By: Gavin Clark –
Hilltop Hoods. (Photo: Gavin Clark/Aesthetic Magazine Toronto)
Adelaide, Australia’s hip-hop pioneers the Hilltop Hoods invaded The Hoxton in Toronto last night with the third stage of their “Cosby Sweater” world tour in support of their new album Walking under Stars. Their veteran presence was on full display as they treated hip-hop heads to a night of Aussie awesomeness.
The group, which consists of MC Pressure, Suffa, and DJ Debris, are arguably Australia’s most notable hip-hop act. They have two platinum albums, and six A.R.I.A. (Australian Record Industry Association) awards, and are the ones who put Australian hip-hop on the map. In short, these guys are legends.
Sims, who is also a member of the indie hip-hop collective Doomtree, opened the night with a bang (both figuratively and literally). Playing a mix of Doomtree and solo cuts, Sims brought a certifiably insane amount of energy to the stage, and would not accept anything less in exchange from the crowd.
At the beginning of the set, many were content to just nod their heads along with Sims’ flow, which he deemed unacceptable. To counter this, he took the mic and made his way into the middle of the crowd where he instructed everyone to bounce.
The crowd obliged as he continued his performance from the middle of the dancefloor, ricocheting himself off of enthralled audience members. Sims told the crowd that when he comes to Toronto he plays every show here like it could be his last, and on this night he meant it.
As the DJ entertained the crowd with some very strong mixes, a rumbling could be heard through the crowd “Hill – Top… Hill – Top… Hill – Top”. The chant grew louder until it was akin to one you would hear during a Premier League match. When DJ Debris calmly made his way to the back of the stage to start the show, the building erupted.
The familiar piano sample from “Chase That Feeling” resonated through The Hoxton, and the crowd suddenly became much tighter as everyone rushed the stage. Once Pressure and MC Suffa burst on to the stage, they tore through classics like “The Hard Road” “Speaking in Tongues” and their original breakthrough hit “The Nosebleed Section”.
Hilltop Hoods’ setlist covered 11 years worth of career highlights, from their breakthrough third studio album The Callingto 2014’s Walking under Stars, the former being the first hip-hop album to ever receive platinum certification in Australia. Suffa and Pressure have performed as a duo for over two decades now and their tight stage show reflected their camaraderie.
After a five-minute freestyle Suffa, where he got a huge pop for his Rob Ford references, they closed the night with “Drinking from the Sun”. Not one person dared budge from their spot, as an encore was imminent.
The chants of “Hill-Top” resumed at a deafening decibel level. As the beat dropped for their newest single “Cosby Sweater”, The Hilltop Hoods wanted to play a game. As the crowd roared, Suffa instructed everyone to remove one piece of clothing and wave it around in the air. The crowd, now drenched with sweat, was more than happy to participate. The Hoods left it all on the stage as with a turbo charged rendition of “Rattling the Keys to the Kingdom”.
Their song “I Love It” gives a heartfelt shoutout to Toronto, and after this show, this city reciprocated the love.
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Hilltop Hoods
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Sims
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