Today, Malyangapa, Barkindji rapper and the NIMAs 2024 Artist of The Year recipient, BARKAA releases her highly anticipated new EP, ‘BIG TIDDA’ via Bad Apples Music. To celebrate, the Blak Matriarch of hip hop is currently on her national tour, with six more electrifying shows to come.
‘BIG TIDDA’ marks an evolution in BARKAA’s musical journey, blending playful exuberance with profound personal and cultural reflection. Moving away from the protest-driven themes of her debut EP ‘Blak Matriarchy’, the EP showcases the rapper’s growth artistically and personally, tracing her childhood in Eora/Sydney to her steps into motherhood from a young age. What audiences are left with is a mantra of self-love, Blak joy and vulnerability, spanning genre-shifting tracks and intimate reflections.
Highlights include Alinta, a poignant exploration of the beauty and challenges of Blak motherhood, and Fruition feat. Minty, which pushes creative boundaries and BARKAA’s signature sound. Crafted with the help of producers Jayteehazard and Nerve, and featuring collaborations with Kobie Dee and Say True God?, ‘BIG TIDDA’ showcases a side to BARKAA’s power that listeners haven’t seen before, through her softness.
BARKAA says on the EP: “BIG TIDDA is a celebration of blak joy, the importance of blak love and just feeling yourself. I showcased my culture with Blak Matriarchy, but with BIG TIDDA, I am taking you for a walk through the streets where I grew up – the Housing Commission estates of Southwest Sydney. The message behind the record is to have fun.”
“We’re not just blakfullas who make blak music. We’re blakfullas. We make great music and we are taking over. It’s take-over season. I create music for everybody, but mostly with my sister girls in mind. I want people to connect to my music and be like: ‘that’s my track. That’s my story. I can relate to that. I feel that. I’m going to big-note myself today. I’m going to be confident today. I’m going to make amends to my family today. I’m going to take accountability today.’ That’s what BIG TIDDA is about. I want all my tiddas to feel like they are ~that Tidda. They’re that BIG TIDDA.”
Following a captivating performance at Darwin Festival last week alongside Kobie Dee, BARKAA will be making her way to Boorloo/Perth on Saturday 21 September at The Rechabite and Lutruwita/Hobart’s Altar on Sunday 28 September. Next, she touches down at Lion Arts Factory in Kaurna/Adelaide on Friday 4 October, Meanjin/Brisbane’s The Brightside on Friday 11 October and The Corner Hotel in Naarm/Melbourne on Friday 18 October. To close out the run, BARKAA will perform a massive hometown show at Eora/Sydney’s Oxford Arts Factory on Saturday 2 November.
‘BIG TIDDA’s triumphant singles PREACH and We Up have received widespread airplay including rotation at triple j, FBi Radio, 2SER and rage, plus support from the likes of NITV, Rolling Stone Australia, ACCLAIM and Life Without Andy just to name a few. At this year’s National Indigenous Music Awards, BARKAA was the major winner, taking home the prestigious Artist Of The Year in addition to Film Clip Of The Year for her track We Up. She also took home Game Changer of the Year at the inaugural PEDESTRIAN TELEVISION Awards. Earlier this year, BARKAA concluded a sold-out run of live shows – including a stunning performance at Sydney Opera House during VIVID LIVE, plus headline dates including Eora’s The Lansdowne and two nights at Naarm’s The Curtin.
2023 was another momentous year for BARKAA, making her debut at SXSW Sydney, performing her hit single King Brown at the ARIA Awards and launching an exclusive kids’ tee with Haus of Dizzy. She ended the year with a dynamic Sydney NYE performance alongside 3%, featuring an illustrated projection of her face by Janelle Burger across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Since her 2020 debut single For My Tittas, BARKAA has quickly risen as a prominent voice in Australian hip hop, earning acclaim from triple J, Red Bull, and many more. Her debut EP, ‘Blak Matriarchy’, a celebration of Blak motherhood, received praise from The Guardian, Rolling Stone Australia, NME, and 10 Magazine. With appearances in Vogue, Need For Speed, and NBA2K, along with performances at top festivals and two ARIA nominations, BARKAA is recognized as “the new matriarch of Australian rap” (GQ).
Don’t miss your chance to dive headfirst into this new era of strength, vulnerability and excellence with BARKAA.
BARKAA – ‘BIG TIDDA’ NATIONAL TOUR
Saturday 21 September – The Rechabite, Boorloo/Perth WA
Sunday 28 September – Altar, Lutruwita/Hobart TAS
Friday 4 October – Lion Arts Factory, Kaurna/Adelaide SA
Friday 11 October – The Brightside, Meanjin/Brisbane QLD
Friday 18 October – The Corner Hotel, Naarm/Melbourne VIC
Saturday 2 November – Oxford Arts Factory, Eora/Sydney NSW
‘BIG TIDDA’ IS OUT NOW VIA BAD APPLES MUSIC – BUY/STREAM HERE
With thanks to Thinking Loud
