The multiple award-winning Indigenous Australian rapper Baker Boy has today released his debut 14-track album “Gela” album via Universal Music / Island Records Australia. The 44-minute long release has been many years in the works, with numerous singles from the album released and recorded over many months for the Digital / Vinyl / CD release today. The new Gela album features New Zealand’s JessB, Zimbabwean-Australian artist Thando, Jerome Farah, Indigenous Australian artists Yirramal and Uncle Jack Charles, G Flip, Glen Gurruwiwi, Lara Andallo amongst others and contains the already certified Gold-Selling lead single “Cool As Hell”, capping off an impressive 3-4 years for the busy artist.
Born in Darwin and raised in the remote Northern Territorian communities Yurrwi (formerly known as Milingimbi and Maningrida), the young Baker Boy is known locally in Arnhem Land and beyond as the “Fresh New Prince” – the freshest new Yolngu hip-hop talent from the Top End. Young, strong, and proud Baker Boy is the first rapper to break through to the mainstream to rap in his Yolngu Matha language representing his Arnhem Land bloodlines, as well as partially in the English language too. Baker Boy is known as a multi-talented artist, working across rap, dance, acting, and graffiti, inspiring younger generations to embrace their culture and become leaders in their communities.
Baker Boy rose to national prominence after winning the National Indigenous Music Award (NIMA) and released the two massive singles “Cloud 9” and “Marryuna” that both landed in the national end-of-year Top 100 all genres music countdown, at #76 and #17. This makes Baker Boy the second-highest ever-ranking Indigenous artist in the Hottest 100 countdown history in Australia, narrowly behind A.B. Original’s excellent politically charged “January 26” in 2017. Baker Boy’s “Marryuna” was the first song ever to place in the Top 20 that was performed in an Indigenous language.
Baker Boy has toured extensively around Australia and Europe, opened for the likes of 50 Cent and the UK’s Dizzee Rascal, starred on TV shows, was announced as the Young Australia of the Year in 2019, and was also recently was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the performing arts as a singer and musician – the first Australian rapper to receive such accolades ever.
