Hip hop music

Plenty of meat in Bunz's raps

When Glen Anderson was playing sport with his schoolfriends, he was suddenly surrounded by police who ordered him to lay flat on the ground.

L-FRESH The LION

Rapper L-FRESH The LION puts his words into action

Rapper L-FRESH The LION is as well known for his activism as he is for his music. Green Left Weekly's Mat Ward spoke to the Sydney-raised Sikh about his newly released debut album, One. * * *

Rapper AWKWORD tackles Hip-Hop's awkward issues

World View AWKWORD February 2, 2014 www.awkwordrap.com

Aisha Fukushima brings politics back to rap

RAPtivism Aisha Fukushima March 2012 www.raptivism.bandcamp.com Travelling the world is a big enough challenge for most people, but Aisha Fukushima also managed to make a politically-charged hip-hop album while she did it. Green Left Weekly's Mat Ward spoke to the California-based "rap activist". *** You collaborated with rappers in the various countries you visited on your travels and emerged with a powerful album. Has your wanderlust been satisfied or do you have another similar album in the works?

Urthboy releases free song for refugees

Don't Let it Go (Urthboy Flip) Sietta x Jaytee Elefant Traks Released March 6, 2014 Free download Hip-hop artist Urthboy has hit back at Australia's asylum seeker policy with a free song released online. The rapper drops some radical rhymes over a beat that originally appeared on the new album by bass-heavy Darwin duo Sietta, which was released on his label Elefant Traks this month.
Wab Kinew

10 thought-provoking lyrics from Native rap artists

This article on 10 thought-provoking lyrics from Native rap artists in the US first appeared at Indian Country Today Media Network.

Hip-hop activist shows rap's power to politicise

Hip Hop, White Supremacy & Capitalism: Why Corporations Infiltrated RAP Music Solomon Comissiong Released November 2013 www.solomoncomissiong.com The politics in early hip-hop music inspired Solomon Comissiong to become an activist, author, lecturer and film-maker. Green Left Weekly's Mat Ward spoke to him about his work, which uses rap music as a tool to educate and organise. ***

Rebel Diaz rap about activists' 'radical dilemma'

Radical Dilemma Rebel Diaz Released December 4, 2013 www.rebeldiaz.bandcamp.com Rebel Diaz's much-anticipated debut album tackles a quandary faced by many activists - the "radical dilemma" of trying to change the system while being trapped in it. Green Left Weekly's Mat Ward spoke to the Bronx-based activist rap duo, made up of brothers RodStarz and G1. ***

Brisbane Blacks release Invasion Day album for free

Invasion Day 2014 Mixtape Brisbane Blacks Released January 26, 2014 www.1stnationsmobb.bandcamp.com As countless Australians donned their Cronulla capes and sank slabs of piss this Australia Day, non-profit publication Brisbane Blacks marked the occasion by releasing a free album full of protest songs.
Jimblah in Fireproof.

Jimblah grasps Australia's burning issues

Most people fear fire, but Jimblah embraces it. The element flares up again and again in the rapper's searingly original work - from his first album, Face The Fire, to the one that just rose from its ashes, Phoenix.

Pataphysics hit the right note on refugees

IED EP Pataphysics Out November 8 www.pataphysics.com Multi-lingual multi-instrumentalist Pat Marks fronts the multi-faceted Melbourne band Pataphysics. As the critically-acclaimed "guerilla hip-hop" outfit prepare to launch their new EP, Green Left Weekly's Mat Ward spoke to Marks about his multifarious pursuits, from refugee rights to juvenile justice. *** You've worked with refugees for a long time. Tell us a little about the work you do.

Indigenous emcee Eskatology raps for refugees

A Dose Of Reality Eskatology September 2013 Download free here www.eskatology.com On his latest EP, A Dose Of Reality, Adelaide-based emcee Eskatology raps about the refugees he works with. "I've worked with many refugees in my job as a youth worker," says the rapper, who is giving the 10-track EP away as a free download.