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Obese Records
Former Australian record label From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Obese Records was an Australian hip hop record label based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was the largest independent hip hop label in Australia and was home to acts such as Pegz, Hilltop Hoods, Thundamentals, Reason, Andy Struksha, and Dialectrix. Obese Records also operated two retail stores in Melbourne, a record distribution company, a soul imprint, named Plethora Records, and operated the artists' management and touring company, Obese Records Artist Management.
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History
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1995–2005: Formation, Pegz, early releases
Obese Records was founded in 1995 by Ollie Bobbitt as "O.B.'s Records", a small record store[1] in the Melbourne suburb of Prahran. Specialising in hip hop music and merchandise,[2] Bobbitt sold the business to Australian artist Shazlek One (Don Shazlek) in 1998. In 2002, the store was bought by Melbourne-based artist and OB's employee Pegz (Tirren Staaf), who transformed it into a record label.[3]
According to Pegz, there were few other labels specialising in Australian hip-hop at the time, and none putting significant funds into marketing.[4] Pegz claims that he "saw the opening and went for it. It was about giving the people around me the opportunity they deserved."[5] Pegz used the label to create a distribution network,[6] and also purchased the Zenith Records vinyl pressing plant, one of only two companies then still pressing vinyl records in Australia.[7] The pressing plant was subsequently sold in November 2007.[8]
The first artist released on the label was MC Reason's EP Solid in 2000,[9][10] produced by Jolz with appearances from Brad Strut, Bias B and Pac D.[11]
Other early releases included the compilation album series Culture of Kings (which featured formative releases from Hilltop Hoods, TZU, Hunter, Koolism, Terra Firma, Lyrical Commission, Downsyde, Layla, Bliss n Eso, Funkoars, DJ Bonez, Delta, Brad Strut, Bias B, Hospice and Brothers Stoney) [11] and Obesecity, both of which Pegz described as "key networking tools" for the growing Australian hip hop scene.[10]
The second volume of Culture of Kings, released in October 2002, was the first Australian hip hop album to be selected for the Triple J feature album spot.[11]
2006–2010: Expansion, Culture of Kings, Hilltop Hoods
In 2003, Obese released the Hilltop Hoods album The Calling, which became the first Australian hip hop album to go gold.[12] Mark Pollard, founder of Stealth Magazine, commented during an interview with Tony Mitchell in 2004 that Hilltop Hoods’ success had been helped by Obese.[13]
— Mark Pollard, founder of Stealth Magazine (2004)[13]
In 2006 the Hilltop Hoods were nominated and won awards for Best Performing Independent Album (The Hard Road) and Best Independent Artist at that year's Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) Chart Awards.
Two artists associated with the label were nominated for four AIR Chart Awards in 2007 (three for Hilltop Hoods and one for Muph & Plutonic).[14] At the 2007 ARIA Awards, the Hilltop Hoods won 'Best Urban Release' for their album The Hard Road: Restrung.[15] The Hilltop Hoods DVD, The City of Light, released by Obese Records in 2007, has also been classified gold. In 2008, two artists on the Obese label, Muph & Plutonic and Spit Syndicate, received nominations for 'Best Urban Album' at the ARIA Awards.[16] In 2010 M-Phazes' album, Good Gracious, was nominated for 'Best Urban Album' at the ARIA Awards.[17]
Obese also had a soul imprint, Plethora Records,[18] and operated an artists' management and touring company, Obese Records Artist Management.[9]
2011–2016: Later years, defunction
Following Hilltops Hoods departure to start their own label with EMI,[19] Obese Records continued to focus on both established artists and underground locals.[10] Plethora Records was founded as Obese' Records subsidiary soul label in 2010.[19]
In 2012, Obese filmed episodes for Obese TV, their web series.[19] In 2013, Obese Records signed its first management contract with emcee Kerser, at that point having divisions for sales, publicity, marketing, accounts, and A&R.[9] In 2013, Pegz expanded the company by opening a second retail store in the Melbourne neighbourhood of Frankston, which stocked music, merchandise, street apparel, spray paint, art supplies, DVDs, and street art magazines.[9]
Periscope Pictures announced on 19 September 2013, that Obese Records would be distributing its documentary Hunter: For The Record locally in Australia. The feature film chronicles hip hop artist Robert Hunter before his death from cancer in 2011. Hunter had released all his albums on Obese, and in conjunction with the DVD, the label released his final album, Bring it All Back, posthumously.[20]
In 2016, after 21 years, Obese Records shut down for good, with no specific reason ever given.[21] However, Pegz wrote a short statement about the label.[22] It read:
"I am so thankful for the times we shared. We ruled the country for a beautiful moment. The little record store that launched Australian hip hop to the masses. Thank you for your amazing support and contribution over her 21 years."
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Staff
Distribution
Obese Records Distribution provided distribution for the following labels, in addition to Obese Records:[23]
- The Ayems
- Born Fresh
- Broken Tooth Entertainment
- Crate Cartel
- Fat Beats
- Karsniogenics
- Lookup
- Myspherical
- Nuff Said Records
- Plethora Records
- Uknowho Records
- WordBurner Entertainment/Bias B
Artists
- Andy Struksha (New South Wales)
- Bias B (Victoria)
- Bliss N Eso (New South Wales)
- Brad Strut (Victoria)
- Chasm (New South Wales)
- Coalition Crew (Queensland)
- Dialectrix (New South Wales)
- DJ Bonez (New South Wales)
- Drapht (Western Australia)
- Downsyde (Western Australia)
- Funkoars (South Australia)
- Gully Platoon (Pegz, Dialectrix and Joe New)
- Hyjak N Torcha (New South Wales)
- Hilltop Hoods (South Australia)
- Illy (Victoria)
- Jase (Victoria)
- Kerser (Campbelltown, New South Wales)
- Mantra (Victoria)
- Matty B (Western Australia)
- Layla (Western Australia)
- Muph & Plutonic (Victoria)
- M-Phazes (Queensland)
- Pegz (Victoria)
- Plutonic Lab (Victoria)
- Reason (Victoria)
- Simplex (Adelaide)
- Skryptcha (New South Wales)
- Spit Syndicate (New South Wales)
- Thundamentals (New South Wales)
- Vents (South Australia)
- 7th Wu (New South Wales)
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Discography
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- Source: Official Discography
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See also
References
External links
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