'10s Aussie Hip-Hop Essentials

More than any other genre in Australia, hip-hop really took off throughout the 2010s. And we’re not just talking about international stars. The local hip-hop scene has firmly left the underground corner it once occupied, becoming a massive, mainstream force that’s surpassed any and all genre boundaries. Aussie forefathers Hilltop Hoods’ foray into pop-centric hits officially established them as one of the biggest groups in the country. Briggs and Trials had been kicking around the scene for years, but their powerful words hit harder than ever when they came together as A.B. Original, bringing Indigenous issues and political criticism to the fore with Reclaim Australia. Still, it’s the thriving younger generation we’re proudest of—these diverse, unique, deeply creative artists who draw as much influence from their own backyards and family stories as they do from the US and UK hip-hop scenes. It’s names like Sampa the Great, Onefour, Manu Crooks, Triple One and Chillinit, among others, who didn’t just give us a great decade of hip-hop, they’ve made us so excited about what’s to come.