Reclaim Australia
Author: Seth Jordan
View album and artist detailsAlbum and Artist Details
Artist/band: |
AB Original |
Label: |
Bad Apples/Golden Era |
Magazine Review Date: |
October/2017 |
While it is frequently powerful, contemporary Australian Aboriginal music is usually non-confrontational – a traditional-meets-modern combination full of heartfelt lyrics and personal stories, with strong references to culture, kinship and country. Sometimes addressing social and political issues, it can be beautifully gentle, emotionally challenging or rock-reggae danceable, but rarely is it overtly provocative. AB Original are.
A collaboration between rapper-actor-comedian Adam Briggs and rapper-producer Daniel Rankine (aka Briggs and Trials), the pair grew up listening to American hip-hop crews and rappers such as NWA, Public Enemy and Ice Cube. They've now updated and adapted that hard-hitting approach to the Australian indigenous experience. With tracks like ‘2 Black 2 Strong’, ‘Call ‘Em Out’ and ‘January 26’ – which questions the appropriateness of celebrating the Australia Day holiday – AB Original intentionally make listeners uncomfortable in order to initiate change, highlighting issues like dispossession, social disadvantage, the high rate of Aboriginal incarceration and deaths in custody. Guest contributions from indigenous icons – the late Dr G Yunupingu (aka Gurrumul), Archie Roach and Dan Sultan – lend added credibility to the album, and while the rap structure itself isn't radically new, the content of the message is. As with most urban hip-hop, language warnings apply, but this opens up an intelligent musical conversation that's sorely needed.
A collaboration between rapper-actor-comedian Adam Briggs and rapper-producer Daniel Rankine (aka Briggs and Trials), the pair grew up listening to American hip-hop crews and rappers such as NWA, Public Enemy and Ice Cube. They've now updated and adapted that hard-hitting approach to the Australian indigenous experience. With tracks like ‘2 Black 2 Strong’, ‘Call ‘Em Out’ and ‘January 26’ – which questions the appropriateness of celebrating the Australia Day holiday – AB Original intentionally make listeners uncomfortable in order to initiate change, highlighting issues like dispossession, social disadvantage, the high rate of Aboriginal incarceration and deaths in custody. Guest contributions from indigenous icons – the late Dr G Yunupingu (aka Gurrumul), Archie Roach and Dan Sultan – lend added credibility to the album, and while the rap structure itself isn't radically new, the content of the message is. As with most urban hip-hop, language warnings apply, but this opens up an intelligent musical conversation that's sorely needed.
