Today marks the official release of A.B. Original‘s debut album, the not-so-subtly titled Reclaim Australia. The combination of Briggs and Trials, also of Funkoars, is unbelievably powerful. Apart, the two create excellent music, but together, they’re unstoppable. Kind of like an Australian Run The Jewels.

Reclaim Australia is by far the most vital, relevant and necessary Australian album of 2016. It speaks with anger, with adamance, with extremely powerful conviction, all set to ridiculously big beats, and vocal hooks from Gurrumul, Dan Sultan, Thelma Plum, Detroit’s Guilty Simpson and more.

Read our review of A.B Original, Reclaim Australia

The record has been celebrated throughout the last few days as album of the week over at Triple J, and today the pair took part in Like A Version. They performed one song of their own, the confronting and heavy January 26, which features Dan Sultan both on the record and Like A Version. The track addresses the major problems with celebrating Australia Day on January 26 head-on. Ironically, its heavy rotation on Triple J had a huge role in spotlighting the issue with hosting the Hottest 100 on January 26; although the station has not rescheduled the event this year, this track will hopefully make its way to the very top.

Following their original track came an unbelievable cover of Paul Kelly‘s 1992 classic Dumb Things, one of Australian rock’s most iconic songs ever. Joining Briggs and Trials was Dan Sultan once more, along with an extra special guest – the man himself, Paul Kelly. The heavy beats inject a feverish energy to the song we all know so well, and both Briggs and Trials deliver spitfire verses, showing off their hard-hitting lyricism and tremendous stronghold over rhythm and rhyme. From discussing black face to being complacent towards racism, there’s a lot of dumb things highlighted.

The internal relevance of choosing this song for their LAV has not gone unnoticed either; the lyric “Paul Kelly with the belly did them Dumb Things” appears on Reclaim Australia’s second last track I C U.

This will no doubt go down as one of the year’s best Like A Versions, and there’s been a lot of ’em. Certainly it’s the most relevant and important LAV – much like their album.

Watch below:

https://youtu.be/EdHQNJYZFeg

https://youtu.be/ICcewg7fxho

Dialogue is great, action is better: The case for moving the Hottest 100

Image: Twitter

It’s difficult to recall an album that can rival the debut effort of Briggs & Trial‘s project A.B. Original, Reclaim Australia, for cultural importance and significance. In press materials for the album, Ryan Griffen (conceiver of incredible, groundbreaking ABC show Cleverman) acknowledges that “many people aren’t ready for this”, and he’s right – most probably only need to scroll through their newsfeeds a few times to find examples of ugly, unrepentant racism. There’s no question that some people are not open to listening to a Yorta Yorta man and a Ngarrindjeri man spit, with straight-backed conviction, about racism in Australia. And that alone proves that this album is absolutely essential.

There is no hand-holding on Reclaim Australia. The title alone, blatantly mocking the name of a particularly racist group, should tell you that. This is not a gentle reminder about how Racism Is Bad. This is righteous anger that presents the facts of lived experiences, and in case there was any doubt, A.B. Original do not give a fuck if that makes you uncomfortable. It should. It should make you think, question, act. In the album’s Intro, the legendary Archie Roach asserts that in order to make these realities heard, you have to “get in their faces”. So that’s exactly what Briggs & Trials do.

A.B. Original’s debut track 2 Black 2 Strong, which came out in March this year, is a celebration of bravado and strength, positioning the duo as one that doesn’t hesitate to deride those who contribute to a system that devalues them. This song was my introduction and I was instantly hooked. That filthy brassy motif, squelching so satisfyingly alongside lines like “I hit you with that Andrew Bolt of lightning”, and all the while dismantling pressure for First Nation’s people to be placid or peaceful in the face of their ongoing systemic degradation? These are the voices that Australian music needs more of. On Reclaim Australia, the voices that have been consistently muffled and ignored are seizing the spotlight that was always rightfully theirs.

Call Em Out, featuring Guilty Simpson rails viciously against the idea that call-out culture is toxic or unhelpful. To hammer the point home, the track is peppered with atrociously racist and unfortunately all-too-real voice clips with media personalities and politicians suggesting that those with mixed heritages are somehow dangerous, or that white nationalist eugenics are an option, or many other disgusting things. It’s abhorrent, and these are things that people have really said. People continue to say and do similarly disgusting things, and the crux of a culture that glosses over that sort of behaviour is police murdering unarmed First Nation’s people and get away on a manslaughter charge or less.

