The Herd Essentials
Playlist - 16 Songs
The Herd have never couched their political leanings. The Sydney hip-hop ensemble first made waves with the unflinching commentary of 2003’s “Burn Down the Parliament” and “77%,” the latter referencing the percentage of Australians who reportedly backed the government’s handling of the refugee crisis at the time.
Rappers Ozi Batla, Urthboy, and Berzerkatron were no less pointed in their rendition of Redgum’s anti-war standard “I Was Only 19,” which later earned a re-release featuring vocals from Redgum’s John Schumann himself. Even after Berzerkatron exited the fold and gentler singer Jane Tyrrell came on board, The Herd kept up their intense critiques. They celebrated the departure of right-wing prime minister John Howard with 2008’s gleeful “The King Is Dead,” which landed at No. 13 on that year’s triple j’s Hottest 100 poll.
Hiatuses and solo success for Urthboy have slowed The Herd since the early 2010s, but their powerful voices sowed the seeds for further dissent on the Australian airwaves.
The Herd Essentials
The Herd Essentials
The Herd have never couched their political leanings. The Sydney hip-hop ensemble first made waves with the unflinching commentary of 2003’s “Burn Down the Parliament” and “77%,” the latter referencing the percentage of Australians who reportedly backed the government’s handling of the refugee crisis at the time.
Rappers Ozi Batla, Urthboy, and Berzerkatron were no less pointed in their rendition of Redgum’s anti-war standard “I Was Only 19,” which later earned a re-release featuring vocals from Redgum’s John Schumann himself. Even after Berzerkatron exited the fold and gentler singer Jane Tyrrell came on board, The Herd kept up their intense critiques. They celebrated the departure of right-wing prime minister John Howard with 2008’s gleeful “The King Is Dead,” which landed at No. 13 on that year’s triple j’s Hottest 100 poll.
Hiatuses and solo success for Urthboy have slowed The Herd since the early 2010s, but their powerful voices sowed the seeds for further dissent on the Australian airwaves.
