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00:00:00
Speaker 1: I record this podcast on Gaetigold Country. I'd like to pay my respect to the traditional custodians. I know you're gonna dig this. It's like I've been given like an extra sprinkle of something.
00:00:14
Speaker 2: You've got layers.
00:00:15
Speaker 1: Yeah, I've got layers.
00:00:17
Speaker 2: I was just thinking, I'm like, we're just such beautiful storytellers.
00:00:21
Speaker 1: You make a lot of sense to that girl. No, I'm done to honest to go. Welcome to First Things First. I am so excited because we have the incredibly talented Baker Boy in studio this morning. He is releasing an incredible album very soon called jan Jay, but he's here to talk about his upbringing, his life living in northeastnham Land, but also what it's taken for him to be one of Australia's most favorite musicians. But the first thing we do here at First Things First is we ask our guests, who's your mob.
00:00:52
Speaker 2: We're from awesome mad So I'm I am a young man from Land. I grew up in an island called Millingenbe but also Meningrida and it's up in northeast anam Land, so just outside of Darwin, I think about five hundred kilometers East and if you look on the maps you'll see Millingamit island. It actually looks like a chicken drumstick. Oh okay, yeah, it's very crock infested waters. But yeah, but I do love mud crabs because that's like probably my only traditional food. That's probably number one on my list for every food in the world.
00:01:37
Speaker 1: Yes, but yes, I love that I come from a chicken drumstick. You've been called the fresh Prince of Arnham Lands. Now that's a pretty cool title. Tell me when you go home, what is the reception you get from mob or are they like, no, I'm not gonna act like you're too cool.
00:01:53
Speaker 2: Well, I think there's like there's some like some little nieces in fews that are like still that don't believe that I'm related to them, and they're like wake a boy. I'm like, I'm your uncle. I'm like I looked after yeah, I'll look after you and stuff like when you were a baby. But then there's like the cousins that are like, so you're from down south. Oh yeah, we got we got a beautiful adam craft over here. You can go and buy a painting for yourself. And I'm like, because what are you doing. They always I know they want to. They always tease me, which is always nice, like you know, stay grounded, and most of the time they don't really treat me differently. It is when they treat me differently if they want something like give me ten bucks and they're like, are your famous now? You're too deadly?
00:02:49
Speaker 1: You know? Yeah, keep us grounded. Yeah, But I want to go back to your childhood, you know. I want to know what it was like growing up for you up there? What was what was life like?
00:02:59
Speaker 2: To be honest, I think like growing up, there's some crazy things that I've done. That's like when I think about it now, it's like, oh my god, I could have died, like you know, swimming in a river full of crocs and stuff, like I don't know how I survived. And like the heat, the going through like the mangroves and like getting eaten by mosquitoes and stuff. But yeah, Mejie's, oh my god, Mejie's were hectic. Yes, But I now when I think about it, like I kind of miss it and I missed the smell of the fire and like all that, and it's the yarn around the campfire and like, you know, mostly like about haunted stories and stuff, and then like especially all the aunties are always like make you get scared and then you go sleep early tonight and all that. I love.
00:03:49
Speaker 1: I love all that stuff.
00:03:50
Speaker 2: But I grew up like learning about country, you know, like hunting, medicine and what trees we use for you know, canoes and like all that stuff, and it was always amazing and like making spears and and all that has always been like a very how can I say, like a very entertaining growing up in the remote community. Even though I was like going to school and stuff, but on the weekends I was still learning from like family going fishing. We would go fishing every weekend. And it's not only just going to catch fish for food and stuff, but it was very educational, like learning what sort of flowers and plants and what's going what we're going to be catching when we go, and what season it is and stuff and where we go for these parts for like food, medicine and all that and all the fruits and stuff. But dancing, you know, traditional dancing, but also like growing up, you know, there's been like hip hop around when I was growing up, from you know, the Baker Boys, the Olgi Baker Boys and my dad and my uncle and so I've been around, yeah, but like.
