NEWS FEATURE FRONTIER
know our seven seasons and we know when they gonna come, here I don’t know when it was going to hit, it was every day.”
IHHP co-founder Dion Brownfield said they knew early on Baker was a force to be reckoned with — even if he was just a typical 17-year-old at the time.
“Despite the fact he was like a normal teenager — never cleaned up and would eat you out of house and home — he’s very much a dangerous artist because he’s got so many skills; a dancer, actor and he’s got an awesome flow when he raps,” Brownfield said.
Baker works as a mentor at IHHP and has spent the last three years travelling to remote communities to engage with young people through music, dance and art.
The organisation creates tailor-made programs for each community, addressing issues ranging from anti-smoking to suicide prevention, while giving the kids positive role models.
“I know Danzal has changed lots and lots of kids’ lives — he’s committed the last three years of his life and (been) working non-stop around the country,” Brownfield said
“He’s such a beautiful young man, but he’s also really respectful and brings such a strong cultural identity. It’s been really awesome to have him around.”
It was thanks to the guys at IHHP that ‘Cloud 9’ came to be. In their down time the crew introduced Baker to beat boxing and freestyling.
“They asked me to freestyle, I said ‘no no no, I can’t rhyme’,” Baker said.
With English as his third language, following Yolngu Matha and Burarra, spitting out rhymes wasn’t as easy for him as for his counterparts.
But he knew his time would come again, so he prepared for the next opportunity.
“I went back home, sat down, got myself a notebook and wrote down heaps of lyrics — writing, writing, writing — and wrote ‘Cloud 9’,” he said.
“The next time they did it I knew what they were expecting. They said, ‘Danzal, your turn,’ and I went crazy.
“They loved it, then they heard a bit of language and lost it.
“That’s when Dion went crazy and said ‘let’s go to the studio and start recording right now’.”
Despite the fact record labels are beating down his door, when asked what his future goals are, Baker talks about what’s important to his heart — helping other young kids in remote communities.
“Back home in Arnhem Land I’ve never seen anyone come up to us and put us on the right path,” he said.
“Some of the kids get to open up to me and talk. If I’m making them happy and they want to be like me, or do something better because of me, that means I’m doing my job.
“It’s the best feeling and that’s what I’m aiming for with Indigenous Hip Hop Projects.”
Baker said he wants to see indigenous kids break out of their comfort zone, see the world and embrace the opportunities life can offer.
“I want to encourage them to not be scared and not be shamed about who they are or where they come from,” he said.
“The young indigenous kids back home think if they go the city they’ll forget who they are and they get scared of exploring. That’s why I’m trying to show them you’re still going to be making phone calls and talking to your family, you’ve never going to forget.
“Home is going to be home and it’s always going to be there.
“If you feel like you’re starting to lose who you are, you can go back there and freshen up and come back.”
Baker sees himself in some of the kids he works with and recognises the untapped talent in remote communities.
Years after first being sent to the principal’s office, Baker was dancing on the desks professionally with IHHP, staring at the same teacher who sent him to the principal all those years ago.
“She was proud of me,” he said.
Brownfield said it had been an incredible journey watching Danzal grow and his future open up.
“Now he needs to realise there’s a global market,” he said.
“To see him take on New York or Europe, even Asia, for young indigenous people to see him go that far is just as powerful as coming back and spending time on country.
“I think this next phase is going to be very powerful and he’s got an important story to tell.”