Before the release of his debut album, Yolŋu hip-hop artist Danzal Baker talks footy, stage fright and a fork in the road
When Danzal Baker landed at the airport in Arnhem Land two years ago, the first things he saw were the signs. “They said ‘Welcome home Danzal Baker AKA Baker Boy!’” he laughs. After years of touring his infectious and innovative hip-hop music around the country and the world – on festival lineups, headline tours, and as support for artists including Dizzee Rascal, 50 Cent and Yothu Yindi – Baker was home again. In the time away, he’d become something of a local hero.
From his accommodation in Milingimbi, he heard his songs echoing out every hour or so from the school across the street. The school’s administration had replaced the traditional school bell with his songs. The kids, he says, hung off him “like leeches”. Milingimbi is a tiny island town, with a population hovering about 1,000. As a teenager, Baker left first to study at boarding school in Townsville, and then at the Aboriginal Centre for Performing Arts in Brisbane. As a member of the Djuki Mala dance troupe, he toured all over Australia, performing for kids in other remote communities.
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