00:04:58
Speaker 1: I want to go back to that. You know, you bring them up now, but I want to go back to maybe the first moment that you thought that you might be an artist or a performer or an entertainer. Was it on one of those weekends where you are dancing and or was it when you first re introduced to the Baker Boys. What was that life old moment for you?
00:05:17
Speaker 2: I think it was first when we went to Royal Darwin Show and we were performing and we were known as the Millingumby Dancers, and so I remember dancing and I was dancing to Michael Jackson jam and I was dancing to that song. And you know, at that time, I have no idea how old I was. I think I was maybe ten or twelve. And that's when I was like, I want to be a performer. I want to dance, because like I really enjoyed when I went out and seeing people like cheer for me and stuff, which was pretty amazing. And you can find this on YouTube if you search out Millingibe Dances. I think you'll see like an old footage and you'll see me dancing in there.
00:05:58
Speaker 1: I need to see that.
00:05:58
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's epic. I think ten or twelve, I cannot remember what year it was. We were doing it for like multiple years and it was pretty amazing, and like that's when I knew that I always wanted to be a dancer. And
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like because my grandfather he's always like filming with a camquarder and he's always filming of like when Baker Boys were young and they were like dancing, the Olji Baker Boys and they were dancing and stuff.
00:06:27
Speaker 1: Can you give our listeners an insight into who the Baker Boys were?
00:06:31
Speaker 2: So the Baker Boys. Yeah, So the Oji Baker Boys is my father and my uncle and so they were known as Baker Boys throughout the remote community and they became like mission famous. And it was thanks to my late grandmother. She for their honeymoon, they went to Hawaii, so my grandfather and my late grandmother, and then on the way back they stopped through like America, like La and Miami, and they brought over like some records and vhs and all that, like performances and all.
00:07:11
Speaker 1: That stuff of American artists, of.
00:07:13
Speaker 2: American artists and stuff, and so there was this one where it really sticked out to them was fred Astaire and grand Master Flash. So they used to put Fredistaire on and mute the sound, but then put the record on the grand Master Flash record and played the song and the track and watched Fredistaire dance to the Grand Master Flash and wow, and they really like picked that up. And they would see a lot of like few footage that my grandfather filmed of like hip hop street performers doing like break dancing and stuff, and they picked up all that and stuff, and they started like doing their own like little dance and stuff. They kind of put in little traditional dancing there as well as doing hip hop dance and stuff. And that's when they started performing, and they were known as the Baker Boys. And family used to go and pay like five dollars to watch the Baker Boys perform, and they would use that money to pay for flight to go into the next remote community and then and then do the same over there, and then they were known as the Bakers. They were muss.
00:08:20
Speaker 1: I love these stories of the you know, origins of artistry where it's like people are doing what they could with what they had. You know, they're making up these performances and dancers they're charging people the five dollar ticket, saving up their money and then going in and performing around in communities. I mean, yeah, that's iconic. Is that where you get your hustle and you know, grind from?
00:08:39
Speaker 2: Do you think I think more? I That's where I got my talents from. Yeah. The outspoken, like the positivity and all that is one hundred percent my grandmother. She's always like my grandmother. She's always like that person who's always shouting and be like you over there, don't be shamed, come here and dance, Come break it down, don't be shame. We all family and all that stuff, like music brings all together like and all that stuff. And so it's always been like that. And I've always been in that environment of like full dancing and watching like all these dance videos and stuff, and even like watching Electric Boogloo and Breaking or like Beat Street and like all these old dance films and stuff. And then you know, still growing up and then still watching like all these step up like all these movies and all that stuff.
00:09:29
Speaker 1: It's raining, Do you want to go outside and do the.
00:09:31
Speaker 2: Yeah, full slow and all that, like watching like you got serve and all that stuff, and then from there I kind of like I remember when I was a kid and I was like I decided. I was like, I want to be a dancer. Yeah, a full dancer. I went to boarding school and then I went to like a performing arts school and then studied dance for a whole year. And then I moved to Melbourne so I can do some dancing and stuff and started working for a dance come going around remote communities, doing like dance workshops with young kids in a remote community, and they thought I was an American. Okay, when I first went to some of the remote communities, they thought I was an American, like hip hop American dancer. And then they were like talking to me. I was like, oh no, I'm just like you mob mob, I'm from I'm anmal Man from nam Land. They're like, oh whoa what he And it was the most like I remember when I first introduced myself to the community and they were so excited and they were like, oh my god, we thought you were like Afrie, an American like hip hop dancer or something like. And then I was like, oh no, I'm yourmal Man.
