As time goes by the hunger, passion, determination and skill of Australian Hip Hop continues to grow. With each year another swag of releases drops, people debate the merit of each, tracks are dissected, beats discussed over blunts as fans do what they do best; search for something they love. At the heart of it all are the artists, those with the talent pouring in their passion, aggression, hard work, skill and in most cases their pay cheques, all searching for a creative outlet that can have an impression on others.
We are honoured to have hosted our 12th Annual Awards, albeit a little later in the year than usual. It is now our pleasure to announce the OzHipHop Awards 2014 Winners, nominated and voted for by the people of the Australian Hip Hop community.
We are already running later in the year than usual, so without further a-do, here are the winners of the 2014 OzHipHop Awards.
Best MC – Briggs
Best Producer – MPhazes
Best DJ – B.Two
Best Battle MC – Greeley
Best Up and Comer – Omac
Best Hip Hop Advocate – Rob Shaker
Best Album – Thundamentals – So We Can Remember
Best EP – Funkoars – Dawn of the Head
Best Free Release – Fatty Phew – The Best Things in Life are Three
Best Track – Greeley – Question of Guilt
Best FilmClip – Briggs – Bad Apples
Best Cover Art – Grand Lodge 3 – Dash
Taking out both Best MC and Best Film Clip this year, Briggs, is an outrageously good MC who is speaking up for his culture and beliefs, all while delivery raps that appease the purist minority and the masses. His album Sheplife last year was received with acclaim through out the scene and community at large. Bad Apples sees Briggs’ own family playing the forefront in what feels like a deserted, disenfranchised section of a community that has been left to it’s own devices. This video seeks to embody the heart, soul & spine of everything delivered within the track, produced by Heata and Josh Davies it’s a powerful film clip and track that is worth giving a spin on the regular.
Undoubtably a force to be reckoned with, MPhazes takes out Best Producer (again) with another stella year that has seen him expanding further and further into the international scene as well as keeping things on lock at home. As the Australian DMC Champion DJ B.Two was a top runner and took home the Best DJ award, a true turntablist, B.Two is a man who continues to represent the DJ craft.
Battling at shows around the country last year, renown as a hard hitting rapper taking no prisoners, the Best Battle MC of 2014 is Greeley. Proving that the pre-written battle rappers of this day and age can still make Hip Hop music outside of the battle circuit, Greeley also took out Best Track for his joint Question of Guilt, a track delving into conspiracy theory territory about the Port Author Massacre in Tasmania, produced by Rob Shaker. Speaking of the WA producer, studio owner, DJ and the winner of Best Hip Hop Advocate, yet again Rob Shaker shows that being a prominent person in Hip Hop in Australia comes down to helping out others, whether with dishing out advice for aspiring producers, being patient in the studio with up and coming rappers, and supporting all manner of artists, Shaker is the all round nice guy of Hip Hop with the helping hand happily extended.
In one of the closest finishes that the OzHipHop Awards has seen, Perth MC Omac has crossed the line to finish as Best Up and Comer. A main stay in the local Perth scene, last year saw Omac tour the country in support of Kerser and took his music to the national audience. We except that this year Awards he’ll be up for Best MC!
Best Album goes to Thundamentals for their fourth album So We Can Remember. With tracks such as Noodle Soup, Smiles Don’t Lie, and Something I Said, there were tracks aplenty to please the ears. Debuting at number 3 on the Australian Album ARIA chart and number 1 on the Urban chart, it’s no surprise that these NSW boys are Australian favs.
Known as the most ruckus crew in Australian Hip Hop, probably all of Hip Hop really, the classic Funkoars took out Best EP for their Dawn of the Head release. At only 6 tracks the boys know how to rock it both onstage and in the booth! Also coming in at 6 tracks is the winner of the Best Free Release, with local Geelong MC Fatty Phew taking it out for his The Best Things In Life Are Three release. The third in the series, Phew has the ability to write hard hitting punches and tracks filled with raw emotion, a well deserved win for the hardworking MC.
Best Cover Art this year was taken out by Best Album nominee Grand Lodge 3 for their release Nothing To See Here. An iconic release by SBX’s Mortar and Broken Tooth Entertainments’ Ciecmate, the album is pulled together with an epic visual scene by DASH. In a time where computer generated images are more frequently gracing the covers, the individual details and hand and handwork of this cover dominates.
Congratulations to all nominees who have been recognised by their peers for their work and achievements, and a massive fist bump to the winners! Head over to their respective social medias and say congrats, as the only prize they actually get is the warm fuzzy feeling of your support!
Stay tuned into OzHipHop.Com for all the latest news and interviews in Australian Hip Hop, and tune in to OzHipHop.Com in February to vote for the 2015 Awards 😉