As a solo artist and one half of ARIA-winning duo A.B. Original (with Trials), Yorta Yorta artist Adam Briggs has long been one of Australia’s most acclaimed and popular rappers.
asserted
Briggs → win → rappers
But he has a simple response for anyone who might be confounded by his sudden, and unexpected, pivot to hardcore punk.
uncertain
who → have → punk
“Those imaginary lines of ‘you can’t do this’ and ‘you shouldn’t do that because you do this’?
asserted
you → do → this
First of all, I’ll do what the f--- I want,” he says with a laugh from his home in Melbourne.
asserted
he → do → Melbourne
“Second, I do things I’m passionate about and that I have my heart in.
asserted
I → do → heart
I just wanted to do something different.
asserted
I → want → something
I wanted to make a different kind of record and just explore.
asserted
I → want → record
“If you look at my career and the things I’ve done, I’ve always done different shit.
asserted
I → look → shit
I’ve done rap, comedy, written kids’ books, written episodes of TV.
asserted
I → do → TV
I’ve acted in films, I’ve acted in TV.
asserted
I → act → TV
I’ve always done something different, so this shouldn’t be such a surprise.
asserted
this → do → something
The perfectly titled Songs in the Key of Wrestling is Briggs’ debut hardcore album with his new band Big Noter (the band also features Steve Smith on drums, with Leigh Davies on guitars and Craig Strain on bass).
asserted
band → title → bass
Over thunderous riffage, opener My Genocide preaches collective liberation; It’s All Good Til It’s Not questions moral complacency; and Identity celebrates pride in self-determination.
asserted
Identity → preach → determination
Album closer What’s the Matter with Adam?
asserted
Matter → ’ → Adam
“There are all these sick people, so at some point the system has failed,” says Briggs.
asserted
Briggs → be → point
“Even for me, I’m looked at as some kind of well-off dude, but for me to be able to get in to see a psych, it’s taken nearly 18 months.
asserted
it → look → months
Some people don’t have the capacity and the facilities to wait that long.”
What prompted him to seek mental health treatment?
asserted
What → have → treatment
“Just trying to be a better person, man, that’s all.
asserted
that → try → ?
I’m not an emergency case, I don’t hear voices and stuff,” he says with a laugh.
asserted
he → ’m → laugh
“I’m a fortunate person and I get to express myself in a lot of interesting ways, and I’m forever grateful for that, but I don’t measure my personal success as the benchmark for where we’re at as a society and as a community.
asserted
we → ’m → community
If my mates are struggling, so am I.
asserted
I. → struggle → ?
“People will talk about going to see their personal trainer and whatever, but there’s a stigma around seeking therapy or seeking mental health treatment.
asserted
People → talk → treatment
The sooner we equate physical health and mental health as one and the same, the better off we’re all going to be.”
asserted
we → equate → one
‘It’s the same moral code and the same values, which to me is the most important part of anything I do.’
asserted
I → ’ → anything
It’s immediately clear on Songs in the Key of Wrestling that no matter the genre, righteous fury remains the driving force behind Briggs’ creative expression.
asserted
fury → ’ → expression
“For sure, but I have to balance it with humour,” Briggs says, pointing to songs like What Ya Swingin’ At and Big Noter (recorded with Idles singer Joe Talbot) that revel in brash braggadocio.
asserted
that → have → braggadocio
“It’s meant to be over-the-top, like an action movie, the kind of stuff we grew up on.
asserted
we → mean → stuff
Because the thing is, when I’m angry, bro, I can’t focus.
asserted
I → ’m → ?
I’ve got to be Zen when I write, I’ve got to be calm to focus, and that’s when the anger comes through.
asserted
anger → get → ?
But even when they’re angry, these songs are fun.
asserted
songs → ’re → ?
Finally, you get to breathe.”
asserted
you → get → ?
Hip-hop and hardcore have always lived side by side for Briggs.
asserted
hop → live → Briggs
As a ’90s kid growing up in Shepparton in country Victoria, Rage and Recovery were his gateways to heavy music.
asserted
Rage → grow → music
“Scratch the Surface by Sick of It All, that was a huge one for me,” Briggs recalls.
asserted
Briggs → scratch → me
“And then I found Terror’s One with the Underdogs EP when that dropped.
asserted
that → find → Underdogs
Born in the streets and community halls and fuelled by alienation, hip-hop and hardcore have always shared more similarities than differences.
asserted
hop → bear → differences
It’s Public Enemy sporting Minor Threat tees.
asserted
It → ’ → tees
Ice-T fronting Body Count.
asserted
T → front → Count
Even Beastie Boys were a hardcore band before they bought an 808 drum machine.
asserted
they → buy → machine
“And Sick of It All are a band from Queens, you know what I mean?” adds Briggs.
asserted
Briggs → know → what
…and 29 more, not listed.
The Aporia
