Hilltop Hoods

Hilltop Hoods are a groundbreaking Australian hip-hop outfit hailing from Blackwood, Adelaide. Formed in 1994 by MCs Matthew David “Suffa” Lambert and Daniel “Pressure” Howe Smith, plus producer Ben John “DJ Next” Hare, the trio met during their teenage years and bonded over their mutual love of American hip-hop artists such as Gang Starr, KRS-One, and Notorious B.I.G. They made their official debut in 1997 with the EP Back Once Again, which was quickly followed by A Matter of Time (1999), their studio debut. Hare quit the band shortly after and was replaced by Barry John “DJ Debris” Francis, with whom they released Left Foot, Right Foot (2001) and The Calling (2003), which peaked at Number 50 on the ARIA Albums Chart and became the first Australian hip-hop LP to ever obtain platinum certification. The Hard Road (2006) went straight to Number 1 on the ARIA Charts aided by the Top 20 single, “Clown Prince,” and won a J Award for Australian Album of the Year and an ARIA award for Best Urban Release. Hot on the heels of the album’s success, they released the orchestral reimagining of The Hard Road: Restrung (2007) and State of the Art (2009), which was recorded with studio musicians and debuted at Number 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart. More success followed with Drinking from the Sun (2012), yet another chart-topper that featured vocalist Sia Furler on the lead single “I Love It.” Walking Under Stars (2014), their seventh full-length, topped the ARIA Albums Chart once again and became their fourth consecutive LP to win Best Urban Album at the ARIA Music Awards. In subsequent years, they teamed up again with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra on Drinking from the Sun, Walking Under Stars Restrung (2016) and broke all charting records with The Great Expanse (2019), their sixth consecutive full-length to reach Number 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart.

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