Kwame Calls Out The Whole Scene In His 'Bars Of Steel' Freestyle

Australian hip hop has transformed from a breakaway scene to a stalwart, revolutionary genre in the changing landscape of what we consider Australian music.

One of rap's most standout features is its competitive nature. If a rapper doesn't really think they're the best in the game are they really doing it right? 

That competitive nature has rarely come out in Australian rap so far, but Kwame has headed to triple j to show why he thinks he is the best, sending shots to every MC across the country.

This delay in appreciating the competitiveness of rap is deep rooted in Australian popular culture. Tall poppy syndrome is a stalwart quality of being "Australian". Humbleness in the face of success and quality is what we expect from Australian artists, but why.

As the tide shifts on what the mainstream pushes as "true" Australian art turns, the mainstream narrative of larrikins and "all credit to the boys" in the face of excellence will change and must change.

Kwame proved that. You can, for lack of a better phrase, talk your shit, while knowing you're the best and still bigging up the scene and community. 

He raps in the freestyle, "Don't be scared to take a risk, don't be scared to take a chance, don't be scared to talk your shit, don't be scared to do your dance, don't be scared to hold your own, tell your story let it be known."

He raps this amongst bar after bar after bar checking the Australian rap scene. To paraphrase, Kwame's achieved so much but he is just getting started.

I could easily sum it all up and break it down, but I think it's best if you hear it directly from the man himself.

"Fuck your label, fuck your PR, fuck your management."

He continues, "fuck your A&R, your law firm, your social media analyst, your booking agent your CD, your merchandise at JD. Fuck every position in this white washed industry."