hoods

Hilltop Hoods

The Hilltop Hoods are an ARIA Award winning Australian hip hop group, from Adelaide, South Australia. Their members are MCs Suffa , MC Pressure , DJ Debris and formerly DJ Next. They have been at the centre of the Australian hip hop scene for the better part of two decades, originally forming back...

for their album The Hard Road
The Hard Road
The Hard Road is a 2006 release by Australian hip hop group, the Hilltop Hoods from Adelaide, South Australia. It was released on 1 April 2006 by Obese Records. It debuted at #1 on the Australia ARIA Albums Chart, unprecedented for an independent label release and for an Australian hip hop group....

and its orchestral remix album

Remix album

A remix album is an album consisting mostly of remixes or re-recorded versions of a music artists' earlier released material.One of the earliest remix albums was 1971's Aerial Pandemonium Ballet by Harry Nilsson, which was released by Nilsson after the successes of Everybody's Talkin and The Point!...

The Hard Road: Restrung
The Hard Road: Restrung
-Chart positions:...

respectively. The Hard Road also became the first Australian Hip Hop Album to take the No. 1 position in the ARIA Charts in 2006. In 2008 the ARIA Award was won by Bliss n Eso

Bliss n Eso

Bliss n Eso are an ARIA Award-winning Australian hip hop band based in Sydney, and were originally known as Bliss N' Esoterikizm for their debut EP The Arrival...

for their album Flying Colours.

Style

Since its inception, Australian hip hop has been very influenced by the urban

Urban culture

Urban culture is the culture of towns and cities. In the United States, Urban culture may also sometimes be used as a euphemistic reference to contemporary African American culture.- African American culture :...

African-American styles. Like many hip hop scenes outside the United States, some Australian hip hop artists were also heavily influenced by reggae

Reggae

Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...

as well. One artist describes his own style has having been "influenced by London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

reggae

Reggae

rap

Hip hop music

rather than North American

North American

North American generally refers to an entity, people, group, or attribute of North America, especially of the United States and Canada together.-Culture:*North American English, a collective term used to describe American English and Canadian English...

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."
as general Australian hip hop is more similar to American hip hop

Hip hop

Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...

as stylish

Stylish

Stylish is a free Mozilla extension that allows for the manipulation of web pages and XUL application user interfaces through the use of Cascading Style Sheets. These custom "user styles" are created by the user, or installed from an external archive like...

, 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 or from other cultural backgrounds indicative to Australia.

Though not at the forefront of Australian hip hop scene, Aboriginal rappers such as Brothablack

Brothablack

Shannon Narrun Williams, known as Brothablack, is a Sydney-based Indigenous Hip Hop performer.Brothablack was a founding member of Deadly award winning group South West Syndicate...

, the South West Syndicate

South West Syndicate

South West Syndicate were an Australian hip-hop collective from Sydney. They started performing in 1992. and have been made up of Aboriginal, Lebanese-Australian, Pacific Islander, Croatian, German and Anglo hip hop artists...

, Local Knowledge

Local Knowledge (band)

Local Knowledge were an Indigenous hip-hop group from Newcastle, New South Wales.They were formed in 2002 by brothers Abie and Wok Wright and Joel Wenitong with DJ Jay Tee joining later. They disbanded in 2006...

, Lez Beckett

Lez Beckett

Lez Beckett is a hip hop artist. He has been a member of South West Syndicate and Cypher Duem. He won a Deadly in 2005 for Most Promising New Talent.-External links:*...

, Native Ryme Syndicate

Native Ryme Syndicate

Native Ryme Syndicate is a Brisbane based rap group. Native Ryme Syndicate won a Deadly award in 1998 for Most Promising New Talent They have played with Spiderbait, Regurgitator and 28 Days and at the Big Day Out and Livid festivals....

produce songs that address the situation of Indigenous Australians

Indigenous Australians

Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....

. One of their musical influences is the American hip hop group Public Enemy. 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. Another performer is Munkimuk

Munkimuk

Mark Ross, known as Munk or Munkimuk is a Sydney based Indigenous Hip Hop performer. He is known as The Godfather of Indigenous Hip Hop and has been performing since 1984 as a breakdancer and rapping since 1988. He is known for his music production, MCíng, breakdancing, event hosting and radio...

, he works around Australia on community educational hip-hop projects such as 1999s Desert Rap with Brothablack from South West Syndicate and Morganics

Morganics

Morgan Lewis, known as Morganics, is a Sydney based Hip Hop performer.Morganics started performing in Sydney in 1984 and was a member of Metabass'n'Breath who toured in Australia and America....

, organised with Tony Collins from Triple J

Triple J

triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...

, of which ABC TV made a documentary. Munkimuk also hosts a nationally syndicated weekly radio program "Indij Hip Hop Show" produced from Koori Radio

Koori Radio

Koori Radio is a community radio station based in Redfern broadcasting to Sydney on a city-wide licence. It is part of the Gadigal Information Service and is the only radio station in Sydney providing full-time broadcasting to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.Koori Radio is the...

in Sydney.

In Australia, dance moves associated with hip hop, like locking

Locking (dance)

Locking is a style of funk dance, which is today also associated with hip hop. The name is based on the concept of locking movements, which basically means freezing from a fast movement and "locking" in a certain position, holding that position for a short while and then continuing in the same...

and popping

Popping

Popping is a street dance and one of the original funk styles that came from California during the 1960s-70s. It is based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer's body, referred to as a pop or a hit...

has been one of the main things that has drawn public interest in hip hop, and contributed to its popularity. 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. 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 the Australian accent, Australian slang, political views, references to localities, dealings with the Australian cultural identity, etc. 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. 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 .

