Obese Records was an Australian hip-hop record label based in Melbourne, Victoria. One of the largest independent hip-hop labels in Australia, Obese has been credited with legitimising the Australian hip-hop genre and was home to acts such as Hilltop Hoods, Illy, Kerser, Thundamentals, Reason and Dialectrix. Obese Records also operated two retail stores in the suburbs of Prahran (later moving to South Yarra in 2014) and Frankston, Zoo Records, a distribution company for non-Australian music, Plethora Records, a soul label, and their own management and touring company, Obese Records Artist Management.
History
1995–2004: Early years In 1995, graffiti writer and DJ Ollie Bobbit opened up a record store at 4A Izett Street, located within the Melbourne suburb of Prahran called "O.B.'s Records." With only A$2000, one clothes rack and one crate of vinyl, Bobbit started the business in the back of a skateboarding store in the neighbouring Greville Street, before eventually relocating to Izett Street. In 1998, Bobbit sold the business to Shazlek One (Shaheen Waheed), who changed the name to "Obese Records" as a pun on his weight made by Bias B (Adam Stevens). Shazlek laid down the early foundations for the store's in-house record label, which launched in 2000. Its first two releases were Reason's Solid and the first volume of the Culture of Kings compilation album series, both of which came out that year. In 2002, the store was bought by rapper and Obese employee Pegz (Tirren Staaf), who had been affiliated with the business since 1996 and had worked at the Izett Street retail store since 2000.
According to Pegz, there were few other labels specialising in Australian hip-hop at the time, and none who were putting significant funds into marketing, with him stating "It was about giving the people around me the opportunity they deserved." Pegz used the label to create a distribution network, and in 2005 he 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.
Under Pegz's new management, the label's first release was a second volume of Culture of Kings in October 2002, which featured formative releases from Hilltop Hoods, TZU, Hunter, Koolism, Terra Firma, Lyrical Commission, Downsyde, Layla, Bliss n Eso, Funkoars, DJ Bonez, Delta, Brad Strut, Bias B, The Hospice Crew and Brothers Stoney, and was the first Australian hip-hop album to be selected for the Triple J feature album spot. A sister compilation, ObeseCity, was also released by the label that same year. Pegz described these compilations as "key networking tools" for the growing Australian hip-hop scene.
In 2003, Hilltop Hoods released their breakout album, The Calling, under the Obese label. The album was the first Australian hip hop album to be certified Gold and Platinum in 2004 and 2006 respectively, and has been credited by critics and fans alike with "legitimising" Australian hip hop and helping it become a commercially viable genre.
2005–2015: Expansion and later years In 2006, 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.
In 2008, Hilltops Hoods departured from Obese Records to start their own label, Golden Era Records, with EMI. Obese continued to focus on both established artists and underground local acts, and founded the subsidiary soul label Plethora Records, in 2009.
In 2012, Obese filmed episodes for a new web series, Obese TV. In 2013, Obese Records signed its first management contract with Kerser, at that point having divisions for sales, publicity, marketing, accounts, and A&R. On 8 March that same year, Pegz expanded the company by opening a second retail store at 6 Wells Street in the Melbourne neighbourhood 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 2014, Obese Records relocated from its original spot at 4A Izett Street in Prahran, to 211 Commercial Road in South Yarra, and in the following year, sold its Frankston store just two years after opening.
2016–present: Closure and legacy On 7 May 2016, after 21 years, Pegz shut down Obese Records. While no specific reasons were given, Pegz released a short statement the week before, expressing his gratitude:"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."Following the shutdown, artists and fans took to Facebook to share anecdotes and memories of the business. Dialectrix stated "No one has been more instrumental in helping my music career than Pegz and everyone who’s helped me over the years at Obese Records," and Hau Latukefu (of Koolism) stated "At one point, you couldn't go anywhere without seeing an 'Obese Records: Fatter Than Ya Mama' sticker posted on a wall, a street sign or a car's back window. It's safe to say, local hip hop wouldn't be where it is now without their input."
A 2026 documentary covering the history of Melbourne's hip-hop scene titled "Undeniable: The Evolution of Melbourne Hip-Hop" features interviews from former staff and artists affiliated with Obese Records, with DJ FX (Kerris Aickin) stating in the film "Obese Records were like the saving grace for hip-hop music in Melbourne."