That is the reality of Australia in 2016, and A.B. Original are determined that everyone get the message. It’s not the only track on the album about police violence: this is a theme that’s revisited several times. From Caiti Baker‘s feature on Dead In A Minute, unpacking what it is to live constantly looking over your shoulder, fearing you’ll become a target if you aren’t one already, to REPORT TO THE MIST, an unrelenting diatribe against the police. MIST affirms how completely unnecessary and unhelpful it is to defend the profession as a whole, when the culture permeating relentlessly through is violent and deadly for First Nation’s people. Quasi-literally fighting fire with fire, A.B. Original respond to the atrocities that continue to be committed with righteous antagonism.

January 26 is a masterclass in how to perform a perfect 10/10 fuck you to people who are racist and/or wilfully obtuse about the debate surrounding #ChangeTheDate. It’s a much bigger debate than simply changing the date of triple j’s Hottest 100, and a much more significant one, historically speaking. Featuring Dan Sultan, January 26 ferociously pokes gigantic, gaping holes in the shaky logical fallacies that advocates of leaving “Australia Day” as is often spurt. Unfortunately (but sadly not unanticipated), certain shit-stains have decided that this song is “racist against white people” and have been whinging about it all over their chosen false kingdoms, the comment sections. The more moderate shit-stains – more like skid marks – have simply turned to tone policing, wringing their hands in a disingenuous “why can’t we all just get along?” rhetoric. But A.B. Original have no time for coddling those who choose not to educate themselves and nor should they. I turn the other cheek, I get a knife in my back/And I tell ’em it hurts, they say I overreact/So fuck that (fuck that!)

There’s definitely no shortage of star appearances here, lending their voices to hammer these messages well and truly home. Firing Squad, with its swung drum machine and washed-out synth lines features Hau, and ICU features Thelma Plum, who by the way needs to release new music because I love her deeply. On the track, she sings an insightful chorus hook – You’re too busy watching me when you need to watch yourself – encouraging people not to pass judgements that fail to take into account personal histories along with a larger social context. Compton MC King T comes to the table for The Feast, lampooning attitudes that feed directly into a system that is run by and for white people at the direct expense and oppression of First Nation’s people. Reclaim Australia wraps on Gurrumul-featuring track Take Me Home, which you may recognise as being used on Cleverman, which also features Briggs. Through the anger felt over 200 years, there’s a sense of wistful, almost mournful longing for freedom and peace in their home – a place that has been ripped from First Nation’s people and ruled as an invading police state since the first fleet of European settlers arrived.

This album is, unequivocally, a landmark album that will continue to push boundaries of people’s perception, their preconceived notions of race and justice, and set a new standard for constructive dialogue and the valuing of the voices of First Nation’s people for decades to come. Its importance cannot be overstated – it could inspire and motivate a generation. It deserves, without a doubt, to be crowned the best Australian release of the year. If Reclaim Australia offends you, then I’d recommend listening to it on a loop until you wake up from your fragile grip on reality.

Read more: Briggs Appears On The Weekly To Sort Out The ‘Invasion’ Discussion

Image: A.B. Original

It started off innocently enough.

Detroit rapper Danny Brown posted a picture to Instagram. The photo had been captured by Howl & Echoes photographer Michelle Grace Hunder at his concert in Melbourne last week.

Howl & Echoes has become increasingly vigilant about artists posting our photos without credit, following a recent issue where A$AP Rocky didn’t just post one of our images without credit, but actually used it to promote a new song. Each time we find uncredited photos, we either ask the artists’ publicist or management to add one in, or sometimes we go to the artist direct via social media. Nine out of every ten times, a credit is added – occasionally begrudgingly, usually apologetically. Even A$AP’s team eventually apologised and added one in.

Not Danny Brown.

Read more: Music piracy isn’t okay and neither is photo piracy. Stop stealing our images.

Hunder stated that this wasn’t the first time Brown had used one of her photos without credit. Not willing to let it slide again, we decided to ask him.

He follows us on Twitter, so I got down in the DMs:

images-article-2016-05-01-Slack+for+iOS+Upload-1

He then immediately deleted the photo, unfollowed us and our photographer across all social media mediums.