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." 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". 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". 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

Aussie battler

The term Aussie Battler is an Australian colloquialism referring to "ordinary" or working class individuals who persevere through their commitments despite adversity. Typically, this adversity comprises the challenges of low pay, family commitments, environmental hardships and lack of personal...

, jovial, larrikin lyrics and the heavy use of samples and sound bites. There are, however, many instances of artists and their works that use their lyrics to analyse and discuss society, politics and how Australian suburbia interacts with the Australian culture amongst other such subjects. A theme that is becoming more and more prevalent throughout the work of various Australian MCs is that of their individual emotional struggles throughout life.

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, 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 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.

In Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

radio station 106.7 3PBSFM featured the radio show Steppin' 2 da A.M with DJ Krisy the show ran for over 5 years and featured almost the entire Australian hip hop scene including regular dj Spots by DJ Ransom,DJ FX and many more.

Also in Melbourne after Steppin 2 da A.M ended was a show called The Formula with hosts Stewbakka,Bias B and DJ FX that run for many years, when 'The formula' show ended the Hosts started a show at 3RRR Triple R called 'Werdburner' with Hosts Stewbakka and Bias B.

On 3PBSFM in Melbourne was a show called 'Hitt'n Switches' with Hosts Reason, Pegs, Minas, Newsense and DJ FX on the Turntables this show ran for many years and had a strong following with many australian hip hop artists doing interviews and live to air freestyles.

3PBS Still hosts 2 hip hop show's with 'Rampage' hosted by Zack covering oldshool hip hop from the beginnings of 1979 until the golden era of the late 80s and early 90s as well as 'Hippopotamus Rex' with Ronan that covers hip hop world wide.

Iconic Melbourne

Melbourne

radio station Triple R

3RRR

3RRR is a popular Australian community radio station, based in Melbourne. It is the largest per capita subscribed radio station in the world....

featured the dedicated hip-hop program "Wordburner" for many years, replacing it in 2007 with Son Zu and Doc Felix's program "Top Billin". Additionally Gavan Purdy's long running program "Can You Dig It" features a substantial hip-hop component.

Influential youth radio station Triple J

Triple J

introduced the Hip Hop Show
Hip Hop Show
Hip Hop Show is Triple J's show dedicated to hip hop.Broadcast Monday nights 10 pm - 1 am it is hosted by Hau Latukefu. Latukefu replaced Maya Jupiter on 14 April 2008....

, a weekly program initially hosted by Nicole Foote, then rapper Maya Jupiter

Maya Jupiter

Maya Jupiter is an Australian Rapper & Radio Personality-Biography:Maya was born in La Paz, Mexico. She is of mixed Mexican and Turkish origin...

and now (2008) by Hau from Koolism

Koolism

.

In Tasmania, Launceston

Launceston, Tasmania

Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...

station City Park Radio

City Park Radio

City Park Radio is a community radio station in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, broadcasting on the frequency 103.7 FM and is a member of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia....

(7LTN) featured the weekly hip hop show Ghettoblast, which was begun in 1985 by Ben Little and continued for about 17 years, manned by a rotating crew of devotees including Large B, Kingy, DJ D-Swift, Dice, Dready, Bust One and others. Before it ceased in 2002, Ghettoblast was for many years considered the longest running hip hop show in Australia. (Brisbane's Phat Tape has since taken over that honour). Meanwhile, in Hobart, J Robin and P Bourke had a dance music show on 7THE called Black Satin & Plastic in the mid-late 80s, which featured a lot of hip hop. In 1988, Dope DJ Double D (later DJ D-Swift), inspired by Black Satin & Plastic, started occasional midnight-to-dawn hip hop shows on 7THE, before starting the weekly Live from the Terrordome in 1989, which lasted 2–3 years.

The Edge

Edge 96.1

The Edge 96.One is a music radio station based in outer Sydney, Australia but licensed to Katoomba. It is operated by the Australian Radio Network.-History:...

(96.1 FM) in Sydney plays primarily hip hop and R&B, with a segment called 'The Tasman Connector' hosted by Ksera showcasing Australian and New Zealand hip hop and has the only nightly Urban countdown 'Ksera & The Dirty Dozen' winner of the 2006 UMA for best urban radio show. In 2009 Australian Radio Network

Australian Radio Network

The Australian Radio Network is a group of commercial radio stations around Australia and New Zealand. A joint venture of Australian media conglomerate APN News & Media and United States radio company Clear Channel Communications, the group is the largest radio company in Australasia...

who own The Edge 961 acknowledged the urban audience not being serviced by commercial radio and launched on-line Kseraradio.com which streams 24/7 via the website and simulcasts on The Edge from 9pm seven nights a week (changing to 4-6pm from 2010). The Edge 961 is the only commercial radio station in Australia to play predominantly urban music. As of July 2009, The Edge is on digital radio in Melbourne, Adelaide & Brisbane, under the name of "Edge Digital", however Ksera's show is not broadcast on Digital.

2SER

2SER

2SER is a community radio station in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, broadcasting on the frequency 107.3 FM and is a member of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia. The station operates as a company limited by guarantee and is jointly owned by Macquarie University and the...

(107.3FM) in Sydney has a weekly program, "Droppin Science", which features hip hop from 1979 to the present day. 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.
More recently Big Dave has been hosting episodes of Jailbreak on 2SER playing Aussie hip hop recorded by Australian prison inmates.