00:10:38
Speaker 1: Well, I mean it is like groundbreaking and it'll be quite refreshing for someone to see, you know, an artist like yourself. Yeah, and even back then when you're just dancing. But now I feel like you've been a groundbreaking artists because we haven't had many First Nations artists in this country who get on stage and can do what you do. So when you were younger and you were looking up here, you had the black hip hop American influence. Yeah, through you know the story.
00:11:00
Speaker 2: That you've just shared.
00:11:01
Speaker 1: But when you were looking for inspiration, who are you turning to and looking for outside of that?
00:11:07
Speaker 2: I think like I was watching like moving mob style, yes, and so.
00:11:12
Speaker 1: Throw the boomer like all that, like all the dancings and stuff.
00:11:16
Speaker 2: I used to like watch the other that's cool. And and then I was like because I was still in boarding school. And then they came around, they came to and then did some workshops and I was so excited. I was like yes. And then that's when I was like yes. And then I remember like going in and full like I was a confident one because everyone was kind of like still like you know, you're you're a teenager and you just think you're too cool for school sort of vibe. You know, you're like, no, I don't want to. At one point I was going to be like that, like nah, I don't want to do this, but then I was like, nah, I'm doing a grandmother. Your grandmother and your head kind of set. So I went in and I started dancing and stuff, and
you know, they said like, oh, you know, once you graduate, you can probably come and work with us. And I got so excited. I was so pumped to do that. And then yeah, I guess like doing all that and then going to Performing Art School and then learning more from like some of the dances that come through and that teach like hip hop dance but also like traditional dancing and stuff, and learning about all the different cultures and how it's different from just like because I only grew up in anam Land and only know like most of the culture from anam Land. And so when I started going to Performing Art School and then like going to Melbourne and then doing all the remote communities around Australia. I think I've been to like one hundred and ten remote communities around Australia and just working with all the young kids and just seeing the different culture and their dance. I was like I every time I went to a different community was the inspiration and was just like inspiring to see like how they survive as mob.
00:12:57
Speaker 1: I think one thing that I love about you and artistries that culture has always been at the center of it. You know, you can see through the story that you're telling of you growing up, even through visiting communities and learning other people's culture and influence of their dance. Yeah, I feel like it's always been at the centerpiece of what you're putting out into the world. And I think it was so amazing to see that so greatly received with your debut album you know yeah Gella and five Aria Aria Awards, hugely successful commercial album, a Blackfellow on stage not just you know, rapping and singing and dancing, but putting on an absolute show. You know, you've taken all of those learnings from when you're young, obviously, and you put it into your artistry. What does it feel like when you're creating a body of work. Are you reminiscing on those moments of growing up and those stories that you were told, or of those trips to those communities, or are you living in the present and taking from the current climate that you're in.
00:13:50
Speaker 2: I think it comes from both you know, like I was saying, like going and working in remote communities and stuff, and just like using some of the those memories as an inspiration for to keep going and like you know, to remember like myself as and put myself in all the kids in my community issues you know then like what barefoot and so those sort of like things that really kind of like wow, you know what, I want to make sure. I want to do something that's really inspiring, but also keep it like to now as well, and you know, like what has Mob been going through and stuff, and like you know with the referendum and all that, and also like you know, as a musician, you want to grow as a musician. You know, you want to show growth and all that. And that's what I've wanted to do with this album. I wanted to show the growth, the strength, and you know, the experiences and how you want to tell your story and all that stuff through this album, Like through Janejsaw, I want to express all that.