He could’ve just said no if it was that big of a deal. The time it took to respond, delete the image, find and unfollow us on socials surely took far more effort than just adding a credit.

A few hours later, the topic was picking up some traction on Twitter. Then, Brown posted the following:

https://twitter.com/xdannyxbrownx/status/726785919399796737

Really? Reallllllllly?

Twitter was already going off last night, and by the time I woke up this morning it had already been picked up by at least one photography website, as well as a massive thread unfolding on Reddit. Pedestrian have also just posted all of Brown’s hilariously OTT deleted tweets, during which he somehow proceeds to challenge Project U’s Nic Kelly to a fight in Sydney this afternoon.

To clear it up for those who have been speculating: The photo was taken at Danny Brown’s concert. Hunder and Howl & Echoes had been approved by Live Nation to shoot the show. It’s not like it was an unwarranted paparazzi shot. These images are approved by the touring company and no doubt contractually agreed to by Brown and his management ahead of the tour.

We have removed the photo gallery from our website, so for the record, this is the image in question:

Here's a damn good photo of Danny Brown taken by Michelle Grace Hunder for Howl & Echoes

Here’s a damn good photo of Danny Brown taken by Michelle Grace Hunder for Howl & Echoes

I find it interesting and disappointing that so many people believe there’s no merit to photography and no need to credit photographers. Photography is as much an art form as anything else, and there’s as much copyright and ownership in photography as there is in music. Furthermore, most music photographers work completely for free. Often, a simple tag or credit can make all the difference in getting their work seen and attracting future work.

We’ve had a great response from the Australian hip-hop community. First, 360 explained why an artist can think that it’s okay to use photos without credit, but that he’s faced the consequences himself:

L-Fresh the Lion sent us the following statement:

“It ain’t hard to tag a photographer in a post. It’s the least an artist can do to show an appreciation for the photographer’s work.

If you’re sharing their photo in the first place, it means you must like it. So credit the person who made that moment happen.
 
We all work together to make music accessible. Artists make the music, promoters help put on a show, venues host it, fans support by artists in so many ways, videographers with the visuals, and photographers documenting it all happening. The list goes on. We all work together to make it what it is so people can enjoy what we have to share.“

Hau also had this to add:

“Not crediting a photographer is mad disrespectful. I realise some artists may not be familiar with the protocol, but once you have been hipped to the game, you should act accordingly. How hard is it to credit someone for their hard work? It’s like if a producer makes you a beat, you release the song and you don’t credit them for producing the song. That’s some sucker shit!”

Coda Conduct chimed in on Twitter:

fave

While Briggs added the following words of wisdom:

https://twitter.com/BriggsGE/status/726932806379544576

Look. Danny Brown is just plain wrong in his thinking that it’s okay to not credit photographers. That’s not how it works at all, and he should know this by now, considering he’s well into his second decade in the music industry. This issue seriously got out of hand. We’re glad that so many people are now discussing photo crediting and copyright as it’s a huge, ongoing issue for music photographers in this country and no doubt beyond, and hopefully this can help to clear up confusion for those who aren’t aware of how important this it.

What’s disappointing is that this issue has spiralled out of control, and that the main focus has now been this weird Twitter fight between Brown and Kelly. While that’s hilarious for sure, it’s totally missing the point of this issue. It’s upsetting that so many publications and outlets, including triple j, have chosen to focus on this issue while almost entirely ignoring the main point about photography, but I can’t exactly say I’m surprised.

Don’t be like Danny. Artists, credit the photographer just like you would a sample or literally any other kind of creative output.

Image: Michelle Grace Hunder/Twitter

Last week, The University of New South Wales announced changes to the curriculum that stated that Australia was not discovered, but in fact invaded. From this, a lot of controversy arose, starting with a piece from the Daily Telegraph entitled “WHITEWASH.” This soon trickled to the commercial media, who thought it be a great idea to debate this on their shows.

While some angled it better than others (some were horrendous), they just still featured primarily white people talking about an issue regarding Indigenous Australians and their history. This itself then sparked powerful comments from Indigenous singer and songwriter Thelma Plum, who came out and called Channel Seven’s Sunrise “A bunch of racist c*nts.”

But now, thanks to Indigenous rapper Briggs and The Weekly, we finally get an actual display of how this should have been handled in the first place. Briggsy just straight up tells the truth, showcasing the facts humorously and light-heartedly without taking anything away from the message itself – ending on the high note, “honesty is the best policy”.