4ZZZ

4ZZZ

4ZZZ is an independent community radio station operating in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, at the frequency 102.1 FM. As a community radio station, 4ZZZ is a member of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia...

(102.1 FM) in Brisbane has a weekly program, "Phat Tape", every Friday from 8pm till 10pm. Phat Tape is the longest running hip hop radio show in Australia, current hosts are Chubba Dubbed, Complex, Dj Dcide and Sean B.

Three D Radio

Three D Radio

Three D Radio is a community radio station based in Adelaide, Australia and located in Stepney, South Australia. Established in 1979, it broadcasts on 93.7 MHz across the greater metropolitan area of Adelaide and the surrounding rural areas...

(93.7FM) in Adelaide, South Australia, currently runs two hip hop programs, "Best Kept Secret" Friday nights (previously Thursdays 11pm-1am) from 7:30-9pm & "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 Percee P, Evidence, M-Phazes, Cypress Hill, Kool Keith, Paris, Montage One, T-Kash, DJ True Justice, K.E.V., Dialect & Despair, Social Change, Delta, Motion, Pagen Elypsis, Adroit Effusive & 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

RTRFM

RTRFM is a not-for-profit, community radio station based in Perth, Western Australia. It is self-funded, largely through listener subscription and fund-raising events, however it does carry some "advertising material" at a maximum of 5 mins per hour. It broadcasts 24 hours a day, on 92.1 in the...

(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.

SYN

Student Youth Network

SYN Media is a youth-run media organisation that provides training and broadcast opportunities for young people.Commonly referred to as SYN, the organisation produces new and independent media that is made by and for Melbourne's young people...

(90.7FM) in Melbourne has one show, Strictly OZ, which is a 100% Australian HipHop Show hosted by Cook & Lil Marc playing the best of Australian HipHop, First went to Air Sep 30th 2009 . Discussing HipHop News and Gigs & Tours & Interviews, recently had ( Brad Strut, Diafrix, Phrase, Downsyde & Pez & 360, Bliss N Eso, Bias B, Maundz, Funkoars). Every Wednesday night from 10pm. Recently in 2011 Strictly OZ HipHop show has moved stations to KISS FM 87.6-88.0fm Melbourne every Sunday night from 7:30-9:00 playing 100% Australian HipHop.

Radio Metro (105.7FM) on the Gold Coast, Queensland has a weekly hip hop and R&B radio show called Mixtape Mondays hosted by local producers, The Architects, that focuses on playing American urban music, as well as exposing Australian hip hop artists and DJ's.

JACradio (jacradio.com.au), the University of Queensland

University of Queensland

The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...

's student-run digital radio station, features "The 4 Elements", a weekly hip hop show. The show is hosted by Journalism student and hip hop enthusiast Taj Davis and plays hip hop from around the world, but focuses primarily on Brisbane

Brisbane

Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

and Australian based artists.

2VOX-FM, a community radio station in Wollongong, NSW, had a long-running Hip Hop show called "The Big Payback" that was launched in 1990 by Hadjir Naghdy and local Wollongong hip hop identity, MC Skoop. The show went to air on Sat nights from 8 to 10pm before switching to a Tuesday night. It focused on both international and local Australian acts. A variety of presenters followed until it was removed from the programming schedule in 2010.

Television

The first appearance of an Australian hip hop act on Australian Television was in November 1988 when Skippy The Butcher performed live on the ABC's "The Factory" connected to the Run DMC tour.
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

Def Wish Cast

Def Wish Cast are an Australian hip hop group originally from around Penrith, Sydney. Currently they reside in a few areas around the City of Sydney.-Biography:...

and examined the Sydney hip hop culture. The documentary was made by Paul Fenech

Paul Fenech

Paul Fenech is a film maker, television and film actor and writer from Sydney, Australia, best known for his role in Pizza and Swift and Shift Couriers .-Career:...

(creator of SBS' Pizza
Pizza (TV series)
Pizza is an Australian black comedy television series on the Australian television network, SBS. It has also spun off a feature length movie in 2003, and in 2004 released a highlights video/DVD which also included previously unshown footage and a schoolies exposé theatre show entitled "Fat Pizza"...

series). It featured MC Trey, Def Wish Cast, DJ Bonez

DJ Bonez

DJ Bonez is a hip hop DJ and producer, originally from Sydney, New South Wales and currently based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....

, DJ Ask and more.

In August, 2006 the ABC program Compass

Compass

A compass is a navigational instrument that shows directions in a frame of reference that is stationary relative to the surface of the earth. The frame of reference defines the four cardinal directions – north, south, east, and west. Intermediate directions are also defined...

showed a documentary entitled The Mistery [sic] of Hip Hop which explored the cultural movement and popularity of hip hop in Australia. The film followed one of the "founding fathers" of the Sydney Hip-Hop scene Matthew "Mistery" Peet. Mistery works full time as graffiti artist and is also emcee/rapper in the group Brethren

Brethren (Australian group)

Brethren are one of the longest-serving hip hop crews in Australia, celebrating 20 years in 2009. The group comprises Matthew Peet aka “Mistery” and Claude Rodriguez aka Wizdm....

. The 28 minute documentary looked at the "four elements of hip hop": breakdancing, DJing, rapping

Rapping

Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...

, and graffiti

Graffiti

Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....

