LOST FILES: The Underground Rap Show Championing Homegrown Talent

A roster of cutting edge Australian rap and hip-hop artists are taking to major cities this September and October through the hot new underground rap show LOST FILES.

Hosted in association with Sydney’s Bodega Collective, LOST FILES is spearheaded by owner and creative director Oscar Melder, who first established the brand’s entity by posting his creative works on Instagram. Through this, Melder saw an opportunity to champion local talent that he deemed fit within the community that LOST FILES appealed to.

“We felt the want and need to put on local talent within our niche and held our debut event with a bunch of like minded creative directors…which sold out rapidly,” he told The Music.

“LOST FILES isn't just me – it's a community of artists supporting each other's journeys. The event isn't one particular style every time, it's whatever mood, style, era I'm in that builds the aesthetic.”

Inspired by the movement that rap icons like Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert and Young Thug have had in the global rap scene, Melder utilises LOST FILES as a means for audiences to dig deeper into the rap subculture within Australia as it begins to evolve and authenticate itself.

“We just do our style. We don't tend to look at current trends. We just do what we think is cool, not what we think will make us money,” he said.

“Supporting and spotlighting smaller artists we feel is the most important thing…there's so much talent in this country but not huge budgets to support those talents unless we support each other.”

LOST FILES responds to the growing demand for real and raw Australian rap and hip-hop that pushes the envelope, and by holding space for undiscovered talent to flourish, Melder hopes the community will start “showing face to community based events like this instead of [going to] the club”.

LOST FILES will be bringing 25 underground rap and hip-hop artists, from the likes of Tommy Gunn, Baakio, Xanephine and Seven*, to Sydney on September 20th, Melbourne on September 27th and Adelaide on October 5th. Catch the full lineup of 25 emerging artists here and purchase tickets here.