Briggs has been also been in the news lately for his new group A.B. Original, comprising of himself and Trials. Inspired by N.W.A. and Westside Connection, you can listen to their politically charged debut here, and check out our photos of them from their recent supporting slot for Hilltop Hoods here.

https://www.facebook.com/theweeklytv/videos/1715964201985676/

Image: The Weekly

Briggs and Trials are at the forefront of the socially and politically conscious hip-hop movement that is slowly starting to pick up speed across Australia. Increasingly fed up with the plight of their people, and the consequent racism and systemic disadvantage they suffer, Briggs and Trials have remained strong in the face of continued adversity- never once letting go of their individual messages. Proud of their heritages (coming from the the Yorta Yorta and Ngarrindjeri tribes respectively), Briggs and Trials aren’t afraid to be outspoken, so it only makes sense that they join forces for a new, even more outspoken venture together.

Briggs won Album Of The Year at the National Indigenous Music Awards, whereas Trials has worked with just about everyone in the Australian hip-hop scene, from Drapht to Hilltop Hoods and more. Together, now as A.B. Original, the duo have been making their own music inspired by N.W.A and West Side Connection, after forming last year at triple J‘s Beat The Drum event, celebrating 40 years of the radio station. Performing a short but powerful set, a particular highlight was the special performance of the Gurrumul collaboration, The Hunt. Now, they are ready to take their new songs to the people by joining Hilltop Hoods on their national tour this April.

With a debut album in the works coming out later this year, it’s safe to say we can expect to hear a lot more from A.B. Original in the very near future. For now, check out their latest single, 2 Black 2 Strong below, as well as the tour dates for their Hilltop Hoods tour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAGvcOkCc2c

The Restrung Tour supporting Hilltop Hoods
Saturday 2 April – Allphones Arena, Sydney NSW
Friday 8 April – Brisbane Entertainment Centre, QLD
Saturday 16 April – Adelaide Entertainment Centre, SA (sold out)
Saturday 23 April – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne VIC
Saturday 30 April – Perth Arena, WA
Tickets available here

Groovin’ The Moo
Monday 25 April – Groovin’ The Moo Oakbank
http://gtm.net.au/

Words by Maxine Johns

Hip-hop has come an incredibly long way in Australia, and wouldn’t be where it is today without the trailblazers of the breakthrough years, who put forth the hard yards and paved the way for the community to survive and thrive as well as it has.

Paying homage to artists such as 1200 Techniques, Hilltop Hoods, Bliss N Esso, Bias B, Urthboy, 360, Kerser, MC Trey, Maya Jupiter, Tzu, Seth Sentry and many more who kicked down the door and made the world take notice of Australia’s hip-hop industry, the following list of artists are a definitive representation of how the local community is evolving, celebrating its diversity and putting Australian hip-hop on the global map.

These artists represent their culture, their creativity and above all else, their undeniable talent, showcasing just how broad and diverse Australia’s hip-hop industry really is. Original, driven, innovative and socially aware, these artists are indeed game changers in our hip-hop community!

BRIGGS –  Shepparton, VIC

Adam Briggs, aka Briggs, is an Australian rapper, comedy writer and actor.  He is an Indigenous Australian of the Yorta Yorta people with his tribe name tattooed on his forearms, proudly representing for his culture through every song he makes. He has released one EP, Homemade Bombs, and two albums, The Blacklist and Sheplife. His stellar single And The Children Came Back was a standout release for 2015, elevating Briggs to national hero status. He has amassed a loyal following of hip-hop fans, not just akin to his unapologetic and honest style of rap, but as supporters of his active stance against racial injustice and cultural indifference when it comes to matters of Indigenous issue and inequality in the music community. Apart from his music, Briggs also joined television series Black Comedy as a writer and actor for the second season in 2016.

