Hilltop Hoods are considered one of Australia's original and most renowned hip-hop groups – no mean feat in an industry which is saturated by pop and rock. The South Australian Hip-Hop mongrels formed in the early 90’s when MCs Suffa (Matt Lambert), Pressure (Daniel Smith), DJ Debris (Barry Francis) and formerly DJ Next met up in High School after discovering their common love for Ultramagnetic MCs and Public Enemy. Their name is derived from a suburb in south-eastern Adelaide known by the local youth as the Hilltop, where Suffa and Pressure were raised. The name "Hilltop Hoods" was ...
Courtesy Of Golden Era Records
October 11, 2009
June 21, 2009
Full Biography
Hilltop Hoods are considered one of Australia's original and most renowned hip-hop groups – no mean feat in an industry which is saturated by pop and rock. The South Australian Hip-Hop mongrels formed in the early 90’s when MCs Suffa (Matt Lambert), Pressure (Daniel Smith), DJ Debris (Barry Francis) and formerly DJ Next met up in High School after discovering their common love for Ultramagnetic MCs and Public Enemy.
Their name is derived from a suburb in south-eastern Adelaide known by the local youth as the Hilltop, where Suffa and Pressure were raised. The name "Hilltop Hoods" was suggested by local rapper, Flak, of the Cross Bred Mongrels in a Coles car park.
The three boys performed over a space of five years in the suburbs of Adelaide where the hip-hop scene was almost non-existent. The Hilltop Hoods stood out from the crowd over time and started to pull in some local Hip Hop awards, which in turn generated modest national recognition.
The group received two nominations for the Hip Hop Act of the Year Award at The Australian Dance Music Awards and again at the 3D World Music Awards in 2001 and 2002, catapulting Hilltop Hoods into a succession of airplay and fanfare.
2003 saw the release of ‘The Calling’, which achieved platinum status in Australia with singles ‘The Nosebleed Section’ and ‘Dumb Enough’, both scoring places in the coveted Triple J Hottest 100.
After several sold out shows over the next couple of years, the Hilltop Hoods fame snowballed as they wrote the follow up record ‘The Hard Road’.
The album was released in 2006 by Obese Records, debuting at number one on the ARIA.net album charts, which was an unprecedented victory for an Australian independent release, let alone a hip hop offering. With hits such as first single ‘Clown Prince’, it was no surprise the follow up achieved platinum status to date and also provided five tracks to the Triple J Hottest 100 in 2007.
Despite continuing to perform at major Australia music festivals such as Big Day Out, Southbound, Falls Festival and Splendour In The Grass, the hip-hop radicals found time to establish the ‘Hilltop Hoods Initiative’ in association with Arts South Australia.
Between big concert dates and charity foundations, in true hip hop mogul style the boys have also taken up shoe design! ‘Hilltop Hoods Remix Shoes’ were launched in February 2008 by DC Shoes, making them the first Aussie group to make their own shoes.
The South Australian lads are loaded with talent and the means to achieve great things; we can only wait anxiously for a third installment!
By Samantha Dickson