00:15:03
Speaker 1: Well. I mean, it's been many years since that first debut album until now now you're releasing your second anticipated body of work. I know that you know, you've had an international trip working on this album, You've worked internationally with very well known producers and an incredible team in LA but it's also feeling very grounded, you know. Yeah, You've got so many First Nations collaborators on here.
00:15:23
Speaker 2: It feels like there is this there's.
00:15:24
Speaker 1: Two parts to this. You know, there's the international production element to it, but then there's the grounded at home feeling.
00:15:31
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:15:31
Speaker 1: What was it like to I suppose carve out that balance.
00:15:35
Speaker 2: I think it was more kind of like I I want to like be able to make music that's like it deserves to be international, but also I've gotta still have that same you know, the same Baker boy or like represent the mob, you know, and that feeling, and then showcase it to the world, yes, and be like like we we're still here, Like you know, we can make music that are like, you know, international, but also we want to keep that education of like keeping the mob and the language and the culture strong and all that. So doing all that is very important and having like you know, amazing features like Brigs and having like done a Plum Jada Weasel and Madonovan and Kean all that to be part of like this album, and especially like songs like Dick Skin after referendum, you know, coming up with this sort of track was kind of like what I needed for myself, because like I felt like I was in this eerie feeling of like sadness, angry and this dark time, and this song kind of like lifted me up where it was like I can keep going.
00:16:49
Speaker 1: I love that you've also put in a full black choir in Yeah. That that's powerful in itself many voices. You know, you come off the back of a no vote, but you're like, no, I'm going to give a platform to many black voices. What was the decision behind that and what did that bring to the track? Do you think?
00:17:06
Speaker 2: I think like when we first made the track, it was more kind of like I wanted to express what I was feeling that day and just so that I can continue to work on the album. And it just kind of happened to like be really good, and it was like, Okay, maybe we need to focus on this track more then and give it more attention. And so we started doing that, and it was still was missing something and I really wanted to try the punk element with the hip hop, and I wanted to try and mix it. And then here comes choir and it's black choir, and then it's for some reay. It just worked so well where when I first heard the finish subject, it was just like, what is this like tiary goose bumps, and like Emma's voice in there full just like takes your soul and I like every time
when I hear it. So this is what I picture myself when I hear the choir. A bit, I'm on stage, I'm doing Baker Boy performance. I'm doing like Jane j tour and I'm up there with like maybe I don't know, a leather pants, no shirt or a spear on and just like that part and just like slow motion. That's how what I picture every time I hear that.
00:18:29
Speaker 1: Quiet that it's such a powerful image. I mean, this is what you're talking about in terms of artistry growth. I mean it's the artistic decisions of what that looks like, but also the collaborations that you put on this. Someone like Ama brings a legacy of knowledge, you know, experience. I feel like there's a lot of power behind that. What has it taken for you to get to this level of growth as an artist? I mean you've obviously taken some time off to go and work on this body of work. But it seems like you're really aligned with the vision of this body of work and what you want to put out to the world. What does it take for you to get to that point?
00:19:00
Speaker 2: I think it's more kind of like trying new things and trying different hats. When I say trying different hats is more kind of like trying different genres and like finding a voice that's like hiding inside of you and like getting it out, like yeah, And so you're kind of like deep dive into like finding yourself and getting it out and being loud and proud about it and moving forward and just like working on this growth and pushing yourself to pass your limits and just like you know, showing everyone that everyone can do it and all that and yeah, and just visioning the whole story how I want to tell the story and with like music videos, fashion, yeah, and still having that element of back home and all.
00:19:53
Speaker 1: The roundedness and culture. I mean, well, one thing that's obviously poignant in this is the title of the album and how that connects to your grandmother. That is a really powerful symbol of connection for you. Tell us about the story of this title.
00:20:09
Speaker 2: So the title is JENJ for the album, and JENJ is the name of my late grandmother, So I named the album after my late grandmother. But also J in your culture is the name of a spiritual being that takes form of an octopus with his tentacles, that grabs the soul and guides it to the afterlife. And so with this album, I wanted to kind of show and have people kind of like be sucked into this different dimension and just like listening to this Baker boy world and like hearing this story, this vision, this whole Yeah, J. And that's what I want to tell. And I think the name is a perfect name for this title, especially for this songs that are in there. It's epic.