https://youtu.be/3-wMbFntrTo

L-FRESH THE LION – Sydney, NSW

When you first meet L-FRESH the LION, you see a man walking proudly in representation of his traditional Punjab Indian heritage, as he rocks out on stage with the pride in his long beard and turban. L-FRESH is an artist who is sans ego, focusing on creating music with a message and paying respect to those that paved the way to make his journey possible. Like the socially aware hip-hop sages that serve as inspiration to his current wordplay, it is safe to say that L-FRSH The LION can hold court with the likes of Common, Talib Kweli, Chuck D and Mos Def when it comes to rapping for a reason. A big call, some would say, but when you have the great KRS-1 stating that L-FRESH “IS hip-hop,” the ante is upped and the game is changed. L-FRESH has released an album called One and appeared on several singles with local rappers including Hau, Remi and Omar Musa. He is an artist that represents all that is real and true in our community, and is determined to hold Australia in the highest hip-hop light.

https://youtu.be/DPiKjk6isuU

LEE MONRO & ELLO C – Sydney, NSW 

Indulging in an exciting collaboration project called Lee Monro x Ello C, the pair are creating a new wave of hip-hop in Sydney, with a growing following, from their two mixtapes Overtime and Overtime 1.5, as well as their live performances. Monro has been active, relative and true to form throughout his journey, which began in the early 2000s as part of Figgkid, stepping up to the mantle as one of our most impressive rappers at the time. Now, in 2016, he is yet to waver as an artist unafraid to spit it like it is. Enter Ello C, the young up and comer from Sydney’s West, of Filipino heritage, who has broken new ground as one of the most lyrically on-point rappers today. With an appreciation for hip-hop beyond his years and solo work that encouraged him to release his No Name Fame mixtape, Ello quickly gained major internet buzz. Strong on their own but indestructible together, the grouping of these two lyrical geniuses will always be one of the best hands the hip-hop gods have played. Honest, raw and real, Lee Monro & Ello C wave the flag for Australian rap holding on to its core values of authenticity, integrity and originality.

https://youtu.be/tDqhLZrvY28

BLAQ CARRIE – Brisbane, QLD 

Every once in a while, an artist comes along who just knocks the breath out of you. They are powerful, confident, passionate and fearless in their pursuit of creating hip-hop their way, in a style which not only appeals to you personally, but resonates with your spirit on a greater level. One such artist is female hip-hop artist Blaq Carrie, the Harare-born, Brisbane-based femcee whose style and flow is raising the bar within the independent Australian community. For an artist who is still finding her footing in the ever evolving hip-hop landscape, Blaq Carrie has released a banging EP, Best Wishes, along with an impressive discography on her SoundCloud page, proving she is an artist that possesses a keen sense of storytelling with purpose.

https://youtu.be/QZqmGBk4WzY

B-WISE – Sydney, NSW

B Wise is an African-Australian hip-hop artist whose infectious single, Prince Akeem, an upbeat colourful track named after Eddie Murphy’s character in Coming To America and produced by Raph Lauren of Jackie Onassis/The Meeting Tree, offers a glimpse into the creative narrative of this uber talented Sydney emcee. B Wise, aka James Iheakanwa, is the son of a country girl from Stockinbingal, NSW and a dad from Nigeria, who spent his early years between Sydney and rural NSW before his family settled in the city’s South West. As a product of childhood bullying and racism, Wise drew on the strong sense of African pride instilled in him by his parents and uses it as the main drive in his music today. His first single, Like You, captured the attention of mainstream music media like Rolling Stone and Acclaim, who shone a light on the vocal stylings of this enigmatic emcee. Working on his first full length album featuring production credits from Nic Martin (360), Raph Lauren, Momo (Diafrix), Pro/Gram (Bliss n Eso, Hau) and Colourd Noyz, B Wise is making his position known as Australia’s Prince of hip-hop!

https://youtu.be/ea2vXsWdqnM

KEV HANNIBAL – Sydney, NSW 

Watching Kev Hannibal on stage, in the moment where all an artist needs is one mic, you can really see, hear and feel the passion in his music. It’s a performance that grips the audience and delivers the heat – not bad for a young man from the hard knock roots of Southside Jamaica Queens, a suburb in New York synonymous for its pride, passion and servitude to the hip-hop legacy. Before creating a new life in Sydney’s Western suburbs, Hannibal’s childhood was plagued with family tragedy, providing the foundations for enough life experience to write a book on. Using rhymes and a mic as personal therapy, his tracks are empowering and educative. His lyrical skill is unsurpassed, with a talent for beguiling storytelling and in your face delivery, Kev Hannibal is real. His recent single, Colour of Your Skin is enjoying local and international radio love, and his multifaceted talents range from songwriting, production and acting, with Hannibal featuring in films as well as musical releases, continuously pushing the barriers of his hip-hop artistry.

