Get hip
If there's a single musical genre that has spoken to the indigenous experience in Australia, it's hip hop. Andrew P Street spoke to a couple of the nation's best up-and-coming indigenous artists about the role that hip hop plays in their lives
The Last Kinection keep it in the family
While hip hop has increasingly become filled with conspicuous consumption in the US, in Australia it's become the voice of indigenous Australia. "I think hip hop and indigenous Australian culture are very similar," explains Fred (Bulanyi) Leone of Impossible Odds, winners of the JB Seed's Speak: Indigenous Hip Hop Competition.
"The reason being that in this country we, the indigenous people, have always passed information down from generation to generation verbally or through an oral history."
Joel and Naomi Wentiong, who make up two thirds of The Last Kinection, have similar opinions. "We can relate to its format of ‘storytelling'," Joel explains. "Our mob use traditional storytelling and music as part of everyday communication. Hip hop is the music of marginalised people from race to socio economic status."
Leone goes further: "In much in the same way as hip hop has four elements - DJing, breakdance, MCing and aerosol art - indigenous culture has didgeridoo and clap sticks, which provide the beats like a DJ, Shake A Leg or Corroberee which is the dance element, Song for the dancers which goes hand in hand with MCing, and finally our art which fall in line with the aerosol art component. So it almost is just a natural progression for indigenous kids, in terms of a creative outlet."
"In my opinion a lot of our people can relate and/or produce hip hop because it is so ‘in ya face'," Naomi adds.
Leone's very clear on those who inspired him to express himself through music. "Apart from your genre-specific people like Koolism, Native Rhyme Syndicate, and of course Bias B and MC Trey I would also have to mention Archie Roach, Kev Carmody, Peter Garrett, Paul Kelly, Shane Howard."
"Kev Carmody," Joel agrees.
Unsurprsingly, all three artists echoed Carmody's declaration that the recent cover of ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow' by the Get Up Mob followed the oral tradition of updating a story as time went on. "Definitely," Leone declares. "For me it's about sharing our stories new and old through this contemporary form of music for today's and future generations to hear."
The Last Kinection are no strangers to such updates: they made headlines around the nation with their controversial update of ‘I Still Call Australia Home'. "Passing on stories through song is one of the most oldest and effective components in keeping our tradition alive," Naomi explains. "In that sense, hip hop plays a role."
Joel concurs. "It is based on updating samples of older-style music and attracting a new audience: retelling a story or a track in a way today's people can appreciate, enjoy and understand it."
All of the artists are similarly adamant that there's a unique element to Aussie hip hop when contrasted with its American cousin. "Of course there is!" Naomi replies. "Oz hip hop is all about "keeping it real" I think the biggest difference is the lyrical content in Oz and indigenous hip hop compared to the US, which is understandable because we come from two different countries with totally different histories and ways of life. Most of the indigenous crews use hip hop as an outlet, a form of communication, education, and a platform for real issues."
"I would have to say yes!" Leone enthuses. "Today Australia has cemented a style and flavour which is unique to our part of the world, documenting the Australian lifestyle and adaptation of the hip hop culture.
"There are a few Indigenous artists that have been doing their thing for years in their local and also the national indigenous hip hop and festival scenes. All of these artists are now not only seen as respected indigenous hip hop artists but also accepted and respected as Aussie hip hop artists: Brother Black, Wire MC, Indigenous Intrudaz, Radical Son, Poetic Murri's, Zenyth, Konnect A Dot..."
Joel, however, doesn't see it as being quite that cut-and-dried. "There is definitely an Australian flavour," he but what is Australian is yet to be successfully defined. It's not just accents, as many different Australians have different accents; and different languages, for that matter. I don't think there is or should be a specifically Australian flavour, as it limits creativity and can segregate Australian artists and their audiences if they don't have that stereotypical ‘Aussie Sound'."
However, they all agreed on the value and power of hip hop. "Definitely," Leone concludes. "For me it's about sharing our stories new and old through this contemporary form of music for today's and future generations to hear."
Impossible Odds' self-titled EP is out Fri 23 May
Listen to The Last Kinection