Hey friends! Welcome to Blak List Vol. 3, our ongoing series delving into Blak Loud, the monthly playlist Awesome Black curates with Amazon Music Australia. Blak Loud is updated monthly and full to the brim with fifty new songs from First Nations musicians.

This month we’re starting off with some strong new hip hop tracks from Mr Rhodes, Miss Kaninna and Jacob Ridgeway.

Mr Rhodes’ new track Can’t You Tell has been my personal highlight for new music this month. The paired back, almost bubblegum dance hall production style is a perfect counterpoint to Blake’s deep push-beat lyrics. I’ve been a fan of Mr Rhodes ever since I saw his work as part of the trio Teddy Lewis King back in the mid 2010’s. His evolution from party hip hop tunes to this new style of sunset hip hop vibes feel like where he is meant to be. Can’t You Tell drips with style, I feel like I want to be riding in a semi convertible along the esplanade with some great friends heading to a beach party. 

Miss Kaninna’s debut single Blak Britney has taken me by storm. I’m now a Miss Kaninna convert. Brooke shared this track with the AB team when it first dropped via Triple J’s Home & Hosed and I have had it on high rotation ever since. I’m absolutely loving this style of new Blak expression that we’re seeing come out as a subculture. I don’t know the name of what this subculture is yet but if you know you know and also please come and tell me about it.
P.S. You’ll catch a video of me dancing to this track over on the AB socials. 

The May update of the Blak Loud list also showcases some really cool tracks released by  the more alternative Blak artists on the continent. Punk/Hardcore outfits Cherish’s Post Binary and Nerve Damage with their track Drip Fed. Misled are two perfect examples of what Blakfullas can do in this genre. I know it’s not for everyone but personally I’m incredibly into this scene. I’ve put these tracks back to back towards the center of the playlist because I think they need to be experienced en masse. Definitely hit me up and let me know what you think. Would you love to hear some more of this? Or even a sub playlist of alternative Blackfulla tracks?

The Blak Loud playlist, full of 50 incredible tracks exclusively from First Nations artists, has something for everyone. Since we update it every month this playlist stays fresh and engaging, we dare you to get bored of it. Whether you’re after vibey hip-hop, provocative lyricism or something to rock out to – Blak Loud has got you covered. 

Brooke Scobie on Denni’s Know My Worth  

Know My Worth by Denni is a powerful and empowering song that really speaks to me. The track features a beat and melody that immediately draws you in, but it’s the lyrics that really shine. Denni’s confident vocals deliver a message of self-worth and self-love that is both inspiring and empowering.

I love how the track builds in intensity, with the chorus becoming more and more powerful each time it’s repeated. The song is a true anthem for anyone who has ever felt undervalued or overlooked, and it’s a reminder that we all have the power to know our worth and demand the respect we deserve.

Ben Armstrong on Shadows by Briggs [feat. Troy Cassar-Daley]
This song is a strong reminder of life for Mob. Not just the past, but the present and most definitely the future if nothing changes.

Briggs delivers with his lyrical resistance to the colony, past and present, and while the song references the atrocities of the past, Briggs weaves into that the message that this hasn’t stopped, even if non-Indigenous people like to think it has.

Troy Cassar-Daly provides haunting vocals creating imagery on the hill that hits home for many Mob, that our ancestors are with us still even after atrocities committed by colonisers.

Thanks for stopping by for the third installment of this column. Stay tuned for more. Let me know what you’d like to hear more of from the team? and what sort of content you’d like to see in the future for the Blak List column. 

The Blak Loud playlist, with fifty new tracks from deadly First Nations artists, is live on Amazon Music You can listen online or through the app.

Let us know what music is resonating with you and if you have suggestions for new music that you want to send us please drop us a line via email music@awesomeblack.org