https://youtu.be/ut7i_67w-eg

DIAFRIX – Footscray, VIC

Momo and Azmarino make up Diafrix, a dynamic duo out of Footscray, Melbourne. Having formed back in 2001, the pair have supported everyone from Bliss n Eso to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, and their single Running was adopted as the official theme for the Western Sydney Bulldogs Football Team in 2013. Both artists hail from Melbourne, with Momo originally born in the Comoros Islands and Azmarino in Eritrea. Representing for the culture through their music, their sound has been referred to as “anthemic” for the multicultural areas they grew up in. With musical influences ranging from Nas to Bob Marley to Fat Freddy’s Drop, three solid albums and a a spitfire new single,The Sign, Diafrix are a creative force to be reckoned with.

https://youtu.be/L9pHTcyoUZY

STAN BRAVO – Sydney, NSW

Stan Bravo is no stranger to this rap game. With over a decade in the industry, he’s experienced the highs and lows that hip-hop can offer, been to the show, and bought the t-shirt in a manner of speaking. Considered a well-versed veteran in the game, Harlemite Stanley Campbell aka Stan Bravo has continued to do what comes naturally, spitting forth handcrafted rhymes that leave his contenders in the dust. As an APRA Award winning songwriter, he has featured on numerous singles with Jeremy Gregory, Ricki Lee and J Wess, released a highly successful and official mixtape compilation Blazin’ Vols 1, 2, 3 & 4 with DJ’s Nino Brown & DJ Samrai and plenty more. With a newly minted album just released last December, Bravo continues to rep for Sydney’s Western suburbs, never forgetting his Harlem NYC roots!

https://youtu.be/qtakak7AXNM

KWEEN G – Sydney, NSW

This Ugandan born, Sydney raised Queen is no stranger to struggle and knows that to get what you want in this life, you have to settle for nothing less than the best of yourself. As the only daughter in a family of three boys, Kween G grew up listening to the hip-hop that her brothers played, including Tupac, Biggie Smalls, Nas and Rah Digga, soon foraying into the frays herself, cultivating one of the illest femcees to have ever come out of Australia. With more than just emcee on her resume, Kween G is an award-winning dramatic producer who has studied at NIDA and beyond. Her single Speak Up is as powerful, raw and fearless as she is:

https://youtu.be/WKerjKsbSss

HAU LATUKEFU – Canberra, ACT

For this Queanbeyan, ACT, born and bred musician, his Tongan heritage is at the forefront of all he creates. Having already built up a widely praised discography from his Koolism years, his solo career kicked off in grand style with the nationally lauded success of 2014 mixtape Football, Feasts & Funerals. As the Hau steam train continues, he gives us his current single Kill I Am, an edgy, abstract and catchy hit that is off his upcoming debut album The No End Theory, due for release in late May. Regardless of where this hip-hop journey takes him, Hau is always humble, authentic and true to himself and his craft. Never one to take himself too seriously, Hau is as real as it gets when it comes to his insight, knowledge, passion and respect for hip-hop and its culture!

https://youtu.be/EgBxTKcHmwU

JERIET DWIGHT – Sydney, NSW

Jeriet Dwight is a force to be reckoned with. Jeriet, or JD, is a South Sydney hip-hop artist breaking new ground since the release of his debut single All Falls Down in mid 2015. JD has been chasing his dream of hip-hop infamy since his teen years, when hip-hop became the soundtrack to his life. Raised in Austria for most of his young life before moving to Australia, JD is fast becoming the name on everybody’s lips. All Falls Down was produced by famed Australian hip-hop producer Cam Bluff (Illy, Hilltop Hoods.) The single gained major traction across hip-hop and urban radio shows across the nation, and with Triple J giving Dwight the Unearthed Artist blessing earlier last year, on top of electronic collaborations with Hermitude and Flume, things are definitely looking up for this super talented songwriter and rapper.