. It featured interviews from the then host of Triple J's hip-hop show Maya Jupiter

Maya Jupiter

Maya Jupiter is an Australian Rapper & Radio Personality-Biography:Maya was born in La Paz, Mexico. She is of mixed Mexican and Turkish origin...

, the other half of the group Brethren: Wizdm and DJ Kool Herc

DJ Kool Herc

Clive Campbell , also known as Kool Herc, DJ Kool Herc and Kool DJ Herc, is a Jamaican-born DJ who is credited with originating hip hop music, in The Bronx, New York City...

.

In December, 2007 ABC Television aired the documentary Words from the City, which included interviews with a number of high profile Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n hip hop artists from around the country including: Hilltop Hoods

Hilltop Hoods

, Koolism

Koolism

, Downsyde

Downsyde

Downsyde are an Australian hip hop group from Perth, Western Australia. The group is composed of six members, Optamus, Dazastah, Dyna-Mikes, DJ Armee, Cheeky, and Hi-Hat.- History :...

, TZU

TZU

For the ancient chinese military strategist and author, see Sun Tzu.TZU are an Australian hip hop group, originating from Melbourne, Victoria. They are known for live shows with significant crowd involvement, at festivals such as Big Day Out, Falls Festival, MS Fest and the Meredith Music Festival,...

, MC Layla

MC Layla

- Biography :Layla Rose Hanbury was born in 15 October 1982. Her first gig was at an MC battle in Perth where she was the only female among 20 entrants....

, Bliss n Eso

Bliss n Eso

Bliss n Eso are an ARIA Award-winning Australian hip hop band based in Sydney, and were originally known as Bliss N' Esoterikizm for their debut EP The Arrival...

, MC Trey, Wire MC and Maya Jupiter

Maya Jupiter

Maya Jupiter is an Australian Rapper & Radio Personality-Biography:Maya was born in La Paz, Mexico. She is of mixed Mexican and Turkish origin...

Film

In 2004, independent film-maker Oriel Guthrie debuted her documentary Skip Hop at the Melbourne International Film Festival

Melbourne International Film Festival

The Melbourne International Film Festival is an acclaimed annual film festival held over three weeks in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1951, making it one of the oldest in the World....

. The film includes live footage of freestyle battles and prominent gigs around Australia, as well as interviews with Def Wish Cast

Def Wish Cast

Def Wish Cast are an Australian hip hop group originally from around Penrith, Sydney. Currently they reside in a few areas around the City of Sydney.-Biography:...

, DJ Peril, Hilltop Hoods

Hilltop Hoods

, Koolism

Koolism

, Blades Of Hades

Blades Of Hades

Blades formerly known as Blades of Hades, are an Australian hip hop group from Newcastle. Since forming in the late 1990s they have released three albums, Blades Of Hades, This Installment, and Shadow Art in 2008. The group took its name from Greek mythology, where Hades was the Gatekeeper of the...

, Maya Jupiter

Maya Jupiter

Maya Jupiter is an Australian Rapper & Radio Personality-Biography:Maya was born in La Paz, Mexico. She is of mixed Mexican and Turkish origin...

, The Herd and Wicked Force Breakers.

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 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, Vapors (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 1980s 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

Stealth magazine

Stealth Magazine is an independent hip-hop magazine from Australia. Founded by Mark Pollard, it debuted in June 1999 with The Arsonists on the cover. Its first three issues were zine-like in format...

. 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.
With Out4Fame being removed from the free publication market this created a gap for a new publication to be founded & Australia soon saw the release of the first Peak Street Magazine (Issue Zero). Peak Street Magazine has since release 2 further issues, generally 6 months apart, and held one art exhibition 'Sleep is the Cousin of Death' in which artists were invited to paint on 12" records drawing inspiration from the famous Nas

Nas

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...

lyric. A limited release publication was produced for the exhibition showcasing the art within.

Notable artists

1200 Techniques
1200 Techniques
1200 Techniques were an Australian hip hop group. They formed in 1997 and released two LPs before going on hiatus in 2005.-Biography:The group was formed in 1997, starting out as DJ Peril and brothers Nfamas and Kabba, soon after Peril's brother Kemstar joined and together they wrote many of the...
360
360 (rapper)
360 is an Australian hip hop artist from Melbourne.-Biography:360 attended Luther College in Melbourne's Eastern suburbs. In February 2007 he signed to Soulmate Records, and released his debut album, What You See Is What You Get, in March 2008...
Astronomy Class
Astronomy Class
Astronomy Class are an Australian hip-hop / reggae group from Sydney. The group comprises Ozi Batla , Sir Robbo and Chasm ....
Bias B
Bias B
Bias B is an Australian hip hop artist. He started writing lyrics in 1989 and began performing in 1991 and released his first album, Beezwax, in 1998. The album took two years to sell its first 500 copies. In 1999, Bias B released an album called Boney & Stoney along with fellow crew members Len...
Big Dave
Big Dave (rapper)
Big Dave is an Australian rapper, record producer, radio host and Community Advocate. He is also the founder and owner of KP Records.Since his release from Long Bay Jail in 2005, Big Dave has gone on to become a well-known Australian Underground MC....
Bliss n Eso
Bliss n Eso
Bliss n Eso are an ARIA Award-winning Australian hip hop band based in Sydney, and were originally known as Bliss N' Esoterikizm for their debut EP The Arrival...
Brad Strut
Brad Strut
Brad Strut is an Australian hip hop emcee and singer based in Melbourne. Strut has performed and released material as a solo artist, and is also a member of hip hop group Lyrical Commission.-Biography:...
Brethren
Brethren (Australian group)
Brethren are one of the longest-serving hip hop crews in Australia, celebrating 20 years in 2009. The group comprises Matthew Peet aka “Mistery” and Claude Rodriguez aka Wizdm....
Brothablack
Brothablack
Shannon Narrun Williams, known as Brothablack, is a Sydney-based Indigenous Hip Hop performer.Brothablack was a founding member of Deadly award winning group South West Syndicate...
Brothers Stoney
Brothers Stoney
Brothers Stoney is an Australian hip hop group hailing from Brisbane, Queensland. The crew comprises emcees Lazy Grey and Len One. Both Lazy Grey and Len One are members of the Brisbane hip hop crew, 750 Rebels.-Boney & Stoney:...
Butterfingers
Def Wish Cast
Def Wish Cast
Def Wish Cast are an Australian hip hop group originally from around Penrith, Sydney. Currently they reside in a few areas around the City of Sydney.-Biography:...
DJ Bonez
DJ Bonez
DJ Bonez is a hip hop DJ and producer, originally from Sydney, New South Wales and currently based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
Dialectrix
Dialectrix
Dialectrix is an Australian hip hop artist from the Blue Mountains. He was a member of Down Under Beats Crew and since 2008 has been in Gully Platoon...

