Briggs's Bad Apples house party

Updated

On May 30, Indigenous music label Bad Apples threw the blackest house party in the whitest building in Australia.

We found out why it matters.

At "the most iconic house" in Australia during National Reconciliation Week, rapper Briggs organised a "black-out",

an entirely black and brown line-up of artists from the Indigenous Australian hip hop scene.

"It's about making blackfellas feel welcome in these kinds of environments,

to do shows where they wouldn't let us do shows unless it was fine art. This is far from fine art — it's hip hop music, it's rap music," he says.

The Shepparton-born rapper is a role model to aspiring artists Lakesha Grant and Braiden Unwin, who flew down from Darwin just for the show.

Nowra rapper Nooky describes hip hop as a "release" and "healing".

"It's something I do when I'm angry — I'm pretty much Aboriginal Hulk, so I'm rapping a lot," he jokes.

"We in the Opera House — we in power now!" Nooky shouted at one point in his set.

"It's a big statement doing this on Reconciliation Week," says Maroubra rapper Kobie Dee.

His only other experience of the Sydney Opera House was performing a cultural dance there for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Mildura rapper Philly said: "Being in a space where elders weren't allowed back in the day,

and taking that over and turning it into a black space — where blackfellas are running the whole thing — is really amazing.

"We're creating these spaces where mob can feel a lot safer — [where] sistergirls can come and feel safe there and know that they will be respected."

Reflecting on the reason why First Nations artists are drawn to hip hop, Northern Territory-raised rapper Birdz said:

"You can share your story uncensored, unfiltered and represent for your community — and paint a picture of it how it really is.

"Reclaiming voice is a big part of why I do music — it's my platform, my form of expression.

"In a country where I think we're censored on a daily basis — and often non-Indigenous people trying to tell the Indigenous story — it's very important."





For opening act Rebeca Hatch, music labels like Bad Apples allow her to dream.

As the night came to a close, Briggs thanked the crowd and said:

"This is representation — a small one but a real one — of what our community looks like.

"Everyone is welcome to my house, ladies and gentlemen."

Credits

Interviews: Rudi Bremer

Rudi Bremer Words: Rudi Bremer and Teresa Tan

Rudi Bremer and Teresa Tan Video and photography: Teresa Tan

Teresa Tan Editor: Dee Jefferson

Dee Jefferson First and last photographs: Cole Bennetts

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Topics: arts-and-entertainment, music, indigenous-music, indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, reconciliation, hip-hop, race-relations, sydney-2000, australia

First posted