Lately, the new single from Sydney MC B Wise absolutely nails the aesthetic of modern Australian hip-hop. It’s crisp, mature and brave enough to embrace progressive production styles.
Australian hip-hop is typically wary of modern beats, preferring a classic or throwback sound over any fashionable and passing American trend. Here up-and-coming producer Dopamine delivers a sophisticated trap beat that has the breezy house hallmarks of the genres Australian progenitor (Flume). It’s extremely polished and the dreamy undertones offset the typically jarring nature of the trap drums. B Wise clearly knows how to pick his producers, having collaborated with Ralph Lauren of Jackie Onassis fame on the infectious Prince Akeem, another smooth summer jam.
B Wise’s rhymes are simple and effortless, “forward thinking, forward motion / I must be honest drinking water with that potion.” He shifts the focus away from the words themselves to the track’s overall effect. It’s a relaxing experience. The song is inspired by a quote from the film Almost Famous, “from here on out, I am only interested in what is real. Real people, real feelings, that’s it, that’s all I’m interested in.” The style is undoubtedly authentic.
No matter how good Australian hip-hop is, it always runs the risk of being laughable. That’s why a good Australian rapper will always incorporate an element of humour and never take themselves too seriously. B Wise’s whole aesthetic, his voice, appearance and flow, ensure that he’ll be seen as edgy. B Wise’s persona is a driving force in his success as an artist. His upbeat videos put the rapper front and centre. An accomplished performer, B Wise has supported international acts like G-Eazy, Souls of Mischief and Kid Cudi. Now he’ll be supporting MC Tuka of the Thundamentals before opening for Yelawolf in December.
Do yourself a favour and go catch B Wise at any of the following million venues before he kicks of touring with Yelawolf:
SATURDAY OCTOBER 3rd – LISTEN OUT FESTIVAL SYDNEY
FRIDAY OCTOBER 23rd – THE GOV, ADELAIDE (with TUKA)
THURSDAY OCTOBER 29th – THE CAMBRIDGE HOTEL, NEWCASTLE (with TUKA) – TICKETS
FRIDAY OCTOBER 30th – OAF, SYDNEY (with TUKA)
SATURDAY OCTOBER 31ST – TRANSIT BAR, CANBERRA (with TUKA)
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6TH – CORNER HOTEL, MELBOURNE (with TUKA)
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7TH – WOOLY MAMMOTH, BRISBANE (with TUKA)
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 8TH – NEWTOWN FESTIVAL, SYDNEY
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 13TH – AMPLIFIER CAPITOL, PERTH (with TUKA)
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14TH – MOJOS BAR, FREEMANTLE (with TUKA)
SATURDAY DECEMBER 5TH – THE MET, BRISBANE (with YELAWOLF)
SUNDAY DECEMBER 6TH – MAX WATTS, MELBOURNE (with YELAWOLF)
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 9TH – MAX WATTS, MELBOURNE (with YELAWOLF)
THURSDAY DECEMBER 10TH – METRO THEATRE, SYDNEY (with YELAWOLF)
FRIDAY DECEMBER 11TH – VILLA, PERTH (with YELAWOLF)