By the early 2000s , the Australian Record Industry Association ( ARIA ) began to recognise the growing interest in hip-hop in Australia . In 2004 , ARIA introduced a new category in their annual awards : Best Urban Album ( R&B , hip-hop , soul , funk , reggae and dancehall ) . The inaugural award was won by Koolism for their album , '' Random Thoughts '' . Koolism DJ Danielsan dedicated the award to the " Australian hip-hop community " and exclaimed : " Be yourselves , keep it real , enough of that American wannabe trash "
inaugural award
ARIA Music Awards of 2004
Australian hip hop