BARKAA
blak matriarch headlining at giiyong
Malyangapa, Barkindji rapper and the Blak Matriarch of hip hop, BARKAA’s new EP BIG TIDDA is out now via Bad Apples Music. BARKAA will perform at Giiyong Festival on Saturday 9 November 2024.
Unwavering and deeply joyous, BIG TIDDA marks a new chapter in BARKAA’s artistic journey. Where her debut EP Blak Matriarchy (2022) unlocked power through protest, this collection of songs draws its strength from vulnerability. Over seven tracks, BARKAA embraces growth and finds beauty in the unknown - drawing from her childhood in Eora/Sydney to the trials and tribulations of a young, blak mother.
BARKAA says on the EP:
“BIG TIDDA is a celebration of blak joy, the importance of blak love and just feeling yourself. I showcased my culture with Blak Matriarchy, but with BIG TIDDA, I am taking you for a walk through the streets where I grew up - the Housing Commission estates of Southwest Sydney. The message behind the record is to have fun.”
“We're not just blakfellas who make blak music. We're blakfellas. We make great music and we are taking over. It’s take-over season. I create music for everybody, but mostly with my sister girls in mind. I want people to connect to my music and be like: ‘that's my track. That's my story. I can relate to that. I feel that. I'm going to big-note myself today. I'm going to be confident today. I'm going to make amends to my family today. I'm going to take accountability today.’ That's what BIG TIDDA is about. I want all my tiddas to feel like they are ~that Tidda. They're that BIG TIDDA.”
Proving herself to be an influential force, BARKAA was recently revealed as leading this year’s finalists for the National Indigenous Music Awards - nominated for Artist of the Year, Film Clip of the Year and Song of the Year. She also took home Game Changer of the Year at the inaugural PEDESTRIAN TELEVISION Awards.
2023 saw BARKAA make her debut at SXSW Sydney, perform her single “King Brown” - which recently celebrated 2 million streams - at the ARIA Awards, plus launch an exclusive kids tee in collaboration with Haus of Dizzy. She closed out the year with an official Sydney NYE performance alongside 3% (Nooky, Dallas Woods, Angus Field) and more, while the Sydney Harbour Bridge was lit up with projections of BARKAA’s face illustrated by Janelle Burger.
Since the release of her debut single “For My Tittas” in 2020, BARKAA has swiftly climbed to one of the most respected voices in so-called Australia’s hip hop community. That same year, BARKAA was named PUMA Rookie Of The Year Award by Acclaim Magazine, and has since been touted one of the top rappers in the country by triple j and Red Bull. BARKAA’s journey as an artist not only encompasses her musical prowess but sees her work underpinned by a dedication to advocate for her First Nations community, amplified through her collaboration with Mackridge on “22clan”. Her debut EP, Blak Matriarchy celebrated Blak motherhood across six tracks of powerful manifestation, and scored accolades from the likes of The Guardian, Rolling Stone Australia, NME, 10 Magazine, features from triple j, community radio and more.
From featuring in Vogue Magazine, Need For Speed and NBA2K to live performances including Listen Out, Groovin The Moo and Sissy Ball for Sydney WorldPride, BARKAA continues to rise to new heights. With two ARIA nominations to her name, as well as winning Song of the Year for “King Brown” at the National Indigenous Music Awards, Record of the Year and Best Video at the FBi SMAC Awards for Blak Matriarchy, BARKAA is claiming her position as “the new matriarch of Australian rap (GQ)”.