Hilltop Hoods are an Australian a hip hop group, formed in 1991, from Adela… Read Full Bio ↴Hilltop Hoods are an Australian a hip hop group, formed in 1991, from Adelaide, South Australia. Their name refers to Hilltop Road In Blackwood, an Adelaide suburb in which they lived as children, and a part of Adelaide known by all the local B-Boys as The Hilltop. One day, another local rapper, Flak from the Cross Bred Mongrels, said that's what they should call themselves, and the name stuck.

The group formed when MCs Suffa and Pressure met at high school. When they later hooked up with DJ Debris through a mutual friend, the trio was complete.

They were inspired by American hip hop artists such as KRS-One, Gang Starr and Pete Rock, who encouraged them to spread this style of music in Australia.

The Hilltop Hoods have released eight successful recordings - Back Once Again (EP - 1997), A Matter of Time (LP - 1999), Left Foot, Right Foot (LP - 2001), The Calling (LP - 2003), The Hard Road (LP - 2006), The Hard Road: Restrung (LP-2007) ,State Of The Art (LP - 2009) and Drinking From The Sun (LP - 2012). The Calling achieved gold status in Australia (35,000+ copies sold), the first hip-hop album to do so. Two tracks (The Nosebleed Section and Dumb Enough) received places in the Triple J Hottest 100, 2003, at 9th and 44th respectively. The Nosebleed Section also came in at number 17 in the Triple J Hottest Hundred Of All Time, making it the highest ranked Australian song on the list, and the only hip-hop track to make the cut. LP The Hard Road also topped the Australian charts, another first for Australian Hip-Hop.

Aside from their own albums, they have featured on a number of highly respected compilation albums, including Obesecity and Culture of Kings Vol. 1 & 2, and have collaborated with most of the main players of the Australian hip hop scene including Koolism, Mass MC, Pegz, Muphin, Layla, Hyjak and Bonez.

They have played many large Australian music festivals, including the Big Day Out, Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festivals. They have received nominations for the Best Hip Hop Act in 2001 and 2002 at the 3D World Dance Music Awards, won the APRA award for best up-coming group as well as receiving number one positions in independent charts all around Australia.

Origin Adelaide
Country Australia
Years active 1991–present
Genres Australian Hip-Hop
Labels Obese Records, Golden Era Records (State of the Art)
Members Suffa, Pressure, DJ Debris
Past members DJ Next

Illusionary Lines
Hilltop Hoods Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Verse One â?? Pressure
I once had time on my hands, but now handling time,
Is coping with this life cycle and the mandatory grind,
My sanity's fine, just falling short of stamina I'm,
Searching for some food for thought to feed this famine of mind,
And when I'm stagnant I rhyme, it helps the night turn to day,
I churn my way through this nine to five and urban decay,
Believe me it's bleak, and though the city's breaths in its sleep,

It's just a paddock, ain't no where a shepherds leading these sheep,
Now most prefer it covered up lie than the truth naked,
The truth is ugly like cellulite; please don't publicly parade it,
I hate it but to escape it would be luck on fluke,
I feel like I'm a dope beat but I'm stuck on loop,
But that's my life cycle; freedom means everything to me,
And face value's got us believing everything we see,
So if our eyes tell us lies the truth is we're blind,
So keep on walking straight and narrow down illusionary lines.

Verse Two â?? Pressure
I once had respect for this game, but now this game of respect,
Is sold to the highest bidder with some fame and a cheque,
Now any layman can get respect without breaking his neck,
Paying dues, time these crews started paying some debt,
It ain't lights and cameras, personalities on set,
Distorting realities in their context,
With no originality concepts,
Who gives a fuck about a salary; this ain't a popularity contest,
'cause hip hop ain't faking for ends,
Hip-hop ain't fading with trends,
It ain't rich kids playing with pens,
It ain't the clothes on your back, or the label on them,
It's where you're at, so I say it again,
It's just my life cycle; music means everything to me,
It's just a fashion show, nah; don't believe everything you see,
'cause if our eyes tell us lies the truth is we're blind,
So keep on walking straight and narrow down illusionary lines.

