Hilltop Hoods' the Calling

The success of the Hip-Hop album The Calling (2003) by the Hilltop Hoods was a major event on the timeline of Hip-Hop in Australia. It launched a formerly 'underground' scene into the spotlight, radically transforming the group members' lives and creating new opportunities for other Hip-Hop artists. This book analyses the impact of the album by drawing on original interviews with fifteen Hip-Hop practitioners from across Australia, including artists who contributed to the album. These primary interviews are interwoven with material from media sources and close readings of song lyrics and album imagery. An exploration of the early histories of Hip-Hop in Australia with a focus on the formation of Obese Records and the Hilltop Hoods' biography gives way to analysis of specific tracks from the album and the Hoods' prowess as live performers. The book uses The Calling as a lens to examine the beliefs and practices of Hip-Hop enthusiasts in Australia, including changes since the album was released. Published in 2023 to coincide with the album's twenty-year anniversary, the book is an engaging evaluation of a musical release that was so significant that people now use it explain two distinct periods in Australian Hip-Hop (pre or post The Calling).

Dianne Rodger is a Hip-Hop fan and lecturer in anthropology at the University of Adelaide, Australia. Her research and teaching spans fields including youth culture, digital media, and health - with a sustained focus on Hip-Hop culture in Australia. She began researching Hip-Hop in the mid-2000s when she completed an ethnographic study of the Adelaide and Melbourne Hip-Hop scenes. Subsequent works have explored First Nations Hip-Hop including the social media practices and impact of A.B. Original (co-authored with Dr. Suzi Hutchings) and Hip-Hop workshops for First Nations young people in Adelaide. She is currently researching the histories of Hip-Hop in Australia, work that also informs her examination of The Calling (2003).

Acknowledgement of Country Acknowledgements Preface 1. Introduction 2. Origin Stories - Hip-Hop in Australia and the Hilltop Hoods' Biography 3. Hip-Hop Devotion - 'Testimonial Year' and 'The Calling' 4. Punchlines and Funky Beats - 'Dumb Enough?' and 'The Nosebleed Section' 5. Rocking the Party - Live Performances 6. Underground Politics - 'Walk On' and 'Illusionary Lines' 7. Posse Tracks and Battle Raps - 'The Certificate' 8. Conclusion - 'The Sentinel' References Index