Downsyde
Downsyde
Downsyde are an Australian hip hop group from Perth, Western Australia. The group is composed of six members, Optamus, Dazastah, Dyna-Mikes, DJ Armee, Cheeky, and Hi-Hat.- History :...
Drapht
Drapht
Drapht is an Australian hip hop singer from Perth, Western Australia. Drapht is a member of the Syllaboliks crew, which comprises fellow Australian hip hop artists from Perth.-Biography:...
Figgkidd
Figgkidd
Figgkidd is an Australian rapper from Bankstown. He is often compared to Eminem. He won best new talent at the 2006 Urban Music Awards.-Discography:*"I Gotta Know" featuring Tech N9ne and Red Foo Aus #50*What is Figgkidd...
Funkoars
Funkoars
The Funkoars are an Australian hip hop act from Adelaide. They are part of the Certified Wise crew, sixteen South Australian hip hop artists who often appear on each others tracks on various albums.-Members:...
Gully Platoon
Gully Platoon
Gully Platoon are an Australian hip-hop group, composed of Pegz with Joe New and Dialectrix .-Biography:...
The Herd
Hermitude
Hermitude
Hermitude are an Australian hip hop group, originating from the Blue Mountains, New South Wales.- Biography :The two multi-instrumentalists Luke Dubber and Angus Stuart have been in bands together since 1994, at the ages of 16 and 11 respectively...
Hilltop Hoods
Hilltop Hoods
The Hilltop Hoods are an ARIA Award winning Australian hip hop group, from Adelaide, South Australia. Their members are MCs Suffa , MC Pressure , DJ Debris and formerly DJ Next. They have been at the centre of the Australian hip hop scene for the better part of two decades, originally forming back...
Horrorshow
Horrorshow (band)
Horrorshow are a two-piece hip-hop group from Sydney, Australia, comprising Nick Bryant-Smith as emcee and Adit Gauchan providing the beats as DJ. Both members grew up in the inner-west suburbs of Sydney, attending Fort Street High School...
Hyjak N Torcha
Hyjak N Torcha
Hyjak N Torcha is an Australian hip hop group from Sydney, New South Wales.-Biography:The group, formed in 2000, consists of three members: Hyjak , Torcha , and DJ Bonez ....
Illy
Illy (rapper)
Illy is an Australian Hip Hop Artist from Melbourne, Victoria. He was a member of Crooked Eye and has since gone solo, releasing his first album, Long Story Short in 2009. Long Story Short reached #24 on the ARIA Top 40 Urban Albums chart and the lead single, "Pictures", was placed on national...
Justice & Kaos
Justice & Kaos
Justice & Kaos are an Australian hip hop duo from Melbourne. Their debut release, the "Turn It On EP" was nominated for Best Urban Release at the 2007 ARIA Music Awards...
J-Wess
J-Wess
James Wesley Essex, better known by his stage name J-Wess, is an American-Australian hip hop and R&B musician. He is based in Melbourne, Australia...

