If you want to understand where Australian hip hop’s darkest, rawest storytelling lives, you start with Huskii. The Wollongong-born rapper, real name Ben Hayden, has spent nearly a decade turning trauma, addiction, jail time, and heartbreak into some of the most unflinching bars this country has produced. I’ve had these songs on rotation through headphones on late-night drives and blasting from car speakers on the way to work, and every single time, something new cuts through. This is my rundown of the 20 best Huskii songs, the ones that built a cult following and the ones still shaping his legacy.
Toxic
“Toxic” closes out Huskii’s 2022 debut album Antihero, and it’s arguably the emotional gut-punch of the whole project. Released as the record’s second single on February 16, 2022 through Island Records Australia, the track was produced under the boom-bap direction of Sydney producer Tasker, who oversaw the entire album’s sound. Lyrically, Huskii walks through a relationship falling apart while he slides back into drug dealing, and the instrumental mirrors that decline beautifully, opening on a higher note before dropping into slower drums and dreary piano chords. On headphones, the mix lets that piano breathe in a way that genuinely unsettles you, and the accompanying music video, directed by Marty Bugatti and inspired by the crime drama Killing Them Softly, only deepens the nihilistic mood. If you’re the type who pairs certain songs with certain gear, this is one where a solid pair of over-ear cans changes the whole experience; our headphone comparison guide is worth a look if you want the low end of that piano to actually hit.
Ruin My Life
Dropped on November 12, 2021 as the lead single from Antihero, “Ruin My Life” is where Huskii reintroduced himself to the scene after a rough stretch behind bars. The bars are vivid and self-lacerating, painting a picture of stick-ups and squandered potential with a bluntness that doesn’t feel performative in the slightest. What strikes me most is the pacing of his flow here; he lets lines breathe before snapping back into aggression, which keeps you locked in rather than letting the darkness become numbing. Tasker’s production leans into that classic boom-bap warmth, giving Huskii’s voice room to sit right up front in the mix without competing against overcrowded instrumentation. This is the song that signaled Antihero was going to be a serious artistic statement, and honestly, it delivers on that promise from the very first bar.
Heroin Rap
Opening track of Antihero, “Heroin Rap” sets the tone for the entire album with its potent atmosphere of addiction, drug dealing, and the kind of grim imagery Huskii has built his reputation on. Lines about relationships built on shared habits land with an uncomfortable honesty that few rappers are willing to write, let alone deliver with this much conviction. The production here favors a slightly higher energy than “Toxic,” giving the front half of the album a propulsive quality before things get progressively more somber. Listening to this one in the car with the windows down feels almost wrong given the subject matter, but that tension between the beat’s drive and the lyrics’ bleakness is exactly what makes Huskii’s catalog so magnetic.
Suicideboy
Released in 2019, “Suicideboy” is a sparsely produced track that strips everything back to let Huskii’s writing do the heavy lifting. The minimal instrumentation puts every syllable under a microscope, and that’s precisely the point; there’s nowhere for the production to hide behind. This song sits at the emotional core of his mid-career catalog, tackling mental health and hopelessness with a rawness that predates the more polished sound of Antihero. It’s a difficult listen in the best possible way, the kind of track that rewards close attention rather than background play.
Never Free
“Never Free” continues Huskii’s tradition of turning personal confinement, literal and psychological, into compelling narrative rap. The track leans into themes of cyclical struggle that run through so much of his discography, echoing the “vicious cycles” concept that would later define “Toxic.” Vocally, Huskii’s delivery has a weariness to it that feels earned rather than manufactured, and that authenticity is exactly what separates him from rappers who write about hardship without having lived it. It’s a strong example of how consistent his thematic world is, even across different eras and producers.
Fever Dreams
A more recent addition to the catalog, “Fever Dreams” landed on streaming platforms in early 2025 and shows Huskii still exploring the same unsettled emotional terrain that’s defined his career. The title itself gives away the vibe: hazy, anxious, slightly disorienting production that mirrors the lyrical content. Hearing this one on a good pair of earbuds during a late-night walk genuinely changes how the atmospheric elements land, since a lot of the texture sits in the higher frequencies. If you’re curious which earbuds actually do justice to that kind of detail, our earbuds comparison breaks down the options. It’s a track that proves Huskii hasn’t softened with time; if anything, the production has gotten more atmospheric while the subject matter stays just as heavy.
