Stellar Mental (formerly Statements Made Clear or SMC) were like a light that radiated from the hills of Blackwood for their few years of activity. The comparison is too simple to make but it illustrates the potential that I believed them to have: this group was and forever will be the closest comparison of what the Hilltop Hoods would have been if they had emerged in the 2020s instead of the 1990s. Both hailed from the same suburb of Adelaide and both were rapper/DJ combinations with a variety of voices over in-house production. Stellar Mental were definitely cast in the same mould of the Hilltop Hoods but it was like a regeneration of what was left from how it was started. Their mere existence was as rare as two stars shooting across the same sky; who was to decide which star shone the brightest?

Stellar Mental emerged as Statements Made Clear from the collective SMC around 2018. For most of their existence, they consisted as a quartet of rappers Bubsy.B, Semba (formerly: Nazul, Semoir; later: Raja Boy) and Guest alongside DJ/producer Kise. They released a string of single-only tracks for the first two years and then changed their name to Stellar Mental before what was to be a strong two years of output. Their first and only extended play, Take or Don’t, was released in 2020. They released multiple singles over the next two years and then generally ceased activity as a group in 2022. Semba put out his own solo material in 2023 and Bubsy occasionally makes guest appearances but it is mostly all quietened down for this group which deserved much more. Here are a collection of my standout songs by Stellar Mental.

1. “C-4”
2. “Cafe”
3. “Concepts”
4. “Galant”
5. “Hills to the Bay”
6. “Like Water”
7. “Take or Don’t”

“C-4”

I remember when “C-4” dropped and it felt like this was to be the track that commenced the burgeoning of their wider awareness. It is coated in confidence as the three rappers trade verses in their own distinct variety of styles. This is Stellar Mental at their full ability.

“Cafe”

Stellar Mental’s last performance (as a trio, missing Guest) was for the Block Party in 2022 and they previewed a set of songs that were yet to be released (and, with how the group is, likely never will be). One of them, “Cafe”, is exceptional as Bubsy and Semba rap about their dedication and hopes in the music game. Semba’s performance on this is particularly noteworthy: “astral travel how I migrate, always see the same places” and “manifested since a child / thinking I might actually achieve it and it’s wild” are some of his standout lines. How I wish this saw an official release.

“Concepts”

“Concepts” is Stellar Mental’s announcement piece. As the chorus claims – performed in a Jurassic 5-esque in-and-out technique – “we got next”. All members turn in strong performances over production by Kise.

“Galant”

“Galant” opens to precise cuts by DJ Admin before Semba comes in with “so, it’s down with the monarchy” and the track is on from there. The passover from Sem to Bubsy is smooth as butter.

“Hills to the Bay”

Stellar Mental’s home of Blackwood is nestled in the hills of Adelaide. Its height gifts viewpoints where one can see the whole stretch of the Gulf St Vincent coastline as far as sight allows. In between lies the greater Adelaide metropolitan area. “Hills to the Bay” is a proclamation of hometown belonging but with a chorus of premonition: “from the hills to the bay, every shadow and step / either consumed or defying the chasm of death”. Busby turns in the towering verse here with bars like “I heard silence is a virtue; we live as fuck!” The fourth verse, where the three rappers trade lines with each other, is also a strong moment.

“Like Water”

“Like Water” is chilled out to the utmost degree. It displays their full versatility as they could capture all levels of energy. The saxophone that is weaved in compliments their verses perfectly.

“Take or Don’t”

To say that “Take or Don’t” sounds like something the Hilltop Hoods could have produced in the mid-2000s is to undermine how unprecedented this track was when it first came out in 2019. Stellar Mental (then Statements Made Clear) released the most monumental song of their discography as one of their first attempts. It builds up like a sunrise emerging from the east of the Adelaide hills that is first only visible to those surrounded in its shadow by its rays before it finally climbs above the sky and all can see its full power. The chorus is an announcement from Bubsy, Semba and Guest as to what this group would try to do over the next few years. For anyone out there who never took what this group had to offer, this is what was for the taking.