https://youtu.be/ST33TartZx8

REMI KOLAWOLE – Melbourne, VIC

Melbourne’s Remi Kolawole is a definitive groundbreaker. Born in Australia, Remi’s mother is from Tasmania and his father from Nigeria. His message encompasses racism, partying, social justice and urban dislocation, a collective representation of all parts of his heritage. As the recipient of the Australian Music Prize for his album Raw X Infinity in 2014, Remi is the first hip-hop artist ever to win the country’s premier music prize, putting him in a league all his own. Remi carries with him the pride of finally achieving hip-hop recognition on an industry-wide basis in the Australian music community. The beauty about a socially and politically aware artist like Remi is that his hip-hop is of a purpose, and his reach is that of those hear hip hop and not just listen to it. His unique vocals and raw appeal has gained him major international success and respect from artists such as Danny Brown, Vic Mensa, De La Soul and Joey Bada$$, and his live performance skills, alongside producer/beatmaster Sensible J, are second to none.

https://youtu.be/pyL_Y_Krk4I

MIRRAH – Sydney, NSW

Mirrah encapsulates the very essence of what it means to be multi-faceted and multi-talented. She calls Australia her adoptive home, and is proud of her multi-cultural background and beginnings. Yet, this humble but fiercely passionate rapper, performer, writer, radio personality, mentor and humanitarian holds her ground on an international stage that has seen her perform alongside some of hip-hop’s most iconic names. Mirrah is a woman whose mission in life is to create music and a dialogue that stretches beyond society’s definition, to inspire urban youth all over the world to seek their own path through music and to be an original in all she does. Last year she dropped the powerful single Wassup, and is gearing up to drop an EP this year under Green Room Studios. Touring as hype woman and cherished member of L-FRESH The Lion’s band, Mirrah is a quintessential artist, focused on not only empowering fellow women in hip-hop, but on creating music that is positive in sound, delivery and message, ensuring the youth of our community have strong female role models to look up to in this industry.

https://youtu.be/Svr6v-VGw9o

SAMPA THE GREAT – Sydney, NSW

A poet, singer and songwriter, pint-sized Sampa the Great was born in Zambia and grew up in Botswana before relocating to Sydney. Last year saw her release The Great Mixtape to critical acclaim, showing off a stunningly conposed marriage of jazz, neo-soul and hip-hop. Having opened for artists including Hiatus Kaiyote, Thundercat and Little Simz, it’s only a matter of time before Sampa takes on the world. One of the most lyrically proficient, rhythmically talented rappers Australia has ever seen, she can float between Lauryn Hill-esque sensuality and Angel Haze-esque aggression in a matter of moments. Known for putting on some of the most energetic, lively and quite simply, fun live performances in the country – either with a DJ or a full band including backup singers and multiple percussionists – there is absolutely no doubt that she will go on to become one of the most well-known and revered artists in Australia and beyond.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHoE43gcB1A

GILL BATES – Brisbane, QLD

African-Australian electro/hip-hop artist Gill Bates may be a relative newbie on the scene, but he’s already touring nationally, with an ever-growing fanbase that continues to break new numbers on the daily. Born in Sudan, Gill lived in Sydney’s Parramatta before relocating to Brisbane with his family in 2004. Life has been nothing but surreal since first emerging onto the Australian music scene in early 2015, when he received major industry attention and public love for first single She Knows featuring Allday, second release Don’t Mind, and his recent single release Diamonds & Gold. Definitely one to watch, Gill Bates is unassuming and not about the hype, rather focusing on creating music that people can vibe to and sharing with the world his message through music.

https://youtu.be/eGbVPmxc2EE

OMAR MUSA – Canberra, ACT

Omar Musa is a rapper, author and poet from Queanbeyan, ACT. For this Malaysian-Australian rapper, his artistry is more than just hip-hop fame and glory, he is an artist of purpose and reason. With two solo records, spawning singles Dead Centre and the recently released Laksa, plus an album with international duo MoneyKat, Musa has gone on to share stages with acts such as Dead Prez, Pharoahe Monch, Gil Scott-Heron, Horrorshow, Thundamentals and Daniel Merriweather to name a few. He has appeared on ABC’s Q&A and received a standing ovation for his performance at TEDx at the Sydney Opera House. On top of that, his debut novel Here Come the Dogs was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award, and he was named one of Sydney Morning Herald’s Best Young Writers in 2015. Musa is an artist pushing the envelope for hip-hop in Australia to be a vehicle of positivity, social change and awareness on a global scale, and by sharing his message through spoken and written word, is fast becoming one of the nations most lauded creatives.

https://youtu.be/EHMMEFfcWqE