Brainumb Freestyle
Named after his 2017 EP Brainumb, this freestyle is a foundational piece of Huskii’s origin story. It’s rougher around the edges sonically compared to his later work, closer to the SoundCloud-era grit that longtime fans reference when they talk about “the old Huskii.” The freestyle format lets him flex pure technical ability, stacking internal rhymes and rapid-fire wordplay without the structure of a traditional song. For anyone who discovered him through Antihero, going back to this track is essential; it shows exactly how far his pen game had already developed years before the mainstream attention arrived.
Body the Booth
If you ask longtime Australian hip hop heads about the song that first put Huskii on the map, “Body the Booth” comes up constantly. Obi Ill Terrors of Triple One has spoken about how this track, following the earlier Brainumb SoundCloud drops, genuinely captivated everyone who heard it and helped make Australian rap feel cool to a wider audience. The song’s raw energy, referencing racking clothes from David Jones and diving into sesh culture, captures a specific moment in Sydney’s underground scene with vivid, unfiltered detail. It’s a booth freestyle in spirit even as a released track, favoring density of bars over polished hooks. This is the song I’d point to if someone asked where Huskii’s cult following actually started.
Maybe It’s Me (Intro)
As the intro cut to the 4 Days EP era, “Maybe It’s Me” sets a moody, introspective tone before the collaborative tracks with Chillinit kick in. The self-doubt embedded in the title carries through the verses, with Huskii questioning his own role in cycles of blackout nights and fractured memory. Short and intro-length by design, it functions almost like a mission statement for the emotional register of everything that follows on the project. It’s a smart sequencing choice, and it shows Huskii understood pacing and album architecture even in his earlier collaborative work.
Sadboy
A standout from the 2017 Brainumb EP, “Sadboy” is a deeply honest reckoning with broken relationships, both romantic and familial. Huskii doesn’t dress up the vulnerability here; the writing is direct, almost journal-like in how plainly it lays out his fears and disappointments. This track is often cited as an early indicator of the emotional depth that would eventually define Antihero, proving the introspective side of his artistry was there from the start. Meanwhile, the production keeps things stripped down, which suits the confessional tone perfectly and lets his voice carry all the weight.
Toothache
“Toothache” is one of the deeper cuts in Huskii’s catalog, but it rewards patient listeners who want to hear the full range of his subject matter beyond addiction and heartbreak. The title works as a metaphor for the kind of nagging, low-grade pain that doesn’t go away, which fits neatly into his broader thematic obsession with things you can’t escape. His flow on this one has a slightly more melodic edge compared to his straight bar-heavy tracks, showing some versatility in how he approaches hooks. It’s the kind of album cut that becomes a fan favorite specifically because it wasn’t pushed as a single.
Laziest Rapper Alive
Released May 1, 2017 as part of the Brainumb EP, “Laziest Rapper Alive” plays with self-deprecating humor in a way that’s rare in Huskii’s otherwise heavy catalog. The title is tongue-in-cheek, and the track’s swaggering, unbothered delivery contrasts nicely against the more emotionally intense material surrounding it on the project. This is a good entry point for new listeners who want a taste of Huskii’s charisma without diving straight into the darkest corners of his discography. On the other hand, longtime fans appreciate it precisely because it shows a lighter side of an artist mostly known for confronting pain head-on.
Stress
“Stress” does exactly what its title promises, channeling anxious, pressurized energy into a track that feels tightly wound from the first bar. The subject matter touches on the weight of expectation and survival, themes that recur constantly across Huskii’s body of work. There’s a claustrophobic quality to the production choices here, with the beat rarely giving the listener room to exhale. It’s a strong example of how well Huskii’s vocal tone, gritty and slightly hoarse, matches the emotional temperature of his instrumentals.
Old Me
“Old Me” is a reflective cut where Huskii looks back at a previous version of himself, weighing growth against the patterns he can’t quite shake. This kind of retrospective songwriting has become something of a signature move for him, showing up in various forms across his catalog as he processes incarceration, addiction, and personal change. The track’s introspective tone fits comfortably alongside “Sadboy” and “Toothache” in the more vulnerable wing of his discography. It’s proof that even Huskii’s quieter, less aggressive tracks carry real emotional stakes.
Marijuana & Bussdowns (with Chillinit)
Taken from the 2019 collaborative EP 4 Days, released December 20, 2019 through 420 Family and produced by Kenneth T, “Marijuana & Bussdowns” is a laid-back, weed-soaked cut that pairs Huskii’s grimier delivery against Chillinit’s grime-influenced Australian flow. The chemistry between the two Sydney-area rappers is immediately obvious; their voices sit at different registers, which keeps the back-and-forth dynamic rather than repetitive. Meanwhile, the beat leans into a hazy, smoked-out atmosphere that suits the subject matter perfectly, favoring bounce over aggression. This track helped cement the 4 Days EP as one of the most replayed collaborative projects in the Australian underground rap scene.
