​TASMAN KEITH
Tasman Keith comes from Bowraville. He is a ​Gumbaynggirr man.
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Tasman Keith is the son of legendary Aboriginal rapper and pioneer of the genre, Wire MC. He is an up-and-coming artist, frequently featured on 'Triple J Unearthed'.
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Interview with Isaac Hogarth, December 17th, 2017.
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Q.On what level of importance is music to Aboriginal Culture?
A.Music in Aboriginal culture has always been important, we never had written history so our stories have been passed down through song and dance. For us to be able to use those two things to keep our teachings alive over 60,000+ years, just shows the importance that music is to our culture and will continue to be as it develops into new places.
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Q.How and to what extent to you is Indigenous music, specifically rap, a form of cultural expression?
A.For myself, I find that with music, especially hip hop i can be open and honest about myself and the issues that my people face, i can tell the stories and express the feelings that i see throughout my entire community, in hope that the world will see my expression and be able to relate it to themselves.
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Q.Is Indigenous Music its own genre? Can it fit and mix into other genres? If so, which does it fit best into?
A.I believe Indigenous Music can be whatever the black man/woman is playing. I don't think we can ever really fit it into any genre, because Indigenous people play all types of music. For example, i could be singing country songs or making pop hits, at the end of the day I'd still be an Indigenous man singing my songs. The danger that also comes with trying to box it into its own genre is that people will then try to explore that sound and use it as their own even if they aren't from a background of colour. at the end of the day if you are Indigenous and you are making music, no matter what kind. That's Indigenous music and no one can take that away from you.
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Q.Would you cite African-American groups, such as NWA, as a major influence? How does their story and situation relate to the situation of Indigenous Peoples in Australia?
A.100%. Growing up, a lot of the music that was played around me at a young age was artist such as NWA, Tupac & Notorious B.I.G. along with a lot of other different genres. But i vaguely remember hearing Eazy-E for the first time, I was in the car with my dad and my uncles up the back of the Bowraville Mission and they had it playing. And just to hear something I can relate to in a certain way was dope. Their story is very similar to ours, not only their stories of racism, struggle & poverty, but even the cultural aspects are similar when it comes to just that family feel that black communities have within themselves. That feeling of respect for each other because we know what each one of us may be going through. And to hear them echoing that same feeling through music, was something we always connected with.
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Q.Do you see the African-American hip-hop movement as a relevant example and comparison to the Australian Indigenous hip-hop movement? Why/Why not?
A.In certain aspects, yes. It depends on which artists you are looking towards. With Indigenous artists in this country its always been on that same type of wave, of telling our truths and using our songs to create a change for something bigger than ourself. “Australian Hip Hop” (I hate that term) has always had this stereotype come with it. That it is just raps about BBQs and for a long time that is what was seen to represent this country and its hip-hop, but now with artists such as A.B. Original winning Arias and playing sold out shows, a lot more people are starting to see what hip-hop in this country is and can do.
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Q.In 2015 Kendrick Lamar released ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’, which was received as an accurate depiction and reflection on the mistreatment of and prejudice against African-Americans in the US. Are there any Australian counterparts of this album that you can think of?
A.A.B. Original - Reclaim Australia. Purely for having that same theme throughout the entire album. Especially with songs like ‘January 26th’ and ‘Report To The Mist’ you can hear the similarities, not exactly in terms of sonics and what the music sounds like. but definitely the messages and reflections that Kendrick was bringing in his album. Even older artists that have that same energy, such as NWA & Public Enemy, you can really hear the same re occurring themes.
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Q.How do you, instrumentally and lyrically, include your culture and your experiences as an Indigenous Australian into your songs?
A.Instrumentally, in terms of traditional sounds, I'm still yet to do so on a major scale, mainly because I feel if i am going to be getting a certain voice or traditional instrument on the song, it has to be done right. In terms of lyrically, I always speak on issues that myself or my cousins may be facing. Or touching on stories I've had my uncles tell me from when they were growing up. So I basically always seem to take inspiration from my experiences as an Indigenous man, or other peoples experiences that i may come across through conversations.
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Q.Is it culturally disrespectful for a non-Indigenous musician to utilise Indigenous instruments and musical concepts? Why/Why not?
A.I believe so, unless you have gotten permission from the person you are taking directly from and their people. Mainly because these stories, concepts and instruments are something we hold close. Again, its what we have used to keep our stories here and a lot of the time people can just use these things as a token, a way to make a quick dollar by cashing in off someone else. Its like when you see the fake Boomerangs and paintings in tourist shops. It isn't the real thing and it certainly isn't done out of respect. but the creator of that item has probably made more money than an Indigenous man doing it out of the love for keeping his culture alive, and sharing it.
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Q.What defines a piece of music as being a form of expressing Aboriginality? Is it instrumentation, lyrics, or just the fact of it being made by an Indigenous person?
A.The fact that it is made by an Indigenous person. For sure.
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