If you’ve not yet had a chance to get around Hermitude‘s new album Dark Night Sweet Light, this is the album you need to access on whatever music platform you’ve got near today. The recent ARIA #1 record has seen the duo rake in deserved kudos and as our feature artists of this month, we couldn’t be happier that the wider Australian public has taken to El Gusto and Luke Dubs‘ brilliant knack for producing memorable new music in the way they have.
This afternoon, we learn a bit more about Hermitude’s fave hip-hop artists, some iconic names who have influenced them in their own musical journey in some way. As we look forward to the upcoming Hermitude album tour, add some of the below to your playlist in the meantime.
THE ROOTS
These guys were the first live hip hop band that I ever heard and I was instantly hooked. The band had such amazing yet simple grooves that never grew tired and how could they, when Questlove was driving the rhythm section. Then you had Black Thought, Malik B, Dice Raw and Rahzel along with numerous guests that, when combined, managed to put out record after record of incredible music, up until today.
Kendrick Lamar
The first Kendrick song I heard was “Tammys Song”, which pricked my ears up because the beat is quite left field and the raps weave a cool story that always stuck with me. After blasting “Section 80” for quite some time, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City came out and the first song I heard was “Money Trees” and it’s still one of my favourite all time hip-hop tracks. Now, To Pimp A Butterfly has landed and set a whole new standard.
The Pharcyde
These guys were a soundtrack to so many years of my life. “Bizzare Ride 2” and “Labcabincalifornia” are classics in my book. The J Dilla produced “Runnin” is such an anthem with one of the best hooks in hip-hop. Fatlip is probably my favourite rapper in the crew, but the way they all bounce off each other in tracks like “Passin Me By” and “Drop” goes to show why they were at the top for so long.
Kayne West
As crazy as this guy is, there is no denying that he has inked some incredible tunes and is still an artist that isn’t afraid to be different. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was a huge influence on us while we were writing Hyperparadise. It’s such a bold record with crazy production and arrangements and for me, Kanye perfectly walked the line of being an ego maniac but still managed to keep one foot on the ground. Inspiring stuff.
A Tribe Called Quest
Midnight Marauders was the first rap record I ever owned! Q Tip and Phife Dawg bounced me through high school and beyond and each record is a certified classic. The Low End Theory was such a sick record as well with Ron Carter playing bass which was exciting for me listening to a lot of Jazz at the time. Tribe will always be at the top of my list with the tightest rhymes, production and vibe and I’m so stoked I got to see these guys live while they we’re still around.
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Catch Hermitude playing around the country through June:
June 12th – Metropolis, Fremantle
June 18th – HQ, Adelaide
June 19th – 170 Russell, Melbourne
June 21st – 170 Russell, Melbourne
June 26th – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
June 27th – The Met, Brisbane
