Baker Boy

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the following story may contain names and images of people who have died.

REDEFINING AUSTRALIAN HIP HOP FOR A NEW GENERATION

By Sosefina Fuamoli

Baker Boy is helping to redefine Australian hip hop for a new generation of artists and fans. His effortless rapping in both English and Yolngu Matha has injected a fresh new sound and energy into the Australian hip hop scene. Here, music journalist Sosefina Fuamoli reflects on his childhood inspirations and his continuing connection to country and culture.

Identity and language have become integral elements of how Australian hip hop has evolved in recent decades. It has been an evolution that has needed to happen: the foundations on which the genre was built offered stories told in a very specific way, perfect for the time yet not entirely reflective of the burgeoning, thriving cultural communities fleshing out the modern Australian landscape. As the 2010s ushered in a new vanguard of young and impassioned artists set to shake things up and brandish stories told with reinvigorated confidence, there was a young artist preparing to make his entrance.

Baker Boy is a proud Yolngu man from Milingimbi and Maningrida in North East Arnhem Land. He arrived on the Australian music scene in 2017 as the self-styled ‘Fresh Prince of Arnhem Land’. Since then, he has wasted no time in using the early buzz and momentum surrounding his talent as a foundation for a new music legacy. His emergence is part of a long overdue evolution in Australian hip hop categorised by a new vanguard of young and impassioned artists brandishing stories centred on identity and language.

Born in 1996 in Darwin, and raised between the communities of Maningrida and Milingimbi in North East Arnhem Land, Baker Boy – aka Danzal Baker – had music and performance in his blood.

His family was fundamental in bringing hip hop to Arnhem Land communities. During the 1980s, his dad Josiah and uncle Jeremiah formed beloved hip hop performance group The Baker Boys, who would inevitably influence Baker’s own path and early artistry. Prior to the release of his debut single ‘Cloud9’, Baker had etched a burgeoning career for himself as a dancer, having attended the Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts in Brisbane before touring extensively as part of the Djuki Mala dance troupe.

A passion for representing his culture and telling stories in an entertaining and unique way was with Baker from an early age. His effortless rapping in both English and Yolngu Matha, combined with his effervescent energy and optimism, are what make Baker Boy such a captivating artist.

While ‘Cloud9’ established Baker Boy as a fresh voice with potential, it was songs like ‘Marryuna’ (featuring Yirrmal) and ‘Mr. La Di Da Di’ that turned Baker Boy into Australian hip hop’s brightest new success story. These two singles, now Gold certified ARIA records, captured the youthful and fun essence of Baker Boy, while also demonstrating his growing artistry. His national profile continued to solidify after being named Young Australian of the Year in 2019. In his speech he spoke about his music being performed in two languages “to honour and respect my culture… because my ancestors are not the last Australians, they are the first Australians.”

From just these first few singles, Baker Boy’s music already had a unique edge over other songs that were taking over Australian airwaves, but an unspoken question still simmered: what’s next?

In Baker Boy, the Australian music industry was met with a dynamic new force who didn’t fit the standard mould for commercial success. A young Yolngu man who integrated his first language unapologetically with English, making music to uplift, entertain and simply engage with an undefined target audience. Baker Boy, with his choreographed dance routines and vibrant live shows, had the makings of a new kind of superhero for young Australian hip hop fans.

The praise Baker Boy has received for proudly embracing his Yolngu culture through his music from within the music industry was overwhelming in the beginning; and as any person of colour will likely relate to, success and praise can often be bundled with shades of doubt. How much of it is genuine, and how much of it is performative?

As a young person manoeuvring it all in the public eye, Baker Boy has had to deal with a lot when it comes to growing into himself and finding a sense of belonging in what can be an isolating industry.

“I love that right from my debut single, that my language and culture has been accepted. I really appreciate that and am thankful that the mainstream has been accepting of it… While the mainstream has been embracing Indigenous musicians and artists more, it can sometimes feel a bit tokenistic. Especially since the BLM [Black Lives Matter] movement had such a big moment last year and has some really great momentum, it can still feel like sometimes that it’s more performative than progressive.” – Baker Boy

Not one to spend needless energy on contemplating public perspective or conforming to any particular set of ideals, the music Baker Boy has produced is a direct reflection of his own personal evolution.

In January 2019, just after being awarded Young Australian of the Year, Baker Boy dropped ‘Cool As Hell’, the first single off his much anticipated debut album. A record that would act as a statement of intent as much as it was a career touchstone, the debut full-length project from Baker Boy would always be laden with lofty expectations.

The album, titled Gela, which arrived in October 2021, is a record that lands with impact. Gela – also Baker Boy’s skin name – connects the threads of influence that make the artist who he is today, while looking to a future he can envision not just for himself, but for everyone moving forward. Elements of boom-bap meet trap beats with ease; a love for G-Funk comes together with traditional sounds to make a unique album that is unmistakably Baker Boy’s. The versatility of Gela mirrors the multifaceted nature of Danzal as a human and personality.

It is impossible not to feel Baker Boy’s spirit when in conversation with him. The same sense of animation, thoughtfulness and determination fans witness at his shows and on his records, is the same sense one gets when talking with Baker away from it all.

Now living in Ocean Grove and properly in the throes of a successful music and artistic career, Baker Boy’s connection to home in the Top End is through his music and the memories they spur.

“My family and the OG Baker Boys have always been my biggest inspiration. It feels so powerful to be able to continue their legacy and then to add the layer of rap and music and language to it. It’s incredible to have this fan base and to be able to share where I come from, but it still feels a bit surreal… Since being in the city and away from my community, my music and being Baker Boy has become a way for me to practice my culture. I don’t get to go to ceremonies, but writing and rapping in Yolngu Matha allows me to have that connection, which is really powerful for me.” – Baker Boy

Knowing his personal and creative journeys aren’t mutually exclusive, Baker Boy remains acutely aware of the power his platform now harnesses. Even from that young age as a dancer, Baker Boy has been an influential figure for Indigenous youth to look to for inspiration.

Now, as his artistry has flourished and matured – his elevation as an artist opening his eyes to realities both good and bad – Baker Boy has managed to carve a place out amidst the chaos that is solely his own.

The Australian Music Vault is proud to welcome Baker Boy to the exhibition and into The Real Thing display case, which explores the Australian sound. On display now are the jacket, boots and headphones, hand painted by his father Josah Baker, worn by Baker Boy in the ‘Cool As Hell’ music video.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sosefina Fuamoli
Sose Fuamoli is an award winning music journalist, radio host and publicist. An ardent supporter of young writers and music professionals, she has been a champion of a more diverse Australian music culture, while also profiling and reviewing some of the world’s biggest music festivals and artists through the United States and Europe. Sose's titles include the AU Review, triple j, Rolling Stone Australia, Time Out, The Big Issue Australia, NME Australia, Beat Magazine and Music Feeds. She currently hosts Window Seat on 3RRR and is a co-host of music culture podcast Hit Different as part of the Mushroom Group. She is an Australian Music Prize judge, and has served on the judging committee for the South Australian Music Awards, the Hilltop Hoods Initiative, NT Song of the Year and the ARIA Awards.