If you’ve been to a music festival in Australia this year, chances are
you’ve come across Baker Boy. The hip hop artist is one of the most
exciting live acts in the country right now, whipping crowds into
a dancing frenzy with his addictive, inclusive anthems. He’s shared
the stage with the likes of Dizzee Rascal and one of his childhood
idols, 50 Cent. Not too shabby for a guy who started writing his own
music just two years ago.
The Baker Boy story starts in Yurruwi, Arnhem Land, where the
rapper was born Danzel Baker and spent his idyllic childhood
hunting, fishing and immersing himself in dance and music – an
integral part of Indigenous culture. “Music is how we communicate
with our ancestors and pay respects to Country,” Danzel says.
“My dad and uncle – the original Baker Boys – introduced hip hop
into Arnhem Land back in the ’80s, so I’ve always been surrounded
by heaps of that. I listened to a lot of N.W.A, Public Enemy,
De La Soul, Beastie Boys.”Now living and working in Melbourne, Danzel continues to pay
respect to his roots by rapping in a blend of English and his native
language, Yolngu Matha. “I love seeing people really get into my
music, even though they don’t know what I’m saying – it’s actually
the message I’m trying to send,” he explains. “No matter what yourbackground is, people come together through music and forget
their tensions to just enjoy the vibe. I try my best to show people that,
at the end of the day, us as humans are all the same. There’s no room
for negativity when everyone is just vibing off the beat and letting their
minds run free.”Even more than wanting to bring people together on the dance floor,
though, Danzel’s main aim is to educate folks far and wide about
Aboriginal culture and language. “Not many people know how many
communities there are in Australia, because they’re so remote,” he
says. “In an ideal world, I would love my music to start a movement
where the local Indigenous language is brought into surrounding
schools. English is a part of Australia, so why not the First People’s
language? It’s important to preserve all of Australia’s history.”This kind of activism is just part and parcel of Danzel’s life. When
he’s not killing it on stage, he’s a cultural leader with the Indigenous
Hip Hop Projects – an organisation that empowers young people
through music and dance, and by giving them role models within their
communities to look up to. Funnily enough, the outfit was a way for
Danzel to settle into Melbourne, too. “I was just a community boy in
a big concrete jungle with no friends, and Indigenous Hip Hop
Projects really made me feel comfortable,” he says.“I’ve travelled all over Australia to remote communities, teaching
kids there to really hone in on their skills for dance and lyrics, and
showing them there is no such thing as shame. We also teach kids
about the importance of looking after your body, mental health and
even sexual health. It’s a dream job, because I get paid to dance
while being on Country.”In his down time (not that he gets a lot of it), Danzel likes fishing,
playing basketball, logging quality couch hours and playing video
games. But fame sneaks up on him in funny, unexpected ways
sometimes. “One night I was playing Fortnite and a guy recognised
my voice, and got me to rap my track ‘Cloud 9’ online to him and
random people from different parts of the world,” he laughs.
“It was sick!”the hip hop connection
DANZEL BAKER, AKA BAKER BOY,
PAYS RESPECT TO HIS ROOTS WITH
HIS OWN BRAND OF MUSIC.Words Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen
music talks