Break it Down Under: The Revolutionary voices in Australian Hip-hop in Sydney, Australia | Arts and entertainment

Break it Down Under: The Revolutionary voices in Australian Hip-hop

Locality: Sydney, Australia

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25.01.2022 Another fresh track from my BIRipi bingai (brother)

25.01.2022 Thank you everyone for all the birthday wishes. Apart from getting an awesome new hoodie from my kids, I also got a pretty special gift from the Documentary Australia Foundation (DAF). My latest film project, a Hip-hop/social justice film, Break it Down Under, just got approved by DAF for philanthropic support as well as through crowd funding donations- family cannot donate but facebook friends can. yay! If you want to give me a present then please donate, like and share. I ...will be applying through the typical film finance channels but they never fund the total budget required to make the film and having market investments will definitely help make the film and prove that the film is worthy of an audience and have real social impact. If you also know of social justice advocacy, educational and legal professional groups interested in Indigenous social justice and education, then please send them to the below link where they can provide philanthropic support:

24.01.2022 Good insight into the purpose and philosophy behind the #blacklivesmatter movement.

24.01.2022 Awesome list- thanks for sharing Maya Jupiter. Maya’s pick will actually feature in our film Break it Down Under- to be released hopefully by the end of this crazy year! Much respect to all our Hip-hoppers pushing the boundaries and giving voice to the voiceless.

23.01.2022 Big Thanks to Jan Wooster and Dusty "The Printer" for donating these 3D printed versions of the JustUS Black Power salute. We are offering these limited edition trophies of our appreciation to the first 20 donations of $200 or more to our film production crowd funding campaign (on top of the other perks below). The film has been three years in the making as my doctoral creative research thesis on Indigenous Hip-hop for the University of Technology, Sydney. I really want the f...ilm to reach a larger audience than the academic space because it deals with important social justice issues in this country that we all seriously need to be engaged with AND it showcases some of the freshest Hip-hop to ever come out of this country. "Hip-hop gives voice to the voiceless. This film is about what those voices have to say about living black in Australia." However, it cannot be broadcast or distributed without paying for expensive music and film archive licensing. I also wish to employ some other clever creatives to provide further editing, animation, sound mixing, composition and everything else needed for final delivery of the film. Please find out more about the social impact campaign and how to donate here: https://documentaryaustralia.com.au//justus-what-hip-hop-/ REMEMBER THERE ARE REWARDS FOR YOUR SUPPORT APART FROM BEING TAX DEDUCTIBLE $20= Free ticket plus thank you credit $50 = Free ticket and T-shirt plus thank you credit $100 = 2 free tickets and 2 T-shirts plus thank you credit $200 = 3 free tickets and 3 T-shirts plus thank you credit $500 = 4 free tickets and 4 T-shirts plus thank you credit $1000 = 5 free tickets and 5 T-shirts plus special thank you credit For corporates and NGO's: $5000 = 10 Free tickets to film's Premiere PLUS 10 T-shirts PLUS special thank you credit PLUS business logo $10000 = 20 free tickets to Premiere PLUS 20 T-shirts PLUS special thank you credit PLUS bigger business logo $20000 = 30 free tickets to Premiere PLUS 30 T-shirts PLUS special thank you credit PLUS whole frame business logo $30000 = 40 Free tickets to Premiere PLUS 40 T-shirts PLUS "Executive Producer" credit PLUS whole frame business logo Thanks again for all the 44 supporters who have contributed so far to the cause. Yours in unity Grant

22.01.2022 I just watched this again today for some ideas. Really dug on it again- awesome repping of our Hip-hop culture and community but damn Morgan Morganics Lewis to act, direct, edit, sound design and mix- holy shit that was a mad accomplishment- especially love your editing- can't believe you schooled yourself in that artform and edited this film. Also Will Grilla really nice acting bruz and really like the songs you performed on guitar as well- sorry for the late props guys. Everyone please check out our version of Beat Street if you haven't already.

