Australia Day honours: Livewire hip-hop artist Baker Boy receives Order of Australia Medal
“I look forward to a time where we celebrate our country, our people and their achievements on a different day out of respect for all of my First Nations brothers and sisters,” he said.
Before Danzal Baker exploded on to the national music scene four years ago, it was exceedingly rare to hear Indigenous Australian language in popular music.
By rapping in both English and Yolngu Matha, the 24-year-old hip-hop artist — who performs as Baker Boy — has used the concept of building a bridge between the two cultures to great effect while also introducing his traditional language to a generation of young listeners who had never before heard that combination of tongues set to bombastic hip-hop beats.
On the occasion of being named as a recipient of a Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia for his service to the performing arts as a singer and musician, Baker declined interviews and instead issued a statement.
“I’m grateful for this recognition, and look forward to being able to share and celebrate it, but I do not wish to comment any further at this stage as I am in mourning for Invasion Day,” said Baker.
“I look forward to a time where we celebrate our country, our people and their achievements on a different day out of respect for all of my First Nations brothers and sisters. Thank you.”
Born in northeast Arnhem Land and raised in the remote Northern Territory communities of Milingimbi and Maningrida, Baker’s ascent into popular culture has been sharp and swift.
In 2017 he released his first two singles, Marryuna and Cloud 9, both of which earned a place in Triple J’s Hottest 100 music poll the following year, at No 17 and No 76 respectively.
Since then, Baker has shunned the traditional route of recording an album in favour of the modern hip-hop approach of releasing a string of singles.
These have ranged from an updated cover of Yothu Yindi’s iconic song Treaty, to Meditjin — whose striking music video was filmed inside the National Gallery of Victoria in 2019 — through to Better Days and Move, both released last year.
In 2019 he was named Young Australian of the Year, while within the music industry he has twice been named artist of the year at the National Indigenous Music Awards in 2019 and 2020. As well, he has received several ARIA Award nominations and performed at many of the nation’s most popular music festivals.
On stage, Baker Boy raps and occasionally plays yidaki (didgeridoo) while accompanied by a live drummer, DJ and back-up dancers. His live performances are a whirlwind of exhilarating movement that reflects the years prior to his recording career, which he spent touring remote Indigenous communities to encourage children to care for their health and express themselves through the arts.
While his public persona is built on a conscious message of positivity, Baker took to social media in June last year to reflect on the shooting death of George Floyd, the resultant Black Lives Matter protests and his own experiences.
“This is my life and I am scared,” he wrote on Instagram. “I have anxiety about going to unknown places like a different cafe from my usual, not to mention the challenge of touring from the fear of racism, that, yes, is still rampant here in Australia too. […] Activism starts at home, with hard conversations.”
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