Why Australia's greatest hip hop song never had an official video.
This is the question I’ve had ever since I saw The Nosebleed Section music video in 2006: Who made this? The visuals of this grainy flatland BMX clip stood out as an iconic moment in time and for all these years its origins remained a mystery. It found its way onto YouTube, the innovative video sharing platform that launched in 2005 encouraging its users to ‘Broadcast Yourself’. As an aspiring filmmaker this suddenly opened a world of possibilities. The idea that anyone could produce the music video for the biggest song in the country was a game changer. Nearly 20 years on Mustard Flats tracked down the creator of Australia’s greatest hip hop music video to ask how it all happened.
The Hilltop Hoods iconic The Nosebleed Section is arguably Australia's most famous hip hop record. It has featured in 4 of the Triple J Hottest 100 countdowns, including the All Time, Australian Songs and Last 20 Year editions. It was Australia's first mainstream hip hop track going 10x platinum and shaped the sound of hip hop in this country for the next decade.
“It’s almost like there is a pre Nosebleed Section era and a post Nosebleed Section era in Australian music and hip hop.
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This is the urban legend of the ‘unofficial’ Hilltop Hoods music video that was the birth of Australian hip hop on YouTube.
The year was 2003 and the Adelaide trio released their third studio album The Calling. One track quickly took hold and it featured a sample from Melanie Safka’s 'People in the Front Row' from 1972. Even the most honest producer couldn't go past the iconic flute and hook and MC Suffa had to have it. Back then the Hoods were almost unknown and the sample wasn't cleared and in much the same spirit either was the video. The perfect example of grassroots coming together.
“We didn’t clear it because we didn’t know it was going to be a thing.
Then we tried to clear it and it turned out her publishing had been sold several times and there were fights over who owned it. Then we finally got it cleared maybe a decade later.
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The same year the song was released Simon O’brien was on his way to California to compete in the X Games Flatland BMX competition where he won gold.
“Winning the X Games for me was pretty life defining”
He also started filming what would become the most viewed flatland BMX video and take the title as the unofficial music video for The Nosebleed Section. It was created in Jarvis Bay on the Australian South Coast and in the most part filmed by Simon’s mum. Then uploaded to YouTube by some fans. It was never intended to be released outside a few friends.
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I put so much effort into doing flatland back then. That video I put my heart and soul into it.
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And just like the Hilltop Hoods didn’t follow the proper procedure with the sample, the BMX video slipped through the cracks and a music video was born. There was a void left by the HTH and Simon’s video was embraced by the fans.
This was 2006, just one year after the launch of YouTube and the platform was yet to be fully understood. It was still a place for home video and experimentation, not what we know today. It replaced MTV at the click of a button, a place where fans could get their on demand fix and a place where anyone could start their dream of being a rap star with an iPhone and an internet connection. It wasn't until 2007 when YouTube started running in-video ads did the record labels start uploading their music videos to the site. In 2009 music focused channels like Vevo launched. So in 2006 independent Australian artists simply weren’t thinking about it.
If you browse through the comments of the video you will see that it is equal parts BMX fans and HTH fans. It was both a form of discovery for Australian flatland BMX as well as the Hilltop Hoods. 35 million views later you have to think a lot of people were discovering new music from that video. It was beneficial to the hoods in the early stage of their career. The Calling was a break out album as was the Simon clip. At the time the Hoods were still relatively small so their videos were getting a couple thousand views. The Nosebleed Section was a smash so why mess with it.
Another factor is it was just part of the culture back then. Hip Hop culture was all about jacking beats, graffiti and the underground sub cultures that surrounded it like skate, BMX and breaking. Unlike pop music, money and fame didn't drive the culture in Australia. It was grassroots and that is why we believe the video was never taken down. It was organic and grew from the culture.
“There’s no need to go back over tracked ground and make some big flashy clip. It’s of it’s era and it’s meant to be. ”
We visited the home where Simon grew up. So dedicated to the sport he had his mum concrete the front yard so he could train. At 46 years old there is no sign of slowing down on the bike.
The now iconic video is synonymous with the Australian rap group and cemented in the history books as Australia's greatest music video film by a BMXers mum.
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