Birdz

Birdz rapidly attracted listeners through a politically charged strain of hip-hop that documented the hardships facing Australia’s indigenous communities, most notably via the single “Black Lives Matter” and his first EP, Birdz Eye View, which arrived in 2013.

Although born in Queensland, he spent his formative years inside an aboriginal community in the Northern Territories, absorbing American rap alongside his father’s country records while drawing additional influence from Ice Cube, 2Pac, and Australian poet and author Bobbi Sykes; these sounds and writings soon placed him squarely inside the local hip-hop scene. He later relocated to Melbourne to complete his studies and advance his music career, quickly establishing himself as a consistent live performer. The 2013 EP Birdz Eye View addressed the difficulties confronting the aboriginal population, and the subsequent singles “Rise” and “Black Lives Matter” secured national radio exposure, positioning Birdz as an emerging force in Australian hip-hop.

In 2017 he issued his debut album, Train of Thought, collaborating with Serina Pech, Jimblah, and Caiti Baker; the project went on to receive the 2018 AIR Award for Best Independent Hip Hop Album. That same year Birdz joined Omar Musa for “About Me” and Ecca Vandal for “Place of Dreams.” Early signs of his second album surfaced in early 2019 when he released the track “On the Run.”