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Australian hip hop began in the early 1980s, primarily influenced by hip hop music and culture imported via radio and television from America.
The first Australian hip hop record release was "Knights Of The Underground Table (1992)" by Def Wish Cast, which sold well locally and in Europe.
American versus Australian accents used by local MCs has caused much heated debate within the Australian hip hop community over the years.
Australian hip hop is a part of the underground music scene with only a few successful commercial hits in the last decade. Albums and singles are released by mostly independent record labels, often owned and run by the artists themselves.
In recent years, however, Australian hip-hop has grown in popularity and acceptance. The Sydney-based collective The Herd achieved considerable success with their album "An Elefant Never Forgets", featuring the controversial hit "77%" and the single "Burn Down The Parliament". This success was mirrored by 1200 Techniques, who established a reputation as one of the leading live acts in Australian music. Groups such as The Cat Empire, who perform a fusion of many styles of music including hip-hop, have also found success.
Producer J Wess, a former basketball player, achieved huge sales of his debut "The J Wess LP", however many of the performers were criticised for their reliance on American accents and slang.
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