January 26: #ChangeTheDate

The date of January 26 continues to hold unifying and divisive perspectives amongst Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians who recognise it under different names - Australia Day commemorates this date back in 1788 as the day on which Captain Arthur Phillip formally took possession of Sydney Cove, establishing European Australia; Invasion Day recognises the original invasion of the land by English colonisers and the continued oppression of Indigenous people; Survival Day acknowledges the survival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their culture despite the inequalities which still exist.

We spoke with some of our artists who shared their thoughts on why the date of Australia Day needs to be changed.

L-FRESH The LION...

"Celebrating Australia Day on the 26th of January is divisive, disrespectful and in direct contrast with what people regard as its intention. If the intention is to celebrate the Australia of today as a great multicultural and inclusive country, then by its very nature it cannot be celebrated on 26th of January because it excludes Indigenous people who have (for longer than Australia Day has been an official holiday) observed the date as a Day of Mourning, Invasion Day and Survival Day. So, quite obviously, the date needs to change."

OKENYO...

"The current way the nation celebrates Australia Day has never sat right with me. As a nation we drink and eat to excess and many exhibit an aggressive display of patriotism that often leads to bigotry and violence. 

I've never understood how people can behave in this way and I've never seen January 26 as something to celebrate. I believe it is of utmost importance that we as a nation continually reflect and recognise our past and honour our Indigenous people. One way to do this (and I mean only one, this is just the beginning) is to change the date. We have a responsibility to do so."

B WISE...

"I was born in Australia and I grew up here. It's a place I've always loved and called home. However, I also acknowledge that I am a guest on this land that has a black history. If the traditional owners and custodians of this land mourn on January 26th, what kind of person does that make me if I celebrate? So I say change the date."

In case you missed it, in collaboration with NITV, Urthboy, L-FRESH The LION, Ozi Batla, Thundamentals, Nooky, Birdz, Tasman Keith, Hau, Coda Conduct and Kaylah Truth teamed up to produce the song ' Change the Date'. Check out the 360 degree VR experience video below. The powerful lyrics can be found on NITV's website here.

When I lived on Gladstone... Welcome B Wise

Photo by Mclean Stephenson

We caught up with our newest homie, rising Sydney based MC, B Wise, to learn more about his musical and family roots in which he pays homage to in the music video for ' No Questions'.

What was young Wise like growing up?

Growing up, I was very active and played a lot of sports. But I was a bit mischievous, a menace, a joker - it depends who you ask, but I was always approachable. My experiences taught me how to handle different people and situations - I feel I can go anywhere, hang with any kind of crowd, adjust and feel comfortable. I'm different today as I've grown up, I'm a man now and I take responsibility for my actions and what I do. I used to follow a lot of my friends and make poor decisions, but I've outgrown that now. Then again if I had never made those decisions I wouldn't be the person I am today.

Me and my parents have a great relationship - our family is very close. Like all parents they want the best for their children so they were very active in being part of me and my sisters' lives. They taught us that you have to work hard and that there are no short cuts. They taught us respect for others and humility.

What was it like growing up in Gladstone?

So in this photo there's my two younger sisters Amy and Nonye, and the two boys are brothers who were our family friends growing up called Toosi and Orwell. This house is actually where we first lived when we moved back to Sydney from rural NSW. This house was in Chester Hill - we lived there just over a year before we moved to Gladstone Close which I make reference to in 'No Questions'. We actually just used this pic in the video because I didn't have any photos of my house on Gladstone Close, but it drove the same message in the lyrics: "But we would have mad fun when I lived on Gladstone".

How did you get involved with rap? 

Left to right, that's Emmanuel we call 'Egasm', Junior we call 'Young Glove', and Mini - she didn't rap but was like our extended crew friend. One person not pictured was Yaw, we called him '2 Deep', He was another member of K1 (Konnected as 1). This pic was taken at some party we crashed lol in 2006 I think. 

I got involved with rap mainly with those guys. I've always loved rap music but started writing my first raps with Young Glove. But I always had a creative side, and used to do music at school and perform with the school music group. I would then rap (other people's stuff) and play bass guitar. 

I've had to fight very hard to make a path in music. It never happened over night like it has for some. I've literally had to pull myself up from the bottom and I'm still going. To better my craft all I would do is keep writing and keep recording - it was the only way I got better. 

What drew you to ET and why did you feel it was the right fit for you?

Working with Tim (Urthboy) was the initial introduction to anyone from ET. I'd always heard of the label but didn't know anyone from there besides Sky'high. When me and Tim were working together, he and my manager had some talks and it pretty much stemmed from there. I felt it was the right vibe for me because it seemed to have a close family vibe and attention to detail which impressed me. I also love that the label allows me to continue to be myself, do what's comfortable from a music perspective and in fact, encourage it.

You’re currently touring the country with Horrorshow as main support. How has your experience been with ET since signing?

My experience so far has been pleasant, and I feel the love right now. It means a lot to be a part of something that's been moving for almost 18 years and they make you feel like you've been there since day one.

What's currently driving you as an artist?

It's always first about my passion to create something new through music and see what reaction it gives people. I'm also driven to make something of myself and I feel music is my vessel to do that and is my business card to open other doors in the future.

B Wise's debut EP Semi Pro is out now. Grab your copy via our website here.