Classic Material

In episode two of The Making of A Postcard From The Edge Of The Underside, Sound Unlimited hit the road and support everyone from Shaquille O'Neal to New Kids On The Block, and earn the respect of the world's biggest hip-hop group.

In this season of Classic Material, we take it back to the early '90s to document the first Australian hip-hop group to get signed to a major label, hit the ARIA top 40 charts and achieve the recognition of the industry. The group was Sound Unlimited, and this is their story.

In the final episode of Classic Material: The Making of Choose One, 1200 Techniques ride the success of "Hard As Hell" and "Karma" all the way from Triple J to commercial radio. Their success brings industry recognition, awards, non-stop touring opportunities and, ultimately, places the group at a difficult crossroads.

After connecting through Melbourne's small independent hip-hop scene in the late-'90s, N'fa and Peril began working on tracks together and quickly developed a winning chemistry. But it wasn't until they added Peril's brother Kemstar to the mix that things really began to take off. In this episode, N'fa, Peril and Kem are dealt an early setback before regrouping and releasing the biggest single Australian hip-hop had ever seen. "Karma" combined a great beat, guitar solo, and lyrics ... and an unforgettable music video. Episode 3 drops Wednesday August 30. Support Classic Material with a 5-star rating and review to help us tell more of Australian hip-hop's untold stories.

Throughout the Classic Material podcast series, we’ve heard about the importance of Triple J. The alternative radio station that represented the only chance of airplay for Australian hip-hop artists. But, what made Triple J decide Australian hip-hop was worth a chance? The station has been responsible for giving a platform to so many of our local hip-hop acts. But it might never have happened if it weren’t for one group. One group that broke through in the early 2000s and made local hip hop appeal to the average suburban Australian kid. One group that used a little rock influence to introduce hip-hop to fans of Regurgitator and Powderfinger, creating new opportunities for the next generation to break through. That one group was 1200 Techniques.

After connecting years earlier and experiencing a long journey to get to the point of working together in the studio, Scribe and P-Money were able to record ‘The Crusader’ in just a matter of days. The album was an instant success, but as we find out in this episode, people always want more, and that can have both beautiful, and ugly, consequences

The individual journeys of Scribe and P-Money had put them on a collision course, leading up to the moment they connected in the studio. On just their first day of recording for ‘The Crusader’, the duo creates two of the biggest tracks in New Zealand history.

In the first episode of ‘Classic Material: The Making of The Crusader’, we trace Scribe’s early days, going way back to primary school, and riding with the Christchurch MC as he discovers hip-hop, connects with like-minded people across the country and, ultimately, links with P-Money with a view to releasing music.

Of The Dog’ is finished, but Bliss N Eso and their label have another trick up their sleeve – a full remix album produced by a then-unknown producer named M-Phazes.

Having signed a new deal with Illusive Sounds, it’s now time for Bliss n Eso to follow up their debut album ‘Flowers In The Pavement’.

Rappers Jonathan (Bliss) and Max (Eso) reflect on the time before their hip–hop careers became a full-time gig – when working a day job and slinging mix CDs after shows in tiny venues was their reality.

360 and Styalz work together to craft ‘Boys Like You’ from a scratchy demo to a top five ARIA smash. 360’s life-long dream of success and stardom comes quickly but Six, his team and his friends soon realise fame comes at a cost.

360 gets to work on his breakthrough album, but encounters hurdles everywhere. His chosen producer doesn’t want to work with him, Triple J doesn't believe in him and a near-fatal injury could bring his entire project undone.

360’s unique origin story takes place in the thriving Melbourne hip hop scene, where a new generation competes to be the first to break through to mainstream success. 360 is inspired by his friend Pez and a book recommended by Oprah Winfrey to quit his job and bet on himself.