Urthboy Addresses Racism & Cultural Divide In Call To Arms To Hip Hop Community

One of Australian hip hop's most well-regarded figures, Tim Levinson (aka Urthboy) has addressed the Australian hip hop community in a recent blog post, calling on renowned artists to support a wider range of burgeoning hip hop acts and to stand against up the racism found in elements of Australian hip hop culture.

The piece, entitled Surface Level or Level Surface, is in response to two other thought provoking blog posts – White Rapper FAQ Parts I and II – written by Melbourne comedian and one half of Fear Of A Brown Planet, Aamer Rahman. In his second piece, Rahman opens with a striking comment on white privilege.

1. ARE YOU SAYING WHITE PEOPLE CAN'T LISTEN TO RAP?

Stop projecting your anxieties onto me.  You're white.  You can do pretty much whatever you want. It's a sweet deal.

Levinson's piece starts with him discussing this concept of white privilege and how the, predominantly white, Australian hip hop industry is acting indifferently to other people's struggles.

“Racism has become an ugly characteristic of the local hip hop experience – whether it be the subtle forms “I like your music cos it's not about bling and bitches” (barely anyone doesn't say that) to the more overt “I only like Aussie hip hop, fuck that n***er shit” (the comments section),” he says.

“There's little to no overt racism in local hip hop 'songs' but there's no shortage of straight-up boneheaded racism in our audiences. Why is that? Is it because our hip hop songs are for the most part indifferent to other people's struggle?

“We care, but it's not a problem we face when we walk out of the house, so it doesn't become an integral part of what we communicate.”

Further on, Levinson calls on the community to begin supporting artists whose music isn't already

“Artists with recognition need to book support acts beyond the latest MC with a song on triple J. A genuine music career takes time and requires opportunities. I watch tour after tour with the same handful of acts – no doubt reliable live performers that have worked their butts off – but it's usually a combination of the same groups.

“Artists with social media profiles (big or small) need to recognise their influence beyond a platform to get more 'likes'. The 'co-sign' is a valuable thing, and it can open minds when it's not the faces people expect to see. Inspire your fans.

“What about a mentoring program similar to AIME where established artists give a leg up to aspiring artists from different backgrounds? When it works, it's not one-sided, it's a sharing of knowledge between both parties.”

Read the full blog here.