It's safe to say that 2019 has been the biggest year in Australian hip hop. On all fronts of the genre huge strides have been made, particularly when it comes to our drill movement. When One Four dropped 'The Message' in late March of this year I don't think anyone could have predicted the length that single video clip would push Australian hip hop. Not only did the Message make the rounds overseas it also caught the ears of hip hop fans within Australia who had tended to ignore the local alternative and most importantly, it welcomed Pacific Islanders into the scene. Not only did the Message welcome Pacific Islanders into the scene but it propelled them to the top over night, within a few months Pacific Islanders have become the face of Australian hip hop. By no means am I saying that groups like One Four,Pistol Pete & Enzo and HP Boyz are the first Islander groups in the country. Pacific Islanders have played a huge role in Sydney and Australian street culture and acts like
Hauie from Koolism have been key players in the scene. Aus hip hop today seems almost unrecognisable to the scene 1 year ago, acts like One Four, Hooligan Hefs, HP Boyz and Pistol Pete n Enzo have become local celebrities with dozens of sell out shows. This really is an exciting time in Aus hip hop, never before have we had so many big acts in the country and the feeling is very similar to the grime explosion of London in 2014, it's the first time such a spotlight has been put on Aussie street culture. One thing that had been lacking from this new wave of rappers had been the lack of full albums. This isn't a bad thing, i can totally understand that the method of just releasing singles along with a video clip have worked so far, so why fix what isn't broken? Unfortunately though this has led to many fans thirsty for more content, and finally, just yesterday, Pistol Pete and Enzo bucked the trend and released their first EP titled Front Row.
Front Row did not disappoint, with 5 brand new songs from the duo it's obvious this EP is going to be in rotation throughout summer. Front Row demonstrates the duo's versatility with staunch anthems, cool west coast vibes and even some heartfelt lyrics. The first track, Rollin' , comes with a pretty damn catchy hook alongside a classic west coast synth, i can definitely see this one playing on a hot summers arvo.
"rollin, rollin, rollin with my uce"
Track two, Just Illchay switches up the vibe opting for a more staunch delivery with calm beat, a style I think the duo do best. Pistol Pete and Enzo's word play shine throughout this EP, once again the duo has shown they have some of the best bars in the country. One of my favorite things about Pistol Pete and Enzo, and the whole new wave as a whole, is the full embrace of being from Sydney. Track three of the album titled That's My Ahh opens up with one of the most Sydney hooks I think i've ever heard.
"Thats ma cuz
Thats ma lad
Thats ma brah, thats ma brother
thats ma uce
thats ma blood
thats ma ahh
thats my mouthfuckin g"
Sooo damn fresh, I think this is the best hook of the album and although the verses of this track aren't really an album highlight I think that the hook makes up for it in this one. Track five, Don't Know Me is song of the album in my opinion, it's the party track of the album and the duo throw back to their flow on
Split Screen in this one. The beat has definitely got a west coast party vibe and i could easily see someone like Tyga on this beat. A personal favorite line from the track is:
"These girls want bags and bags Im just here for cash
poppin titties im givin em' rack for rack
life's good word to mez i'm just tryna kick back"
I also learnt in this track that the duo isn't related, there chemistry is so good that they had me fooled. Don't Know Me is definitely going to be a banger this summer. I really hope to see a video clip for this one. The final track on the album "On My Feet" totally switches up the vibe of the album but ends the album nicely. The track talks about life in the South West of Sydney and is a letter to one of the groups friends that they lost to drug addiction. The chorus is really inspiring and once again shows the groups versatility, I was really impressed by the production of this one, and the album as a whole. It all makes sense now why the duo has been so quiet as of late and it was well worth the wait. Front Row doesn't have a bad song, and it's pretty rare I say that. I could easily see this EP leveling up the duo. Front Row is one of my favorite releases of the year and sets the benchmark for future projects in the new wave of Aus hiphop.
