Fresh Prince of Arnhem Land spreads hope to Aussie kids
For the thousands of Australians who tuned into the 2022 ARIA Awards, one acceptance speech may have stood out from the rest – hip-hop Baker Boy speaking in Yolngu Matha.
For the thousands of Australians who tuned into the 2022 ARIA Awards, one acceptance speech may have stood out from the rest.
The speech, spoken in Yolngu Matha, a language only used by a small number of people in northeast Arnhem Land in Northern Australia, was given by Danzal Baker, otherwise known as Baker Boy.
The emerging hip-hop star, who famously raps in both English and Yolngu Matha language, representing his Arnhem Land family, took home five awards on Australia’s biggest music stage, including best solo artist.
His hit album, Gela, which features contributions from the late Uncle Jack Charles, also scored album of the year.
On accepting the awards, Baker used his time on stage to spread his message of hope to Australian children, particularly those living in remote Indigenous communities.
“This is crazy!” he said as he dedicated the award to family and young people back home.
“You can make it, you can have success, and all the opportunities … I’ve been there, done that, and I know you mob can, too.”
The 26-year-old’s devotion to sharing his inspiring message has earned him a nomination for The Australian’s Australian of the Year.
Born in Darwin and raised in the remote Northern Territory communities of Milingimbi and Maningrida, Baker burst onto the music scene five years ago as a rapper, dancer, artist and actor.
Also known as “the Fresh Prince of Arnhem Land”, Baker Boy has become a beacon of light for young Indigenous kids, who have been able to spy him rapping nursery rhymes on Play School and performing on MTV.
At the 2022 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony in Birmingham, as Australia became the first nation to reach 1000 gold medals, the star performer lit up the stage as one billion people across the globe tuned in to watch.
The youth mentor, who received an Order of Australia in 2021 for his “service to the performing arts as a singer and musician”, has used his unique career to promote all Indigenous cultures and first languages.
In 2022, this mission led him to kick off a new collaboration with Google, the artist featuring on Google TV advertisements with his message to the kids in the Arnhem Land.
An ambassador for The Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation since 2019, Baker was a proud promoter of this year’s Literacy is Freedom campaign during Reconciliation Week 2022, which carried the theme “Be Brave, Make Change”.
We encourage our readers to put in a nomination for The Australian’s Australian of the Year, which was first won in 1971 by economist HC “Nugget” Coombs. Prominent Australians can be nominated by filling out the form above, or sending an email to aaoty@theaustralian.com.au. Nominations close on Friday, January 20.