Drill rap – What it means for Pasifika?

By Lefaoali’i Dion Enari

Drill rap artists such as One Four and HP Boyz are Australian hip hop icons. But what does this mean for Pasifika?

There is no question of the talent, innovation and influence they possess. For many of their fans, they are amazing musicians. However, for Pasifika youth, particularly in Australia, they see more than just rap artists, more importantly, they see their brothers, cousins and themselves.

As a Pasifika person growing up in Australia; our realities were never reflected in the hip hop industry.

I can remember clearly, much of the hip hop we consumed in Australia was either by white Australians or imported from America or the United Kingdom.

Even the hip hop we heard from other Pasifika people either came direct from the Islands, New Zealand or America. Although I was proud to hear hip hop from people that looked like me and were connected through ethnic ties, I still felt disconnected. The music from Zipso in Samoa, Polynesian South Auckland voices from Dawn Raid Records and Samoan stories of Carson, California through Boo Ya tribe, were different from my reality in Australia.

Through groups like One Four and HP Boyz, I am able to see Pasifika Australian stories in hip hop. These groups have entered the music industry through representing the area they live in, and their ethnic identity. Throughout many of their songs, videos, concerts and public appearances these groups constantly speak about the suburban areas they come from, and their island pride.

After speaking to Pasifika youth around Australia, many believed these groups gave them permission to be proud. There were “happy the uso’s and the toko’s made it”, whilst others believed these groups helped form their Pasifika Australian identity.

Through these groups, we are able to hear our own Pasifika Australian accents, and see our neighbourhoods reflected in hip hop.  One only has to walk through Mt Druitt, Cambletown, Ipswich or Logan (our Polynesian hubs) to hear Pasifika Australian storytelling through drill rap.  

As Pasifika people reside longer in Australia, we will continue to not only harness our Pasifika pride but (re)mould and (re)shape our island flavour with our Australian lived experiences. The Australian Pasifika story is being written, rewritten, chanted, tattooed and carved right now, as we speak.

Manuia

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Lefaoali’i Dion Enari is a PhD Candidate at the Faculty of Society and Design, Bond University, Gold Coast. He holds a Master of International Relations and Ali’i Tulafale Matai (high talking Chief) title from Lepa, Samoa. His research interests include ethnography, Pacific language, cultural sustainability, indigenous studies, and trans-nationalism.

He is from the villages of Lepa, Malaela, Vaiala, Nofoali’i and Safune.