00:21:01
Speaker 1: I love the fact that you're paying homage to your grandmother because in the beginning, yeah, because she's yes, late, No, don't be shamed, get up and do it. And if it wasn't for her in that voice, she wouldn't have been at this point. But I also want to talk about the different
layers to the artistry, because obviously the music is one thing, but then you have such great visual storytelling ability. Your clips are something else. You know, they're high production. There's a lot of energy.
00:21:24
Speaker 2: Yeah, what does it.
00:21:24
Speaker 1: Take to bring something like that to life. Obviously a team.
00:21:27
Speaker 2: Obviously, Yeah, a team, and really they're really into telling your story and visualize it where it's very you know, creative and to have like a you know, very creative mind in the one little space is just incredible. And you know, we filmed all the video clips in where we mansioned. So it's a five part series of Janja and all of them are all linked. So one track starts and when it finishes, it goes into the next one, and all of them are all linked. And you know, at the last one is like when I'm like kind of that whole footage is just amazing, And you know it's about filming at a colonial space and taking back that strength and taking over the colonial space and having you know, mob in there and all that.
00:22:29
Speaker 1: Yeah, you're always wrapping the mob like you always have in the clip or whether it's the story you're telling. It's such a powerful part of what you do as an artist. What's on the horizon for you. You know, there's this body work that's coming out, then obviously you have to take it around the country and shop.
00:22:45
Speaker 2: Yeah, and obviously you're going to make that vision come true. Have me on stage where just that'll leather pants.
00:22:52
Speaker 1: And I'm pitching it to the Arias right now. If that's not opening the Arias this year, I don't know what it is, you know what I mean. I feel like you just about to drop an album like a month from the Arias. Let's let's let's give them.
00:23:05
Speaker 2: Maybe I'll have yeah, maybe I'll have a g wagon on stage again.
00:23:08
Speaker 1: You know, every time I see you perform on stage, I always in the back of my mind think maybe you're going to be on the VMAs one day, you know.
00:23:15
Speaker 2: That big That would be insane.
00:23:18
Speaker 1: Like the kid Lay has done it, Bakable. You're on your way, but I'll cry to But you know what is on the horizon for you? A tour?
00:23:26
Speaker 2: Definitely a tour on the horizon. I can't wait to tour enj I am so excited. I've just announced, you know, the album and and all that. So I can't wait for it to be released to people. And I can't wait for people to listen to it because it's I I have, like I don't know how to tell people unless if they listen to it. I can probably talk about a track by track or just let you just like sync it in.
00:23:56
Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean when when you're listening to it, is it one of those project where you're going from top to bottom or or other solo moments where you can start throughout the album that it doesn't matter. What do you think?
00:24:08
Speaker 2: I think like top to bottom? Yeah, yeah, like from the start to the end, because like I've done it and I was just like again, yeah, let's start again.
00:24:21
Speaker 1: And I love it.
00:24:22
Speaker 2: Yeah, And I think that I had like a long trip, so I I think I listened to the album like three times on the way to home, and it was actually very like, oh my god.
00:24:36
Speaker 1: I love when the body of work is like a book right from song to song and you're getting a story, and I think, as a great storyteller, that's exactly what you'll provide. So congrats on this album. I think you know it's it's going to be a smash hit, just like your previous album. How many arias do you think you're going to receive this time?
00:24:53
Speaker 2: All of them?
00:24:54
Speaker 1: I'm like when you see a photo of arts and their arms are like this with their awards, that's how you know they've made it.
00:25:00
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I mean, I mean I did that I did that.
00:25:03
Speaker 1: Congratulate, congratulations on all successful.
00:25:06
Speaker 2: Thank you so excited, Thanks for having me here.
00:25:08
Speaker 1: Of course, come back anytime. Congratulate, Thank you so.
00:25:12
Speaker 2: Much, and we'll talk to you soon. You'll talk to you soon.
00:25:15
Speaker 1: Let's go,