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
The Sentinel
Hilltop Hoods Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We found this club on a side street, but I was kind of iffy,
We could hear some fly beats, but from outside it looked shifty,
I said this to pressure just before I finished my sentence,
This bouncer came out and dragged us both through the entrance,
This guy was huge and I was stumbling with my speech,
I finally mumbled that we just stumbled in from the street,
He said to us â??So finding us was accidental?
He said "What's your name?" he said â??Pressureâ??, I said â??Suffaâ??,
He said "Join the rest of the suckers",
So we went right in, we sat right down,
Pressure said "I guess I'll get us both our first round",
He had to go downstairs 'cause the bar was underground,
He came back and said "Man these the cheapest drinks in town",
I agreed, yes indeed, we could be here all night,
They're only charging a buck fifty for imperial pints,
And I'm feeling alright, this place is kind of cool man,
I'm hoping tonight, nobody acts the fool and,
Ruins this vibe that I've got going,
Not knowing where I am, but this jam's growing man this spots blowing,
The ladies were hot I sat down and listened,
To their four thousand watt, in-house sound system,
The DJ was laying tracks, keeping people on the floor and then,
He played a crazy break, and the chorus wentâ?¦
Pressure
These dim lights hold, silhouetted figures fit in tight moulds,
This beer's ice cold, yeah we're going to be here till the nights old,
I might stroll, see what I can plunder, but I wonder,
Do I feel a blunder or is that the drink putting me under,
A strange feeling, this place got my brain reeling,
Looked up and seen a picture of the barkeep upon the main ceiling,
Feels like a broken dream, I'm walking through a smoke machine and,
In the corner seen a dope fiend, blowing a smoke screen,
Sat down, looked at the picture on the bottle label,
It was the same man and the stripper that sat atop my table,
And as he licked her thighs I saw that glint in her eyes
The wristwatch upon her waistlet it had him hypnotized,
She kissed him goodbye, threw me a smile and a grin,
My reply cut thin by my hand wiping my chin,
Walked to the bar as the tender looked right through me I said
"Excuse me", then he replied in tones as if he talked about me not to me,
He said: "Welcome to the Sentinel, I hope your stay here's perpetual,
We serve drinks and broken dreams but no edibles",
I bought a round, man I think this is watered down,
Its tasting sought of fowl, this place is giving me the creeps and plus the doors are now,
Closing to the public so let's make our move,
Then I was struck by the strangest sense of déjà vu,
Man I swore I was bent "Suffa man I've heard this all before it went",
Ba ba ba ba ba, and then the chorus wentâ?¦
Pressure & Suffa
Man this place's got me reeling I took a seat to get my focus,
When a group of be-Boys gathered by the stage took my notice,
At about one o'clock, the club manager approached us,
And said "I heard you jokers were MCs, who's the dopest?
'cause we run an open mic battle every night,
And to enter you've got to be, incredibly tight",
I said â??Get me the mic I might flipâ??, then the lights switched,
My vision was blurring and burning words inside my eyelids,
Rhyme progression begun, something possessing my tongue,
Blessing the deaf and dumb till I was falling short of breath in my lung,
Â??When will they let us stop?â?? I checked the time and it was,
Six in the morning, and we were still rhyming,
Battled MC after MC, battled MCs for days,
But they wouldn't let us go, when we tried to leave the stage,
The manager said â??You boys can never leave this tournament,
And you can never leave the Sentinelâ??, and the chorus wentâ?¦
The Hilltop Hoods' song The Sentinel is a vivid description of a mysterious and foreboding nightclub. The singer, Suffa, and his companion, Pressure, stumble upon the club, which they describe as "shifty-looking" from the outside. However, they are quickly dragged inside by a massive bouncer, who takes them to the bar, deep underground. The club itself seems like a surreal dreamscape, with dim lights, silhouetted figures, and a four-thousand-watt sound system. Despite being somewhat apprehensive about the establishment, Suffa and Pressure stay because of the mix of cheap drinks and a great atmosphere.
However, as they spend more time in the club, they begin to experience a strange feeling of déjà vu. They are approached by a club manager who challenges them to an open mic rap battle, and the two MCs proceed to perform, battling other rappers until 6 in the morning. They attempt to leave the club, but the manager tells them that they are now part of the club's tournament, and can never leave. The song ends with the refrain, "Ahh-ohh, welcome to The Sentinel."
The lyrics to The Sentinel are full of surreal imagery and dark undertones, creating a vivid and unsettling picture of an otherworldly nightclub. Suffa and Pressure's experience is both enticing and disturbing, and the lyrics capture that experience with great skill.
Line by Line Meaning
We found this club on a side street, but I was kind of iffy,
We came across a club in a side street, but I was somewhat hesitant about it.
We could hear some fly beats, but from outside it looked shifty,
Despite hearing good music from outside, the club's exterior appeared dodgy.
I said this to pressure just before I finished my sentence,
I was in the midst of telling Pressure this before I completed my statement.
This bouncer came out and dragged us both through the entrance,
A bouncer emerged and pulled us through the entrance.
He said to us â??So finding us was accidental?
He queried, 'So, you chanced upon us?'
Well I'm not surprised, we don't advertise at the Sentinelâ??,
He stated that it was unsurprising since they don't advertise at the Sentinel.
My reply cut thin by my hand wiping my chin,
I responded, but it was interrupted as I wiped my chin.
Feels like a broken dream, I'm walking through a smoke machine and,
It's akin to being in a nightmarish state, walking through a smoke machine.
In the corner seen a dope fiend, blowing a smoke screen,
I observed a drug addict blowing a smoke screen in the corner.
Then I was struck by the strangest sense of déjà vu,
Suddenly, I felt a very peculiar sense of déjà vu.
At about one o'clock, the club manager approached us,
Around one in the morning, the club manager came up to us.
And said "I heard you jokers were MCs, who's the dopest?
He asked, 'I heard you guys are MCs, who's the best?'
But they wouldn't let us go, when we tried to leave the stage,
Whenever we attempted to exit the stage, they refused to let us go.
The manager said â??You boys can never leave this tournament,
The manager declared, 'You guys will never leave this competition.'
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BARRY FRANCIS, MATTHEW LAMBERT, DANIEL SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hugo Reuterwall
i dont understand how this can not be world wide famous. fuck if they were from the states, they would be fucking huge.
lot of love for hilltop hoods!!!
Jay Z
Nosebleed Section is their breakout song if u want to go from the start, every single Australian born before 2000 can sing at least part of that song.
I am the Liquor
Pom here. Never been to Aus but was introduced to the hilltop hoods in Toronto in 2005 by an Aussie of course
R31
@Anna Knight kinda jealous you're discovering them for the first time. I'd love to go in blind again. You've got great songs to look forward to. Especially their restrung versions.
Anna Knight
I'm American and I feel like we have been deprived of something Special! Never even heard of this band before today. Sad! I can't even explain this sound. Like everything Awesome rolled in together 😍.. I will be sharing the heck outta this Believe that 🤗
urf urfz
the Au population is less than 8% of the states population though lol, quite significant i'd say..
Play with Lj
11 years on and still giving me goosebumps 🇭🇲✌
DAMS ONE MUSIC
18 years and still some of the best Oz hip hop tracks to be released ever
Wheelin98
13 years and still bumping
melissaveroza
while your listening to this you can imagine this whole thing in your head, like a story. This video deserves another hundred thousand views