Katalyst
Katalyst (musician)
Katalyst is an Australian DJ/Producer. He won awards at the 2002 Australian Dance Music Awards for Best Album and Best Producer.- Biography :...
Koolism
Koolism
Koolism is an Australian hip hop duo originating from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.The members are lyricist Hau Latukefu and producer/DJ/musician Danielsan Ichiban .-History:Koolism started out in 1992 when Elleson joined a group by the name...
Kerser
The Last Kinection
The Last Kinection
The Last Kinection are an Indigenous hip-hop group from Newcastle, New South Wales.They were formed in 2006 Joel Wenitong and DJ Jay Tee from Local Knowledge and Naomi Wenitong from Shakaya. They first came to attention with their reworking of the Peter Allen tune "I Still Call Australia Home"...
MC Trey
MC Trey
MC Trey or Trey is a Fijian-Australian rapper, vocalist and hip-hop activist. She was nominated as one of Sydney's Top 10 Creative Innovators in the field of music and is a member of ARIA nominated band, Foreign Heights....
MC Layla
MC Layla
- Biography :Layla Rose Hanbury was born in 15 October 1982. Her first gig was at an MC battle in Perth where she was the only female among 20 entrants....
Macromantics
Macromantics
Macromantics is the stage name used by the Melbourne-based hip hop artist Romy Hoffman.-Biography:In 1995 Hoffman started performing with her high school classmate Ben Lee's pop/punk band Noise Addict as a 15 year old guitarist."I just did the last tour with them, which was great because I got to...
Matty B
Matty B
Matty B is a former Australian rapper, now employed as a miner in Western Australia's booming mining industry.-Biography:Matthew Barrett grew up in Western Australia and was a member of Perth's Syllaboliks hip hop crew...
Maya Jupiter
Maya Jupiter
Maya Jupiter is an Australian Rapper & Radio Personality-Biography:Maya was born in La Paz, Mexico. She is of mixed Mexican and Turkish origin...
Mind Over Matter
Mind Over Matter (Band)
Mind Over Matter are an Australian hip hop outfit from Sydney, Australia consisting of MCs Willow and Smiles Again. The group have played alongside and toured in support of some of Australia's biggest musical exports, including Jebediah, Bliss n Eso, Drapht, The Herd and Pez.-Biography:The duo;...
M-Phazes
M-Phazes
M-Phazes is an Australian Hip Hop producer and artist based in Melbourne, Victoria. Born on the Gold Coast he relocated to Melbourne to further his musical career...
Morganics
Morganics
Morgan Lewis, known as Morganics, is a Sydney based Hip Hop performer.Morganics started performing in Sydney in 1984 and was a member of Metabass'n'Breath who toured in Australia and America....
Muph & Plutonic
Muph & Plutonic
Muph & Plutonic is an Australian hip hop group. It is composed of MC Muphin and DJ–drummer–producer Plutonic Lab, both of whom released several solo albums before joining together to form a combined act in 2004.-Plutonic Lab:...
N'fa
N'fa
N'fa is an African Australian rapper born in London, but raised in Perth, Western Australia, best known as the former frontman for 1200 Techniques. His father is from Sierra Leone. Forster-Jones met Heath Ledger in primary school and remained friends until the actor's death in 2008...

Pegz
Pez
Pez (musician)
Pez is a Hip-hop MC from Melbourne, Australia. He attended Kew High School in Melbourne's eastern suburbs. His debut album, A Mind Of My Own peaked at #19 on the ARIA Urban album charts.-Biography:...
Phatchance
Phatchance
Chance Waters , is an Australian hip hop artist and record producer from Sydney Australia. He released his debut album Inkstains in November 2009 via Obese Records Distribution....
Phrase
Phrase (rapper)
Harley Webster —better known as Phrase—is an Australian hip hop MC, originating from Melbourne, Victoria.-History:Phrase began to piece together an album with producers Daniel Merriweather and J-Skub , while working part-time for the Reach Youth foundation, an organization that Phrase credits with...
Plutonic Lab
Plutonic Lab
Leigh Ryan, better known by the stage name Plutonic Lab or sometimes as Pluto, is an Australian music producer, drummer and DJ. He is best known for being part of the hip hop group Muph & Plutonic as well as his production work on albums and EPs for Australian and international artists.-Early life...
Resin Dogs
Resin Dogs
Resin Dogs are a Brisbane, Australia-based hip hop band, originally formed in 1996. Resin Dogs are a loose collective, a cut and paste sample band who use live drums, live bass, and elements of hip hop via turntables and samplers to create all forms of ritual dance sounds...
Seth Sentry
Seth Sentry
Seth Sentry is an Australian hip hop artist from Melbourne. He is best known for his track "The Waitress Song", which received significant national airplay on Triple J.-Biography:...
Snob Scrilla
Snob Scrilla
Sean Ray is an American rapper, producer and musician.- Biography :Sean Ray known by his alias Snob Scrilla was born in Clovis, California. He went to Buchanan High School. He moved to Australia to study and while living in Newcastle began making music before later moving to Sydney. His hometown...
Spit Syndicate
Spit Syndicate
Spit Syndicate are an ARIA Award nominated Australian hip hop duo based in Sydney.-Biography:In 2006, Spit Syndicate debuted by releasing a mixtape CD: The Future's Bright....
The Tongue
The Tongue
The Tongue is a Sydney music artist signed to Australian independent label Elefant Traks. He has recorded with Dudley Perkins, Ozi Batla, DJ Diaz, Urthboy, Bertie Blackman, The Bag Raiders, Gift Of Gab , Katalyst, Braintax, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and Muph & Plutonic.He has released an EP , two LPs...
True Live
True Live
True Live is an Australian jazz rap band formed in Melbourne, Australia. They had chart success with "TV" reaching #76 on the ARIA Single Chart and The Shape Of It reaching #85 on the ARIA Albums Chart...
TZU
TZU
For the ancient chinese military strategist and author, see Sun Tzu.TZU are an Australian hip hop group, originating from Melbourne, Victoria. They are known for live shows with significant crowd involvement, at festivals such as Big Day Out, Falls Festival, MS Fest and the Meredith Music Festival,...
Urthboy
Vents
Vents (musician)
Vents is an Australian hip hop artist from Adelaide, South Australia. He is known for his dark political content and aggressive delivery, and his association with the Certified Wise crew, whose members include the Hilltop Hoods, Funkoars, Cross-Bred Mongrels and Terra Firma...

Record labels

Obese Records
Obese Records
Obese Records is an Australian hip hop record label. It is the largest Australian independent Hip-Hop label, a retail store and a touring and record distribution company.-History:...

