Over the last few years, Perth's Hyclass has grown to become one of the west coast's most exciting - if not the most exciting - name in local hip-hop, continually dominating with releases, videos and commanding live shows topped with her break-out 2018 single Queen. It was the track that ultimately placed her on the Australian hip-hop map and score her a WAM Award for Best Hip-Hop Artist in their 2018 awards, and for a good reason too; it's nostalgia-inducing, late-90s hip-hop sway and her intertwining of elements of soul and R&B forging a sound that you can find yourself falling in love with, only amplified by the single's uplifting and empowering message.
In 2019, this rise is continuing. Fresh from performing one of SOTA Festival's defining sets, her new single YEAH NAH welcomes a menacing and focused side of the rapper that sees her channel this really commanding and anthemic sound, taking her signature, intricate flow and injecting it with a modernised, forward-thinking edge well-welcomed to Hyclass' discography. It's a single that really fleshes that confident, no-holds-barred sound teased on Queen, with strong bass kicks and whistling melodies crafting the perfect backbone for an exciting new force to Australian rap music. "I created YEAH NAH based on situations I've experienced over the last couple of years," she says on the single. "I'm always pulling on my personal life when it comes to writing, this time I just wanted to do something harder while having some fun, asserting myself and keeping it honest. It's got a modern hip-hop sound too, which wasn't planned, but I just came across it while searching for beats and I loved it, it's still got my style of flow on it too. I hope everyone feels the energy and enjoys!"
Tonight - Friday June 14th - she'll launch the single at The Bird with an ensemble of West Australian rap's next generation (more details here), but in the meantime, get swept up in the energy of YEAH NAH below.
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