Made It Work (with Chillinit)
Another highlight from 4 Days, “Made It Work” leans into triumphant, hard-earned success themes, a nice tonal shift from the more melancholic corners of Huskii’s solo catalog. Chillinit’s presence brings extra bounce and confidence to the track, and the two rappers trade energy in a way that elevates both performances. The production keeps a steady, head-nodding groove that works equally well in the car or through a solid pair of headphones where the low end has room to actually thump. It’s a good reminder that Huskii’s catalog isn’t purely doom and gloom; there’s real range across his collaborative work.
A Thousand Enemies (with Chillinit)
Opening track of the 4 Days EP, “A Thousand Enemies” sets an aggressive, paranoid tone right out of the gate. The song’s title captures the us-against-the-world mentality that runs through both rappers’ catalogs, and the beat matches that intensity with hard-hitting drums and a menacing low end. Huskii and Chillinit trade bars about loyalty, distrust, and survival with a chemistry that clearly comes from genuine friendship rather than a one-off industry pairing. It’s an ideal opener for the EP because it immediately establishes the stakes of everything that follows.
Same Story, Different Beat (with Chillinit)
“Same Story, Different Beat” leans into a self-aware title, acknowledging that the themes across Huskii and Chillinit’s collaborative work often circle familiar territory even as the instrumentals evolve. There’s an honesty in that framing that I appreciate; rather than pretending every track reinvents the wheel, the song owns its place within a consistent artistic universe. The production on this one has a slightly more melodic bent, giving both rappers room to lean into flow variation rather than pure aggression. It’s a subtle standout on 4 Days precisely because it’s self-referential without feeling gimmicky.
Big Stacks (Biggie Money) (with Chillinit)
Closing out the 4 Days EP, “Big Stacks (Biggie Money)” shifts into flex territory, with both rappers embracing braggadocio over the introspective weight found elsewhere in their catalogs. The Notorious B.I.G. nod in the title signals the track’s ambitions toward classic hip hop swagger, and the beat obliges with a confident, bass-heavy groove. It’s a satisfying way to end the EP, sending listeners out on a high-energy note after the more emotionally taxing tracks that precede it. Chillinit and Huskii’s back-and-forth chemistry is on full display here, each rapper pushing the other to bring more charisma to their verses.
4 Days in the Trap (feat. Chillinit & Alex Jones)
A standalone single pulling from the same 4 Days creative period, “4 Days in the Trap” brings in a third voice with Alex Jones joining Huskii and Chillinit for an even denser collaborative track. The trap-influenced production gives the song a slightly different sonic identity from the core EP tracks, leaning harder into rattling hi-hats and a more contemporary low end. Three distinct voices trading verses keeps the energy varied throughout, and each artist brings a different flow cadence that prevents the track from feeling repetitive. It’s one of the clearest examples of how well Huskii operates in a crew setting rather than purely as a solo act.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Huskii the rapper?
Huskii, born Ben Hayden in 1992, is an Australian rapper from Wollongong, New South Wales, known for his brutally honest lyricism covering addiction, incarceration, and personal trauma. He built a cult following through early EPs like Barely Awake and Paranoid and Brainumb before releasing his chart-topping debut album Antihero in 2022.
What is Huskii’s most successful song?
“Toxic” and “Ruin My Life” are widely considered his most successful singles, both supporting his debut album Antihero, which debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart in February 2022. “Toxic” also peaked at number 20 on the ARIA Top 20 Australian Hip Hop/R&B Singles Chart.
What genre is Huskii’s music?
Huskii’s music falls primarily under Australian hip hop, with his Antihero album characterized by a boom-bap production style overseen by Sydney producer Tasker. His broader catalog also touches on trap and drill influences, particularly on his collaborative work with Chillinit.
Did Huskii and Chillinit release a project together?
Yes, Huskii and Chillinit released the collaborative EP 4 Days on December 20, 2019 through 420 Family, featuring tracks like “Marijuana & Bussdowns,” “Made It Work,” “A Thousand Enemies,” “Same Story, Different Beat,” and “Big Stacks (Biggie Money).”
Where can I find more song breakdowns like this?
You can browse more artist deep dives and track-by-track breakdowns over in our songs category, where we regularly cover both established acts and rising names across hip hop and beyond.