Late night study tunes: edn. XVI (afternoon edition V)

D Day is nigh. I’m losing my mind perfecting paragraphs and obsessing over word choices, as well as filling in all the gaps and tying together the seemingly endless loose ends in my thesis. There hasn’t been a lot of time for anything else, especially finding new music.

I heard this song driving home from campus, though, a few months ago, and haven’t been able to stop listening to it. I don’t like music with lyrics when I’m working, and this track by Perth lad Mathas is so emotive and beautiful that I can’t help but put down whatever I’m doing and listen.

I know a lot of people don’t like Australian hip hop, labelling it derivative and an unworthy effort at replicating American hip hop, but I don’t know why. I mean, I can see why — there’s a lot of shit out there — but there’s a lot of shit in every genre. The accent takes getting used to, for sure; I hated local hip hop when I first heard it because I couldn’t get over how rough the Aussie accent sounded.

You do get over it though, and then you start looking for it, and finally you begin to appreciate the telling of Australian stories in an Australian voice. There’s nothing worse than an Aussie rapper putting on an American accent. Nothing. In the whole world.

If you aren’t a fan of Australian hip hop, or you’ve never heard it, I definitely recommend listening to Nourishment by Mathas ft. Abbe May. It’s more than just a song: it’s a story about the Australian condition. It’s also probably getting a mention in my thesis, as I’ve got a chapter about local food culture. (Fun fact: I’ve also quoted lines from Horrorshow’s song Inside Story. Most hip-hopping-non-hip-hop thesis ever.)