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A regional Victorian is one of two people to take out the Best Urban album at this year’s ARIA awards.
Rapper Briggs, who’s last solo album album was based around living in a country town says he owes his success in the urban music genre to his upbringing in Shepparton – a bush town located on the floodplain of the Goulburn River in northern Victoria,
Under the banner of A.B Original, Briggs teamed up with another rapper named Trials from South Australia – another area that isn’t readily associated with inner-city living.
One of the most popular songs on their album, Reclaim Australia, is titled January 26 – and delves into the debate surrounding ‘Australia Day’ vs ‘Invasion Day’ and has attracted the attention of small-town nationalists right across the country.
“Such a stirring urban conversation” says Denis Handlin AO, Chair of the Australian Recording Industry Association.
“Dan Sultan is the next Chris Brown – he really proved himself as an urban feature artist”
“I feel like the urban music genre is really growing in Australia, especially now that we awarded so many urban awards to so many urban people”
However, regional hip hop fans have been quick to question the title of the award.
Betoota-based bedroom rapper, Magnate MC says he can only dream of reaching the heights of Briggs and Trials, but he worries that his hometown in the Western Queensland channel country might be a bit too far away from the ocean for his music to be considered urban.
“Why not just say hip hop or rap?”
“The Thundamentals are from the Blue Mountains, Tkay is from Adelaide… Like, these aren’t urban places”
“They should call this award best Townie Album”