— Their CEO is MC Pegz; artists include Illy, Dialectrix, and M-Phazes
Basic Equipment — Co-run by Sereck of Def Wish Cast
Def Wish Cast
Def Wish Cast are an Australian hip hop group originally from around Penrith, Sydney. Currently they reside in a few areas around the City of Sydney.-Biography:...

; artists include Def Wish Cast
Big Village Records - Formed in 2010 and currently based in Sydney; rostered artists include Daily Meds, True Vibenation, Loose Change, Tuka, Jeswon, Ellesquire, Tenth Dan & Reverse Polarities.
Crookneck Records - Melbourne-based label; artists include A-Love
A-Love
A-Love is a female Australian based MC from Melbourne. Her debut album, Ace of Hearts was nominated 'Best Urban Release' in the ARIA Music Awards of 2008.-Biography:A-Love was born Antonella Formosa in Rome, Italy on 21 March 1983...

, Mnemonic Ascent
Mnemonic Ascent
Mnemonic Ascent is an Australian hip hop group make up of BVA , and Raph Boogie from Adelaide with DJ Ransom from Melbourne. They release their albums through Raph Boogie's Crookneck Records.-Discography:...

, Lazy Grey and DJ Ransom
Rebelbase - (Now Defunct) Established in Melbourne in 1993 Founders Zulu King Excel (Universal Zulu Nation) and partner E.K. - Artists included Dedli Cii, Ruffenexet, Ron B Me aka Fisun, Snuff, DJ FX, Damzel, RKS.
Elefant Traks
Elefant Traks
Elefant Traks is an Australian hip hop record label based in Sydney, Australia. Elefant Traks are distributed nationally through Inertia Distribution.-History:...

— Run by members of The Herd; artists include Urthboy, Astronomy Class
Astronomy Class
Astronomy Class are an Australian hip-hop / reggae group from Sydney. The group comprises Ozi Batla , Sir Robbo and Chasm ....

, Hermitude
Hermitude
Hermitude are an Australian hip hop group, originating from the Blue Mountains, New South Wales.- Biography :The two multi-instrumentalists Luke Dubber and Angus Stuart have been in bands together since 1994, at the ages of 16 and 11 respectively...

, The Herd and Horrorshow
Horrorshow (band)
Horrorshow are a two-piece hip-hop group from Sydney, Australia, comprising Nick Bryant-Smith as emcee and Adit Gauchan providing the beats as DJ. Both members grew up in the inner-west suburbs of Sydney, attending Fort Street High School...
Golden Era Records
Golden Era Records
Golden Era Records is an Australian hip hop record label based in Adelaide, and was founded in 2008 by Australian hip-hop group Hilltop Hoods.-History:Golden Era Records started in 2008....

- A label established by Hilltop Hoods
Hilltop Hoods
The Hilltop Hoods are an ARIA Award winning Australian hip hop group, from Adelaide, South Australia. Their members are MCs Suffa , MC Pressure , DJ Debris and formerly DJ Next. They have been at the centre of the Australian hip hop scene for the better part of two decades, originally forming back...

in 2008; Artists include Hilltop Hoods
Hilltop Hoods
The Hilltop Hoods are an ARIA Award winning Australian hip hop group, from Adelaide, South Australia. Their members are MCs Suffa , MC Pressure , DJ Debris and formerly DJ Next. They have been at the centre of the Australian hip hop scene for the better part of two decades, originally forming back...

, Vents
Vents (musician)
Vents is an Australian hip hop artist from Adelaide, South Australia. He is known for his dark political content and aggressive delivery, and his association with the Certified Wise crew, whose members include the Hilltop Hoods, Funkoars, Cross-Bred Mongrels and Terra Firma...

and Funkoars
Funkoars
The Funkoars are an Australian hip hop act from Adelaide. They are part of the Certified Wise crew, sixteen South Australian hip hop artists who often appear on each others tracks on various albums.-Members:...

.
Hydrofunk Records
Hydrofunk Records
Hydrofunk Records is an independent Australian hip hop record label that represents a number of Australian acts including the Resin Dogs and Def Wish Cast.-History:...

— Run by members of the Resin Dogs
Resin Dogs
Resin Dogs are a Brisbane, Australia-based hip hop band, originally formed in 1996. Resin Dogs are a loose collective, a cut and paste sample band who use live drums, live bass, and elements of hip hop via turntables and samplers to create all forms of ritual dance sounds...

; artists include Resin Dogs and Def Wish Cast
Def Wish Cast
Def Wish Cast are an Australian hip hop group originally from around Penrith, Sydney. Currently they reside in a few areas around the City of Sydney.-Biography:...

.
IF? Records
IF? Records
IF? Records, established in Melbourne, Australia in 1995 and based in Tokyo, Japan after relocating there in 2001, was a live gig and rave party organiser in Melbourne in the 1990s and one of Melbourne's first independent local electronic music labels....

— Originally Melbourne-based, now in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

; artists include Zen Paradox
Zen Paradox
Zen Paradox is an electronic music artist, primarily involved in the production of techno as well as other more experimental electronic sounds, from Melbourne, Australia. It is the principle name under which Steve Law records and performs electronic music. He also uses the names Mr...

and Little Nobody
Little Nobody
Little Nobody is the electronic music production alias of Australian musician and writer Andrez Bergen.-Background:An expatriate Melburnian, who currently resides in Tokyo, Japan, Bergen is also an author and photographer, as well as a music, movie and anime journalist for the Daily Yomiuri...

