On the rare occasions that I listen to the radio, generally Triple J or Sydney’s FBi, I’m overwhelmed by the amount of average Australian hip-hop getting airplay. I find the concept of supporting Australian hip-hop just because it’s Australian incredibly patronising, and feel that it promotes mediocrity.

People often interpret this to mean that I don’t like Australian hip-hop, which is wrong. Good music should be supported because it’s good, not because of the genre or where it was made. Case in point: Melbournian MC Nymphlow’s mixtape Sickadenmost. Nymphlow, known to his mum as Patrick Duri, is a former battle rapper who’s decided that making music is more his bag, and this mixtape is an offering to keep the masses happy until the release of his EP, First Impressions, due out later this year.

My first impression was that there was no way this album was made in Sydney – there’s something that I can’t quite pick that just screams Melbourne. It may be the accent and enunciation, which reminded me straight away of MC Patto. The lyrics do have something of the earnest humility that has won Elefant Traks wonder kids Horrorshow so many fans (“Walking in fast-forward to catch up to my own crew, just trying to prove I can stand on my own two…”), and the overall message seems to be that he’ll do it his way or not at all. Destined to Shine is the natural single, with the MC showing some smooth flow over an uncomplicated, head-nodding beat.

The production may not be the slickest, but bearing in mind that this is a self-released mixtape intended to get the name out there in the lead-up to the release of his debut EP, that’s not exactly surprising. The beats are sick and the flow is tight, and regardless of where the musician is from, that’s what hip hop is about. Check this out, not because it’s good Australian hip hop, but because it’s good music.

Sickadenmost is out now.