Music
20 essential lad rap tracks
Lad rap or 'gutter rap' is a style of hip-hop that speaks to a particular Australian experience. Take a deep dive into the sound with our list of the genre's most pivotal tracks.
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Lad rap evolved out of the earcher or earching subculture -- nowadays called 'lads', 'adlays' or 'eshays' -- which originated in Sydney around suburbs like Waterloo, Redfern and Woolloomooloo in the 1980s. In the mid-2000s, the subculture gave birth to a style of hip-hop that voiced the frustrations and aspirations of those in public housing flats.
Head here for our full essay on the evolution of lad rap and read on for a tour through the genre's biggest tracks.
Sydney Serchaz (Skeamo, Nter & SkyHigh) -- 'Fucken Oath'
Released: 2005
The lyric: “Big Skeamo One, cuz you know what I’m about, Fresh off bail cause the case got thrown out.”
Why it’s important: In public housing bedrooms, Sydney Serchaz fused Dirty South beats with adlay lyricism to create an unapologetic gutter rap genre for earchers across Australia. 'Fucken Oath' has since become a cult classic and remains the most iconic Eshay track of all time.
Tornts x Gargoyle x Billy Bunks x Bigfoot x Fletchrock -- 'The Extermination'
Released: 2008
The lyric: “You soiled your jeans when we spoiled your weekend.”
Why it’s important: In Melbourne, Hired Goons were royalty for those on the fringes of graffiti and hip-hop. With albums like Adding Insult To Injury and Hells Burn, Tornts spawned a gritty, brown-bottle insight into the violent underbelly of street culture.
Jack Olkus -- 'Ashes To Ashes'
Released: 2009
The lyric: “I’m chasing dreams, even if they seem so far away.”
Why it’s important: Underground legend of the Sydney earcher scene, Jack Olkus is the Adlay answer to Ol Dirty Bastard -- his flows are visceral streams of street consciousness.
Bias B -- 'Aerosol Era'
Released: 2009
The lyric: “I’m from an aerosol era where we smash the yards.”
Why it’s important: We can’t speak about the intersection of graffiti and Australian hip-hop without mentioning Bias B’s influence as a cultural monarch.
Klepto -- 'Klepto Rackz'
Released: 2010
The lyric: “Wanna learn how to rort just follow me.”
Why it’s important: In Melbourne, thousands of lads had this as their Myspace song. Klepto of the notorious HM and CFK graffiti crews had a cult underground following for brutal lyrics and witty piss-takes.
Kerser -- 'Highest Man'
Released: 2010
The lyric: “Kerser is the sickest, Ker-Kerser is the sickest!”
Why it’s important: Kerser put a spotlight on the scene. His last five albums have charted within the top five on the ARIA charts and his prolific career has turned gutter rap dreams into a career pathway.
Lisk Oner -- 'Six Feet Deep'
Released: 2010
The lyric: “Locked up from cunts who opened their mouths, When I get out I’ll break in there house.”
Why it’s important: Lisk Oner of the LBK crew was infamous for ruthless raps about being locked-up. Most Lilydale-line lads blasted this song on their phones before staining the entire carriage.
Fortay -- 'Ain’t An Ercher'
Released: 2011
The lyric: “You ain’t an ercher cause you’re rocking some stripes, Or some TN’s but never done a job in your life.”
Why it’s important: Fortay is an OG of Western Sydney’s hip-hop scene. This classic track sets out his terms for the Earcher lifestyle while calling out the posers.
Merks One -- 'Straight Outta Melton'
Released: 2015
The lyric: “Four lads rolling in a stolen Commodore, One lad said to the others, ‘yo let’s go and roll a store.”
Why it’s important: Merks put his stamp on the scene with this narrative tale of adlay principles.
Alex Jones x Flowz x Son of Sam -- 'No Comment'
Released: 2015
The lyric: “You won’t see me at no clubs lad, I don’t do dancing, fuck that.”
Why it’s important: This uptempo track marked a turning point in the genre with Alex Jones, a frontrunner of the younger gen, establishing himself as a lyrical force to be reckoned with (See also: Sunnah’s Slangoez Freestyle).
Deposit -- 'Run Through'
Released: 2016
The lyric: “This is for the lads with the paint dacked, On the train tracks in a North Face spray jack.”
Why it’s important: Deposit is like the DMX of the genre. His bars are violent, unapologetic prison nightmares. And he has a longer brief than most posers have verses.
Mitchos Da Menace -- 'Still West'
Released: 2016
The lyric: “Still work, still hustle, still burning, no dirt, got muscle, I’ve earned it.”
Why it’s important: Mitchos carved out a new era in the scene with his belter 'Still West'; criminally matured bars with references strictly for those in the know.
That Kid Kearve x TKO -- 'The Way I Was'
Released: 2017
The lyric: “The cash ruled everything around us, young, dumb, drunk, in the streets where the found us.”
Why it’s important: That Kid Kearve and TKO captured the vibe of a classic drink-up with the crew. It’s not all ram-raids and machismo, this track gets nostalgic about the boozy summers in the area.
OneFour -- 'Shanks and Shivs'
Released: 2018
The lyric: “No bally? Then eetswa, throw him a shirt, Chuck it on and let’s Earch.”
Why it’s important: OneFour were the first all-Pasifika rap group to represent the earcher subculture and fuse it with the drill genre (See also: Ladz in the Hood).
Spanian Syd x Spinner Lad -- 'Detestables'
Released: 2018
The lyric: "It's hip-hop but I'm sticking that heavy metal through ya organs."
Why it’s important: Spanian Syd is a technical lyricist that swears by the underground roots of hip-hop. Not only is Spanian a certified adlay from Woolloomooloo, he consistently draws attention for his Shakespearean skill of crafting ominous bars that keep you up at night.
Lil Sknow -- 'Eshay'
Released: 2018
The lyric: “Adidas shorts - that’s eshay, Everything rorts - that’s eshay.”
Why it’s important: Lil Sknow made a trap anthem for every eshay, embracing the funny side to the caricature while addressing what it actually means to be a young eshay.
Hooligan Hefs -- 'No Effect'
Released: 2019
The lyric: “No Effect! They know I do it all-day, they know I do it all-day.”
Why it’s important: We finally get to see the Gabber or Hakken dance; moves glorified by lads across Australia.
Rops1 -- 'D.O.N'
Released: 2019
The lyric: “I keep something in my dacks, In case they wanna get slashed”
Why it’s important: Young Sydney don Rops1 is holding it down for the new breed with a style that revives the trap attitude of The Sydney Serchaz.
Posseshot -- 'Hothead'
Released: 2020
The lyric: “This is for the whole cars, for the people at the station waiting for it to roll past.”
Why it’s important: With every new release, Posseshot is leveling up their artful takes of the culture. Together, Kharniclassix and Mr Muscles are much more than known figures in the graffiti scene, they’re redefining the dark arts of the Melbourne underground.
Sydney Yungins x The 046 -- 'Urch'
Released: 2020
The lyric: “Peep in the window looking for cash or goods or wallet or purse, Them boys say let’s go party, me I say lad let’s go urch!”
Why it’s important: There’s absolutely no filter with this track, an Earcher anthem served cold.