21.01.2022 Sick of hearing about racism? Steven Oliver Official knows how you feel.

21.01.2022 Just an update about my film "JustUS: What Hip-hop wants you to know"- a film about Indigenous Hip-hop and the social justice issues it speaks back to, including police brutality and over-incarceration of our peoples. Unfortunately, after much deliberation the ABC turned us back. Apparently they are already doing two Hip-hop films, as if two is enough. The frustrating thing is, is that they have only been 6 months in the making, when mine is almost done- after 3 years of res...earch, writing and production. At least I got to speak with some decent people at the ABC who were really into the film- I can't say the same for those who didn't back it, including the Indigenous department. I could bitch and moan some more but that's just how this industry works sometimes. Doesn't seem fair but onwards and upwards. We are already looking at alternative pathways and definitely not giving up. This is why we need your help more than ever to get this film made. Please if you can, donate via the link below and/or like and share this post. REMEMBER THERE ARE REWARDS FOR YOUR SUPPORT APART FROM BEING TAX DEDUCTIBLE $20= Free ticket plus thank you credit $50 = Free ticket and T-shirt plus thank you credit $100 = 2 free tickets and 2 T-shirts plus thank you credit $200 = 3 free tickets and 3 T-shirts plus thank you credit $500 = 4 free tickets and 4 T-shirts plus thank you credit $1000 = 5 free tickets and 5 T-shirts plus special thank you credit For corporates and NGO's: $5000 = 10 Free tickets to film's Premiere PLUS 10 T-shirts PLUS special thank you credit PLUS business logo $10000 = 20 free tickets to Premiere PLUS 20 T-shirts PLUS special thank you credit PLUS bigger business logo $20000 = 30 free tickets to Premiere PLUS 30 T-shirts PLUS special thank you credit PLUS whole frame business logo $30000 = 40 Free tickets to Premiere PLUS 40 T-shirts PLUS "Executive Producer" credit PLUS whole frame business logo Thanks heaps peeps and have an awesome day!

20.01.2022 Follow up from last post- more inspiration for our own hip hoppers

18.01.2022 Check this latest track from Dobby- this young man is tirelessly dope. https://www.facebook.com/289754534538956/posts/1675859849261744/?vh=e

17.01.2022 It takes a live killing of a black man by police in front of a crowd of white and black onlookers before any justice is served. Why do we care? It’s inhumane yes- it’s a natural human response to be disgusted, to be angered, to scream injustice, to want retribution, to be sad, to protest...Here’s the BUT. We don’t feel the same for Australian black people- a lot of us do but most Australians don’t- you can argue that isn’t true and that we care as much for Indigenous people ...as we do for African Americans who die at the hands of police, are over policed, are over incarcerated and harassed on a daily basis but we just don’t. I’ve got enough evidence through a few years of focused research and just being Aboriginal now for 49 years that we just don’t care. In fact we blame our victims of police brutality for bringing it upon themselves, and we recast the criminals in uniform as the victims. Our police and corrective services forces still act in their roles with impunity even when their work involves abusing and killing Indigenous people. Thank God Minneapolis did the right thing and fired these thugs in uniform on the spot. Will be curious to see what they get charged with and ultimately sentenced for if indeed they do. The original royal commission into Aboriginal Deaths in custody findings and 339 recommendations were presented in 1991. A good majority of the recommendations were not implemented and we have higher rates of incarceration and deaths in custody of Indigenous people now than we did in 1991. I could include so much more but please do your own research, and join the rest of us Australians screaming out for justice and make thugs in uniform accountable for their atrocities against our humanity. At the very least please when you feel incensed by this obvious act of police brutality, spare a thought for the many who don’t get filmed.

16.01.2022 Penny Smallacombe Head of Indigenous at Screen Australia: Screen Australia’s Indigenous Department is deeply saddened by the horrific loss of George Floyd an...d stands in solidarity with all people of colour, who face ongoing and systemic racism and injustice in their everyday lives. What is going on in the USA has again highlighted what is happening here at home. We pause in silence to honour the 432 Indigenous Lives who have been taken while in custody in Australia since 1991. This collection of remarkable films is a place to start for those who want to educate themselves about the discrimination faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. This is a time to listen and learn. Click here to view the showcase: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au//spotlight-on-indigenou Photo: The Tall Man, Lloyd Doomadgee - Cameron Doomadgee's brother. Photographer: Hamish Cairns

12.01.2022 Thanks Lauren Green for the article. There’s a link at the bottom of the story to learn more about the social impact campaign supporting the film and how to support the making of the film through a tax deductible donation. Please read and share some of my crazy ideas about the power of Hip hop.

12.01.2022 Check this- another hip hop reflection

12.01.2022 The film I am currently working on deals directly with systemic racism that allows for the over-policing and incarceration of Indigenous people here in Australi...a. It draws the strong parrallels between African American and Aboriginal Australian social and politiical histories, including our shared experiences with police brutality. Through the lens of socially conscious Hip-hop music from Indigenous and other minority ethnic artists in Australia, audiences will learn that the situation here for Indigenous people is not too disimilar to the plight of African and Native Americans. The aim of the project is to utilise the popular youth culture of Hip-hop as a vehicle into necessary discussions around social justice in this country. This project could not come at a more critical time when systemic racism, this time in the form of US police brutality, is laid bare for the world to see. The film is so close to being finished but in order for this film to be seen and discussed, we need to pay for film archive, music licensing and a post-production team to give it that edge that will make it more viable for cinema and TV. Please take the time to read the crowd-funding/philanthropy campaign, donate, like and share. Big thanks to Shelley McClure for being our first donor and any donation counts towards realising the project. You can play a part in getting the TRUTH out there about our country's treatment of Indigenous people, particularly by the criminal justice system, and in the spirit of unity you can collectively help bring about desperately needed social change.

