MC Trey, Maya Jupiter and Nick Toth have been members of Sydney’s hip-hop scene for around ten years. While all three names will be familiar to most, it has been a while since either Trey or Jupiter has released an album. Meeting in 1998, both female emcees became friends and started to collaborate. When they began on their EP the ideas flowed, Nick Toth was added on cuts and some production, and now we have a thirteen track debut. With the high profile of the three members – Maya in particular – there was bound to be expectations for this album. While you can judge for yourself, for me Foreign Heights have produced exactly the album they set out to make.

The style of music here is what most would term “Triple J Hip-Hop”. It’s the accessible sound that many associate with Australian hip-hop; up-tempo cuts for the club, mixed with the odd deeper insight. While it is not the type of album I personally get into, it’s hard to write it off as ‘more of the same’ from Australian artists. Lyrically Jupiter and Trey bounce off each other well, the chemistry undeniable, and Maya in particular really impresses with her sentence structure and wordplay. Prior to listening to this I would have said Maya would struggle to hang with Trey lyrically, but by album’s end she is the superior emcee. The lyrical content is nothing new, from party tracks like ‘Get Yours’ or ‘The Feelin’, to a track like ‘Picture This’ where both get a little deeper.

Guest wise, it’s clear that the trio have a long involvement in the scene, as they’ve made some well known friends. From Canada’s leading female emcee Eternia, who shines on ‘Messin’ With My Flow’, to Murs providing the male foil on ‘Get Up’, or Mystro on ‘One In A Million’, each guest delivers. I guess the only question mark is, do they overshadow the artists? Again, something for the individuals to decide. Production duties are handled by the likes of P-Money on the sample based ‘Get Yours’ and ‘That Feelin’, Sydney’s Mr Zux, and even Nick Toth himself. They all deliver solid efforts, although again it’s a little to ‘Triple J’ for my tastes, but the sounds will appeal to many. The only disappointment, production wise, is Kutmasta Kurt on ‘La-La’. The beat lacks any kick at all, leaving the lyrics floundering.

Not for fans of darker hip-hop or those anti our nation’s youth broadcaster, but exactly the sort of album Foreign Heights set out to make. For that, I respect them. If you are a fan of either of the artist’s in the trio, or you like inoffensive party hip-hop, grab a copy as you wont be disappointed.