Verse Three â?? Pressure
That's just my life cycle, nothing matters but setting me free,
Because my freedom and hip hop be meaning everything to me,
Now face values and fashions empower everything we be,
Believing everything we hear, and everything we see,
So if our eyes tell us lies, then we usually find,
Our visions cluttered by this scutter so the truth is we're blind,

It's just poison food for thought for these dillusionary minds,
So stop walking straight and narrow down illusionary lines.

Overall Meaning

In the song "Illusionary Lines" by the Hilltop Hoods, the lyrics express the feelings of the artist regarding the struggle of coping with the daily grind and the pursuit of freedom. In the first verse, the artist is coping with the pressure of the mandatory grind and is searching for some inspiration to feed his mind. The artist expresses a desire to escape the mundane and repetitive cycle but is unable to break free from it. Instead, the artist chooses to find solace in writing and creating music to help him get through the day. The lyrics are a commentary on the daily struggle that people face in their lives and how they try to cope with it.

In the second verse, the artist expresses his disillusionment with the music industry and how it has become a game of popularity and fame instead of originality and talent. He believes that the game has become corrupted where anyone can gain respect and fame by paying the right people, which goes against the core values of hip hop. The artist believes that hip hop should be about expressing oneself through music and not about making money or fame. The lyrics are a critique of the music industry and how it has lost its way.

In the third verse, the artist emphasizes the power of music to set one free and the importance of understanding the truth. The artist believes that we are often blinded by what we see and hear and that it is necessary to look beyond the surface to understand the truth. He urges the listener not to follow the illusionary lines but to break free and pursue their own path. The lyrics are a reminder that the pursuit of freedom is never easy, but it is essential to living a meaningful life.

Line by Line Meaning

I once had time on my hands, but now handling time,
I used to have a lot of free time, but now I'm struggling to manage it as I work hard every day.

Is coping with this life cycle and the mandatory grind,
I'm just trying to get by with the daily grind of life's cycle and the necessary work.

My sanity's fine, just falling short of stamina I'm,
I'm still mentally stable, but I'm struggling with the physical demands of life.

Searching for some food for thought to feed this famine of mind,
I'm looking for something to stimulate my mind and nourish my intellectual hunger.

And when I'm stagnant I rhyme, it helps the night turn to day,
When I'm feeling stuck, writing and performing music helps me feel more alive and energized.

I churn my way through this nine to five and urban decay,
I'm working hard at a boring job just to get by in a decaying urban environment.

Believe me it's bleak, and though the city's breaths in its sleep,
The city may seem peaceful at night, but it's still a harsh and depressing place to live.

It's just a paddock, ain't no where a shepherds leading these sheep,
We're all just going through the motions, following each other without any real direction or leadership.

The truth is ugly like cellulite; please don't publicly parade it,
The truth is often unpleasant, so we shouldn't broadcast it loudly for everyone to hear.

I hate it but to escape it would be luck on fluke,
I don't like this situation, but I know it would take a lot of luck to change it.

I feel like I'm a dope beat but I'm stuck on loop,
I think I have a lot of potential, but I'm constantly repeating the same patterns.

Hip-hop ain't fading with trends,
The true essence of hip-hop will always be relevant, regardless of current trends and fads.

It ain't rich kids playing with pens,
Writing and performing hip-hop is more about true talent and passion than just having money and resources.

It ain't the clothes on your back, or the label on them,
Hip-hop isn't about material possessions and superficial appearances.

Believing everything we hear, and everything we see,
We tend to trust our senses and what we're told, even if it's not accurate or truthful.

So stop walking straight and narrow down illusionary lines.
We need to break free from our illusions and think for ourselves, instead of just following the crowd.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BARRY FRANCIS, MATTHEW LAMBERT, DANIEL SMITH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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