Staff Tirren StaafCEO Fern Greig-MooreOperations Manager, Artist Management Lindsey MartinPublicity, Communications Lee RawlingsSales, 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 Cat. # Title Artist Year OBR001 Solid Reason 2000 OBR002 Culture of Kings: Volume 1 (CD, vinyl) Various 2000 OBR003 Hip Hop Life Bias B 2001 OBR004-OBR008 Culture of Kings: Volume 2 Various 2002 OBR009 The Courageous L.P. Matty B 2002 OBR010 The Authentic LP Brad Strut 2002 OBR013 ObeseCity Various 2003 OBR015 Culture of Kings: Volume 3 Various 2003 OBR016 Drastik Measures Hyjak N Torcha 2004 OBR017 The Calling Hilltop Hoods 2003 OBR018 Andy Social Andy Struksha 2003 OBR019 Flowers in the Pavement Bliss N Eso 2004 OBR020 Pegasus Pegz 2001 OBR021 12" Apostles Task Force & Pegasus 2002 OBR022 Capricorn Cat Pegz 2003 OBR023 One Step Ahead Reason 2004 OBR024 Hunger Pains Muph n Plutonic 2004 OBR025 Lesfortunate Downsyde 2004 OBR026 When the Dust Settles Downsyde 2004 OBR027 The Fuss About Sluts Layla) 2005 OBR028 Heretik Layla) 2005 OBR029 Bonez Presents The Mamma's Kitchen Mix DJ Bonez 2005 OBR030 More Than Music Muphin 2003 OBR031 For The Ladies Mr. Trials) 2005 OBR032 Who Am I Drapht 2005 OBR033 Aces High DJ Bonez 2005 OBR034 Axis Pegz 2005 OBR035 Nothing But Silence Grayskul & Debaser 2005 OBR036 Back Then Pegz 2005 OBR037 Chechen Gorilla Pegz 2005 OBR038 Heaps Good Muph & Plutonic 2005 OBR039 Codes Over Colours Plutonic Lab 2005 OBR040 The Waiting / Midnight on Pluto Plutonic Lab 2005 OBR041 Clown Prince Hilltop Hoods 2006 OBR042 The Hard Road Hilltop Hoods 2006 OBR043 Life's a Lesson Reason 2006 OBR044 Jase Connection, Beathedz Vol.01 Jase 2006 OBR045 The Greatest Hit Funkoars 2006 OBR046 The Greatest Hits Funkoars 2006 OBR047 The Hard Road (single) Hilltop Hoods 2006 OBR048 Silence the Sirens Muph & Plutonic 2006 OBR049 What a Great Night Hilltop Hoods 2007 OBR050 Been There Done That Bias B 2007 OBR051 The Hard Road: Restrung Hilltop Hoods 2007 OBR052 Hard to Kill Vents 2007 OBR053 Roll Call DJ Bonez 2007 OBR054 Burn City Pegz 2007 OBR055 Don't Let Your Guard Down Chasm 2008 OBR056 Jimmy Recard Drapht 2008 OBR057 Brothers Grimm Drapht 2008 OBR058 Towards the Light Spit Syndicate 2008 OBR059 And Then Tomorrow Came Muph & Plutonic 2008 OBR060 The Tides Are Turning Reason 2008 OBR061 Thundamentals Thundamentals 2008 OBR062 Cycles of Survival Dialectrix 2008 OBR063 Left To Write Skryptcha 2009 OBR064 Known Unknowns The Coalition Crew 2009 OBR065 Long Story Short Illy 2009 OBR066 Unregrettable Hyjak N Torcha 2009 OBR067 The Great Divide Gully Platoon 2009 OBR068 Sleeping on Your Style Thundamentals 2009 OBR069 Move Chasm & Vida Sunshyne 2009 OBR070 Good Gracious M-Phazes 2010 OBR071 Power of the Spoken Mantra 2010 OBR072 Exile Spit Syndicate 2010 OBR073 The Numbers Skryptcha 2010 OBR074 Audio Projectile Dialectrix 2010 OBR075 The Chase Illy 2010 OBR076 Audio Biography Simplex 2011 OBR077 Drama Pegz 2011 OBR078 Phaze One M-Phazes & Emilio Rojas 2011 OBR079 Foreverlution Thundamentals 2011 OBR080 Speaking Volumes Mantra 2011 OBR081 Window of Time Reason 2011 OBR082 This is How We Never Die Chasm 2012 OBR083 Mindful Skryptcha 2012 OBR084 ObeseCity 2 Various 2012 OBR085 Bring It Back Illy 2012 OBR086 Sunday Gentlemen Spit Syndicate 2013 OBR087 Diamond Cuts EP Chasm 2013 OBR088 The Cold Light of Day Dialectrix 2013 OBR089 Smoking Aces EP Chasm 2013 OBR090 The Works M-Phazes 2013 OBR091 Sunday Gentlemen: Deluxe Edition Spit Syndicate 2013 OBR092 Day Turns to Night EP Chasm 2013 OBR093 So We Can Remember Thundamentals 2014 OBR094 Night Vision EP Chasm 2014 Source: Official Discography
+ Plethora Records (imprint)Cat. # Title Artist Year PLR001 Neon Heartache Jess Harlen 2010 PLR002 Park Yard Slang Jess Harlen 2012
See also List of independent record labels
References
External links