Pure Funk Dance Blog: Australian Hip-Hop in 2010: Back to the future

Speedy, old soul samples, 808 kicks and snares, dramatically laid-back rapping with subject matter that included drinking, boasting and the inanities of day-to-day living. This is a diluted view of the Australian Hip Hop scene of the last few years.

The big question on everyones lips is where's it heading? Has it jumped the shark by raising expectation and pressure through unprecedented commercial success? Will producers rest on their already lofty laurels? I sense not, and have been seeing ripples in the Hip Hop swimming pool for a while now.

Slowly but surely we seem to be taking cues from our UK bretheren and expanding the genre beyond it's sample heavy confines. Releases that incorporate electronic influences and the interpolation of Hip Hop lyrics with dubstep sounds are just some of the indicators that the culture that has found it's identity and now wants share it through a widening musicality.

Groups like Bliss N Eso are known for taking chances and trying to incorporate elements from a range of musical genres, mostly without initially planning to. It's as if the broad listening habits of this generation are being reflected in the type of music that is being produced.

Urthboy, from the band The Herd, released his album Spitshine last year to critical acclaim, most of it praising the producers for the updated soundscapes. Producers are becoming more willing to embrace what was once considered taboo in many ciphers (synths), and are relying less and less on sample based production.

Bands like The Cat Empire and Lowrider showed Funk and Hip hop could co-exist on the same track, although many other less successful interpolations have come and gone too (28 Days anyone?).

I'll be keeping a close eye on what our choice beat-makers and mic controllers are doing in the future, with the hope upon hope that the baton has well and truly been taken and we're heading in the direction.

I'll leave you with some choice cuts from the Oz Hip Hop canon.

Def Wish Cast - A.U.S.T. (One of the first big aussie Hip Hop records, and almost certainly the best)