Live Review: DyspOra pays homage to Nujabes on 'Clipped Wings'

Adelaide based rapper DYSPORA pays homage to the late Japanese producer NUJABES on his latest single 'Clipped Wings'.

On the beat DyspOra aka Gabrielle Akon samples Nujabes' 'Kujaku', a rhythmic jazz infused masterpiece. Building from simple percussion to an almost dissonant muffled piano, it's typical of Nujabes' jazz hip hop fusion.

DyspOra's flow is sophisticated and urgent. While so many artists in Australia and around the world are producing hard auto tuned trap music, this is a welcome change. Whilst it's not quite boom-bap, it's reminiscent of the 1990s glory years of hip hop.

He faces his demons on this one lamenting, "Why can't heaven let us all in?" The track is filled with dark themes that reflect his traumatic past.

DyspOra was born in in the midst of the civil war in South Sudan. He then relocated to Kakuma in Kenya, which at the time was the biggest refugee camp in the world. He spent seven of his formative childhood years there, significantly impacting the person he is today.

After gaining asylum in Australia, DyspOra quickly learned English and excelled at school. Overcoming the many barriers that face young African people, he founded his own digital label, Playback 808. The label hosts a roster of fellow artists and producers including 16 year old ELK who is making waves across the country with his single '1316'. He saw the label as a platform to give collective voice to his fellow artists when they weren't being heard. At age 22, he is a true example of a self made success story.

DypOra is part of a wider movement of first generation migrant rappers in Australia reclaiming their voice and rising to the top. It's an exciting time for Australian hip hop and DyspOra is no exception.  

Words by Sonny Thomas 

LISTEN TO MORE NEW MUSIC HERE 

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