.
Inavada Records - Established in Sydney in 2002; artists include Fdel, Koolism
Koolism
Koolism is an Australian hip hop duo originating from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.The members are lyricist Hau Latukefu and producer/DJ/musician Danielsan Ichiban .-History:Koolism started out in 1992 when Elleson joined a group by the name...

, Katalyst and Flow Dynamics.
Illusive Sounds
Illusive Sounds
Illusive Group is an independent Australian record label & touring company that represents a number of acts including Bliss n Eso, Lowrider, Paris Wells, Downsyde, Metals, True Live, Diafrix and X&Hell.-History:...

- Melbourne-based recording label formed in February 2003; artists include Bliss n Eso
Bliss n Eso
Bliss n Eso are an ARIA Award-winning Australian hip hop band based in Sydney, and were originally known as Bliss N' Esoterikizm for their debut EP The Arrival...

, Downsyde
Downsyde
Downsyde are an Australian hip hop group from Perth, Western Australia. The group is composed of six members, Optamus, Dazastah, Dyna-Mikes, DJ Armee, Cheeky, and Hi-Hat.- History :...

, Diafrix and Weapon X and Ken Hell.
Krosswerdz Recordings - Artists include Mistery and Wizdm from Brethren
Brethren (Australian group)
Brethren are one of the longest-serving hip hop crews in Australia, celebrating 20 years in 2009. The group comprises Matthew Peet aka “Mistery” and Claude Rodriguez aka Wizdm....

also includes Dean DVS G., and Oakbridge.
Marlin Records - A Melbourne based recording label; artists include Phrase
Phrase (rapper)
Harley Webster —better known as Phrase—is an Australian hip hop MC, originating from Melbourne, Victoria.-History:Phrase began to piece together an album with producers Daniel Merriweather and J-Skub , while working part-time for the Reach Youth foundation, an organization that Phrase credits with...

and Daniel Merriweather
Daniel Merriweather
Daniel Paul Merriweather is an Australian R&B singer-songwriter who has worked as a featured vocalist for other artists and has a solo career. His guest vocals are included on album tracks by Disco Montego, Mark Ronson and Phrase...

.
Method Recordings - A Melbourne label, part of the Shock Records group; artists include Illzilla, The Last Kinection
The Last Kinection
The Last Kinection are an Indigenous hip-hop group from Newcastle, New South Wales.They were formed in 2006 Joel Wenitong and DJ Jay Tee from Local Knowledge and Naomi Wenitong from Shakaya. They first came to attention with their reworking of the Peter Allen tune "I Still Call Australia Home"...

, Elf Tranzporter, Hykoo, Infallible.
Nurcha Records (now defunct) — Founded by Shrekk in 2005 and based in Sydney, until it closed in January 2009. The artist roster included Mind Over Matter
Mind Over Matter (Band)
Mind Over Matter are an Australian hip hop outfit from Sydney, Australia consisting of MCs Willow and Smiles Again. The group have played alongside and toured in support of some of Australia's biggest musical exports, including Jebediah, Bliss n Eso, Drapht, The Herd and Pez.-Biography:The duo;...

, Last Credit, Phatchance
Phatchance
Chance Waters , is an Australian hip hop artist and record producer from Sydney Australia. He released his debut album Inkstains in November 2009 via Obese Records Distribution....

Coptic Soldier, Double & Big Lu and Natural Causes.
Payback Records
Payback Records
Payback Records is an Australian record company. It was founded by Nathan Lovett-Murray and Cappa Atkinson in Melbourne, Victoria and was launched in October 2008. It focuses on hip-hop music performed by indigenous people...

- Melbourne based label founded by Nathan Lovett-Murray
Nathan Lovett-Murray
Nathan Lovett-Murray is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League....

and Cappa Atkinson. Artists include Tjimba and the Yung Warriors
Tjimba and the Yung Warriors
Tjimba and the Yung Warriors are an Australian hip hop group.They released their debut album Warrior 4 Life in August 2007. They played at 2008 Big Day Out, at Yabun in Sydney, at the World Indigenous Peoples Conference: Education in Melbourne and supported 50 Cent...

, Little G
Little G
Little G is a rapper, actor, dancer and community activist from Melbourne, Victoria. She is of Aboriginal and Greek descent....

and [ Mr Morggs ].
Soulmate Records - Melbourne based label with a roster consisting of emcee's: 360, Pez
Pez (musician)
Pez is a Hip-hop MC from Melbourne, Australia. He attended Kew High School in Melbourne's eastern suburbs. His debut album, A Mind Of My Own peaked at #19 on the ARIA Urban album charts.-Biography:...

, [Syntax] and producers: Stat D and Ante Escobar.
Unda K9 Records
Unda K9 Records
Unda K9 Records is an independent Australian record label that represents a number of hip-hop acts including Bukkcity, Tycotic, 13th Son, Syntax , DirtBox Kings, Herb and DJ Crusador.-History:...

- Established in Sydney, founded by Lui in 2002; artists include Bukkcity, Tycotic, 13th Son, Syntax, DirtBox Kings, Herb and DJ Crusador.
Soul Clap Records - Carrying on the tradition created by The Lounge Room and continued by Next Level Records, whose premises Soul Clap took over in 2006.
Sub Conscious Records - Based in Sydney and founded by the hip-hop duo Sceptic & Dseeva in 2007. Roster includes artists such as DJ Skae, Dark Matter, Grouce, Kaye One, Nihilist, and the posthumous recordings of Doose One.
Deck Records - Established in Melbourne, 2011, founded by Deck (Producer) with artists L-Katraz and Lil' Sunny.
kerser

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