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Obese Records
Parent company	Warner Music Group
Founded	1995 (1995)
Founder	Tirren Staaf
Defunct	2016 (2016)
Status	Defunct
Distributor(s)	Atlantic Records
Genre	Hip hop
Country of origin	Australia
Location	Melbourne
Official website	obeserecords.com
Slogan	"Fatter Than Ya Mamma"

Obese Records was a record label that released music from the Australian hip hop genre. It was the largest Australian independent hip hop label, including performers 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.

History

1995–2005: Formation, Pegz, early releases

Obese Records was founded in 1995 as a small record store called OB's by Ollie Bobbitt, in the Melbourne suburb of Prahran. Specialising in hip hop music, the store changed its name to "Obese Records" after Bobbitt sold the business to Australian artist Don Shazlek. (p.k.a. Shazlek One)

In mid-2002 the store was bought by Melbourne-based artist Tirren Staaf (a.k.a. Pegz) who transformed it into a record label.

According to Pegz, there were few other labels specializing in Australian hip-hop at the time, and none putting significant funds into marketing. Pegz claims that he "saw the opening and went for it. It was about giving the people around me the opportunity they deserved." Pegz used the label to create a distribution network, and also purchased the Zenith Records vinyl pressing plant, one of only two companies then still pressing vinyl records in Australia. The pressing plant was subsequently sold in November 2007.

The first artist released on the label was MC Reason's EP Solid in 2000, produced by Jolz with appearances from Brad Strut, Bias B and Pac D.

Other early releases included the compilation album series Culture of Kings (which featured formative releases from acts like 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) and Obesecity, both of which Pegz described as "key networking tools" for the growing Australian hip hop scene.

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.

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. Mark Pollard, founder of Stealth Magazine, commented during an interview with Tony Mitchell in 2004 that Hilltop Hoods’ success had been helped by Obese.

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). At the 2007 ARIA Awards, the Hilltop Hoods won 'Best Urban Release' for their album The Hard Road: Restrung. 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. In 2010 M-Phazes' album, Good Gracious, was nominated for 'Best Urban Album' at the ARIA Awards.

Obese also had a soul imprint, Plethora Records, and operated an artists' management and touring company, Obese Records Artist Management.

2011–2016: Later years, defunction

Following Hilltops Hoods departure to start their own label with EMI, Obese Records continued to focus on both established artists and underground locals. Plethora Records was founded as Obese' Records subsidiary soul label in 2010.

In 2012,Obese filmed episodes for Obese TV, their web series. 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. In 2013, Pegz expanded the company by opening a second retail store in the Melbourne neighborhood of Frankston, which stocked music, merchandise, street apparel, spray paint, art supplies, DVDs, and street art magazines.

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.

In 2016, after 21 years, Obese Records shut down for good, with no specific reason ever given. However, Pegz wrote a short statement about the label. 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."

Staff

• Tirren Staaf – CEO
• Fern Greig-Moore – Operations Manager, Artist Management
• Lindsey Martin – Publicity, Communications
• Lee Rawlings – Sales, Distribution

Distribution

Obese Records Distribution provided distribution for the following labels, in addition to Obese Records:

• 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)

Discography

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (September 2013)

Source: Official Discography

See also

• List of independent record labels

References

1. "Obese Records Interview by Writin' Exact". Scene Magazine. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
2. "Australian Music Online - record label profile 'Obese Records'". Archived from the original on 29 July 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2008.
3. "Reason, Local Noise (02/10/2004)". Archived from the original on 23 March 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
4. Dennes, Caz (1 May 2008). "OBESE BLOCK PARTY - Block Rockin' Beats". BMA Magazine. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
5. Kuch, Jesse (24 September 2009). "The Don". The Cairns Post. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
6. Colman, Tim (9 December 2005). "Milkbar Stars". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 April 2008.
7. "New vinyl records donated to the NFSA". Australian Film Commission. Archived from the original on 24 August 2006. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
8. Walter, John. "Fatter Than Ya Mama". Melbourne Pixel magazine. Archived from the original on 23 March 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2008.
9. ^ Steps, Jim (8 March 2013). "Obese Records – Frankston Store Opening". All Aussie Hip Hop. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
10. ^ "Tales of Obese City". Mag. Slattery Media Group. June 2009.
11. ^ "Obese Records interview". Scene Magazine. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
12. "Tiptop hip-hop with an Aussie accent". Record Scout Music News. 18 October 2004.
13. ^ Mitchell, Tony. "Mark Pollard Interview". Local Noise. University of Technology, Sydney. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
14. "Jagermeister AIR Award nominees". FasterLouder.com.au. 19 October 2007. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
15. "ARIA Awards – History: Winners by Year 2007: 21st Annual ARIA Awards". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 18 July 2008. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
16. "ARIA Awards – History: Winners by Year 2008: 22nd Annual ARIA Awards". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 13 August 2009. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
17. Ferris, Rina; Brennan, Kristyn (28 September 2010). "2010 ARIA Awards Nominations & Artisan Award Winners Announced" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original (Portable Document Format (PDF)) on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
18. "Releases". Plethora Records. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
19. ^ "Chewing the fat with Obese Records – Red Bull website". Red Bull. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
20. ^ "Obese Records to Distibute [sic] Hunter: For The Record Documentary". if.com.au. 19 September 2013. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
21. "Obese Records Store To Close After 21 Glorious Years • Howl & Echoes". Howl & Echoes. 3 May 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
22. "Dialectrix Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
23. "Distribution". Obese Records. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
24. "Releases". Obese Records. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
25. "Various - Culture Of Kings Volume 1". Discogs. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
26. "Various - Culture Of Kings Volume 1 - vinyl". Discogs. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
27. "Various - Culture Of Kings Volume 2". Discogs. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
28. ^ "Various - Obesecity". Discogs. Retrieved 21 March 2011.

External links

• Official website

37°50′56″S 144°59′32″E / 37.849005°S 144.9920899999996°E / -37.849005; 144.9920899999996

• Obese Records
• Australian hip-hop record labels
• Record labels established in 1995
• Defunct record labels of Australia