10.01.2022 Challenge to our own hip hoppers to come out with a fresh black track on the subject of black deaths in custody, recent events and criminal justice reform. Ready set...go!

08.01.2022 Please check out latest sizzle for the film I am currently working on (https://vimeo.com/437528945)and if you like what you see so far, please donate to and share our philanthropic/crowd-funding campaign:https://documentaryaustralia.com.au//break-it-down-under-/ It's so far at rough cut stage and with a successful funding campaign we hope to have it all finished by the end of the year. We need the funds to pay for expensive music and film licensing, an awesome animator who... has already done some incredible work on this sizzle reel (thanks to the generous donations from 18 supporters so far), a cinematographer to pick up some more shots, a senior editor to fine cut, an online editor, colour gradist, sound designer/ mixer, archivist researcher, composer, marketing etc. Yes you will be contributing to employing some incredible artists who all need support right now. You will also be supporting a campaign toward ending sytemic racism, starting with our criminal justice system AND a campaign to introduce the proven positive effects of Hip-hop Based Education within our school curriculums. The film is a result of 2-3 years of research and production for my DCA (Doctor of Creative Arts) for the University of Technology, Sydney. It is also a result of my love of Hip-hop spanning back to the early 80's as well as my passion for social justice for Indigenous people. Please come on board because until there is Justice, it's JustUS.

07.01.2022 Big thanks to recent supporters of my latest Doco: 'JustUS' Kyle Lester, Sandra Kwa and Mark Gutterson. You are all helping to make this happen and we are past the $4000 mark- yay! We need much more to get this made but this can at least start the re-editing process. I am not going to say who we are now approaching to get this film out there because I don't want to jinx myself. Please help as much as you can, like and share. REMEMBER THERE ARE REWARDS FOR YOUR SUPPORT APART F...ROM BEING TAX DEDUCTIBLE $20= Free ticket plus thank you credit $50 = Free ticket and T-shirt plus thank you credit $100 = 2 free tickets and 2 T-shirts plus thank you credit $200 = 3 free tickets and 3 T-shirts plus thank you credit $500 = 4 free tickets and 4 T-shirts plus thank you credit $1000 = 5 free tickets and 5 T-shirts plus special thank you credit For corporates and NGO's: $5000 = 10 Free tickets to film's Premiere PLUS 10 T-shirts PLUS special thank you credit PLUS business logo $10000 = 20 free tickets to Premiere PLUS 20 T-shirts PLUS special thank you credit PLUS bigger business logo $20000 = 30 free tickets to Premiere PLUS 30 T-shirts PLUS special thank you credit PLUS whole frame business logo $30000 = 40 Free tickets to Premiere PLUS 40 T-shirts PLUS "Executive Producer" credit PLUS whole frame business logo Thanks heaps peeps and have an awesome day!

04.01.2022 Yo some white us rappers showing solidarity

03.01.2022 Hey peeps it’s coming up to EOFY so please consider a tax deductible donation to my film Break it Down Under and continue your support or join the community of supporters who see this film as an important message about seeking social justice for Indigenous people in Australia. Once complete this film will be much more than a feature film cinema experience. This film will help in raising more awareness and bring about much needed criminal justice reform. It also seeks to en...courage our education system to teach anti-racism, literacy, history, politics, health and well-being and social justice through Hip-hop Based Education. Support us through the Documentary Australia Foundation and help us now with a tax deductible donation and get us across that final hurdle towards getting this film on the big screen. BREAK OT DOWN UNDER. Please note: All contributors will receive a thankyou credit on the film and donations of $20 or more will receive a special invitation and complimentary tickets to the premiere screening. Major donators of $5000 or more will receive their company logo on the end credits for the world to see.

02.01.2022 Hey peeps please donate and share to businesses with deep pockets and a social conscience. Again thank you to those who have done so already- remember donations... over $20 get you a ticket to the premiere and over $5000 gets your logo on the end credits. 100% tax deductable. New Synopsis: Through the lens of Hip-hop this essay/ observational hybrid film explains the deep social, political and cultural parallels shared between Black America and Black Australia, why we have adopted Hip-hop and more recently the Black Lives Matter movement to tell our own stories of injustice. This film explores the lyrical content of a young Indigenous rapper Sonboy from Redfern, Sydney, who has seen it all. Indigenous filmmaker Grant Leigh Saunders takes a tour with Sonboy of his old stomping ground, inviting outsiders into a world of police brutality, crime, gentrification and a rich history of Indigenous political activism that birthed 'The Block'. This film provides a fresh inside look at systemic racism here in Australia seen through the eyes of some of Australia's most potent Hip-hop wordsmiths and their equally powerful music provides the soundtrack.