Listen Exclusively To L-FRESH The LION's 'Become' Ahead Of Its Release

My name is L-FRESH The LION. I am a musician. I was born and raised in south-west Sydney. I rock a turban and a beard. I have been making hip hop music since age 14. And I am about to release my second album BECOME via Elefant Traks.

 

Those who are familiar with my music sometimes refer to it as political. Though it is true that I often write about issues that pop up in politics, I don't consider myself a political rapper. Others say that I use my music as a way to share my insights on racism in Australia. And while I do have songs that talk about race, I wouldn't say that the main purpose of my music is to share my experiences with racism. Yet these two characterisations are commonly used when people refer to my music.

 

Straight up, in regards to racism, I wouldn't write about it at all if I didn't have to experience it so much. And to talk about racism means there must be a conversation about politics, as racism only exists where power is prevalent.

 

Now with that said, I don't intentionally set out to make music focusing just on these particular concepts. I don't sit in the studio and say, "Ok, today I'm going to make a political song or a song about racism."

 

I strive to make music with a purpose. And my purpose is to make you move physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally.

 

If you look past the surface, most of my music goes beyond discussions around politics, power and race. It speaks to my life, the stories that have formed it and the cultures that have influenced it.

 

Since day one, my story has had a connection to social justice. I wasn't even aware of it until my parents taught it to me. My Sikh ancestors have left behind an enormous legacy in the area of human rights. My history books are lined with countless inspiring stories that positively changed the course of mankind. It's why Sikhs were brought into this world: to stand out and stand up for the principles of equality, justice and freedom for all.

 

When I became conscious of the legacy I was brought into, I had a choice to continue it or let it go. I decided to put my head down and learn as much as possible so as to strengthen my roots before aiming for the sky.

 

Then came hip hop.

 

My introduction to hip hop music was via Tupac Shakur. First it was his voice that captured me. Then it was his stories and the way he expressed them. He spoke about what it was like to be black in America.

 

Reading about his journey led me to his mother's, which is one of resistance and revolution. Afeni Shakur, who most recently passed away (rest in power), taught me about the Black Panther Party and the Civil Rights Movement. From there I understood the connection between the battle for freedom and hip hop.

 

You ever wonder why hip hop is so in your face, honest and passionate? Now you know. It has race politics, power and the fire of revolutionaries raging deep within its heart and soul.

 

If you fast-forward to the present day, you'll find that spirit still very much alive with black Americans demanding justice in the face of ongoing systemic racism. The Black Lives Matter movement is in your face because it has no other choice. Black people are being locked up and killed by police in huge numbers. The fight for freedom isn't a thing of the past. It's here now. 

 

We're not immune to it here in Australia either. Black people in Australia face similar issues. Systemic racism has been ongoing since day one of Britain's invasion of this land. They set up a society that was to their own benefit at the exclusion of everybody else. If you weren't white, you were deemed as lesser. That started with black people and then extended to everybody who came to this country with weird sounding names.

 

The legacy of the White Australia Policy is alive and well in Australia's current refugee policies. The language of dehumanising refugees has been so effective that many Australians readily turn their heads away to look past the blatant human rights abuses committed by our own government.

 

These are Australia's current battles for freedom.

 

I carry the legacy of my ancestors and I'm conscious of the heart and soul of hip hop music. I write songs about these issues, not simply because I choose to, but because they lie at the foundation of what I do. They are a part of my story.

 

My story is an Australian one. And Australia's story is very much about politics, power and race.