New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Melbourne, Australia-based, Arnhem Land-raised rapper BAKER BOY is set to release his blistering, joyful debut album Gela on Friday, October 15th. Lauded by Zane Lowe on his Apple
Music 1 show, Los Angeles' KCRW and more, he is a deft, talented rapper with charisma and verve inherited from the genre's greats. Today, he shares his latest single "Butterflies," a track that's all about the thrill of the chase featuring his trademark bilingual bars with a heavy dose of live percussion. "'Butterflies' is all about word play and bringing in different flavors and energy! It's about chasing that feeling and being addicted to the adrenaline rush," notes Baker Boy. "It could be about chasing love, chasing that adrenaline rush, chasing fame, chasing that feeling of being on stage. It could be about anything!'"
Known in Australia under a handful of names - the
Fresh Prince of Arnhem Land, Baker Boy, the "proud blak Yolngu boy with the killer flow" - the bright-eyed, ferociously talented rapper born Danzal Baker is ready for you to meet him as Gela: his skin name, and one of the truest markers of his identity. Say it out loud, say it with pride, with the honor and respect it deserves: GE-lah. Knowing himself well, knowing himself truly, and when his music can reflect that, there was only one obvious perfect choice for the title of Baker Boy's first album: Gela. "Gela is who I am," Baker Boy says, "and it's my story."
The
Fresh Prince of Arnhem Land's sudden fame released an internal struggle, between his ties to his community back home, and his love for his art and the inspiring figure Baker Boy was becoming. It's a struggle undoubtedly familiar to anyone who's moved from somewhere remote to the big city, but one uniquely heartbreaking for First Nations people who move from remote communities to more populated areas. Gela is the story of Baker Boy overcoming this conflict and coming to terms with himself both as "Gela" and as Baker Boy — an inspiration and beacon of light to his fans, his family, and, most of all, himself.
The record's striking album artwork, by iconic street artist Adnate, is a perfect encapsulation of this concept, featuring a split portrait of Baker Boy. "I want people to see what my life is like, and where I come from," Baker Boy says. "The journey from a remote community to living in the city and trying to adapt, and have that balance, is a lot of hard work, [but] it's an amazing journey." True to that duality, Gela is a breathtaking portrait — a coming-of-age tale, a powerful political vessel, and a story of a variegated, fascinating life, all in one.
Most recently, Baker Boy shared his single "My Mind" featuring G-Flip: two artists that share a penchant for boundary-pushing smiling-inducing bangers. The track fizzes with romantic joy and can be heard here: https://BakerBoy.lnk.to/MyMindPR.
'Gela' Track Listing:
1 - Announcing The
Journey (performed by Glen Gurruwiwi)
2 - Survive ft. Uncle Jack Charles
3 - My Mind ft. G Flip
4 - Ride ft. Yirrmal
5 - Butterflies
6 - Cool As Hell
7 - Move
8 - Headphones ft. Lara Andallo
9 - Somewhere Deep ft. Yirrmal
10 - Funk Wit Us
11 - Stupid Dumb
12 - Meditjin ft. JessB
13 - Ain't Nobody Like You ft.
Jerome Farah
14 - MYWD.
