Racism In Australian Hip Hop: What Responsibility Do Artists & Fans Have?

As Australian hip hop continues to grow in popularity amongst both artists and the music listening public, new issues amongst this community of creators and fans begin to arise. In a new series, Sydney-bred, Melbourne-based rapper L-FRESH The LION takes some of these issues to some of the most respected artists in the game to get some opinions on what's going on out there.

The first in this series of Conversations With L-FRESH The LION tackles the huge issue of racism in Australian hip hop and the inherent social responsibility performers either do or do not have.

Watch the video here:

The inherent racism in Australian culture seems to be an issue for a number of rappers, and that Australian hip hop is increasingly being seen as a white man's game. Larrakia and Yanuwa rapper Jimblah says diversity needs to be embraced further.

“I remember hearing about kids at workshops having an idea in their head that Aussie hip hop is the white male story, and that a Sudanese fella who's come here and been here for two years isn't Australian hip hop, because he's not that. That's ridiculous,” he says. “Australia is our story, there's a ton of different voices here, that's what it is.”

When discussing social responsibility, Elefant Tracks head-honcho Urthboy says he feels white artists need to be willing to open their audiences

“It is the responsibility of the artist to take what they feel is so important and try and share it with that audience. If that audience happens to be white kids, because white kids are listening to white kids on radio, you've got this supreme awkwardness… why do we have a community of white kids who are the dominant voice here. What is so important is, not to shut that voice down, but to use that voice in an effective way so that community can think differently and be challenged.

“The thing that has been frustrating in Australia for a number of years is that you don't have those artists doing that, you don't have those artists that recognise where they sit in the scheme of things and going out and challenging their audience.”

Stay tuned for part two of the series next week.