Hilltop Hoods are ready to rattle the keys to the Australian hip hop Kingdom
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Hilltop Hoods are ready to rattle the keys to the Australian hip hop Kingdom

After forging an exciting local hip hop scene with their early releases almost 25 years ago, Adelaide trio Suffa, Pressure, and DJ Debris – otherwise known as Hilltop Hoods – smashed into the mainstream with their third album (and break out record) The Calling in 2003. It turned the heads of rock fans, dance music devotees and everyone in between, and changed the Australian hip hop scene forever.

Fast forward a few years, and Hilltop Hoods are still sitting pretty on the top on the urban music world in Australia with nine ARIAs, multi-platinum sales, countless tours and festival appearances, half a billion global streams and songs cemented in Australia’s DNA.

This year however saw the Hoods make ARIA charts history with their latest album The Great Expanse becoming their sixth #1 on the Albums Chart, crowning them the ARIA record holder for most #1 albums by an Australia band or group.

It’s the hip hop trio’s eighth studio album, and places them behind only Jimmy Barnes, John Farnham and The 12th Man for most #1 albums on the ARIA Charts by an Australian artist, which is one hell of a feat.

What can we say though? These guys know how to make quality music. But arguably just as importantly, they also know how to put on a damn good live show.

If you managed to catch them earlier this year, either on the Groovin The Moo stages and supporting Eminem on his Australian run, you’d agree that Hilltop Hoods seriously rattle the keys to the Australian hip hop Kingdom in a live setting.

Performing tracks like ‘Leave Me Lonely’, ‘The Nosebleed Section’, ‘1955’, ‘I Love It’, ‘Clark Griswold’, ‘Exit Sign’ and the unfortunately named but seriously infectious ‘Cosby Sweater’, the Hoods manage to get everyone singing the same song at the top of their lungs and jumping around to the music. No matter where you are at a Hilltop Hoods show, I guarantee you are in a mosh.

It’s no secret the Hoods have a highly energetic set, but in all their live shows, it’s as if each song they perform is bigger than the last. It’s like a game – ‘which song could possibly be next, surely that was their biggest hit?’ It makes you realise how many hits they actually have – absolute fucking legends. Seriously, check out their Spotify playlist and you’ll see what I mean. Love them or hate them (not sure why you would though!), these guys are absolute performers and they can put on one hell of a show.

If you haven’t been lucky enough to witness a Hoods live gig thus far, you’re in luck, as the hip hop legends announced a string of Australian tour dates, covering five capital cities this coming August and September in support of their latest record The Great Expanse. This is their first headline tour since the 2016 ‘Restrung Tour’ which saw over 50,000 fans attend sold-out Arenas in what became their biggest tour to date.

They’ve already sold out a handful of their shows so get in quick if you want to see these guys live in action!

Just. Do. It. You won’t regret it.

You can still get tickets their new show at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on Friday, August 9. Tickets are available from Ticketek.