Since bursting onto the scene in 2015 and winning a triple j Unearthed competition to play at Listen Out, B Wise has become one of the biggest names in Australian hip-hop.
Now his debut album Area Famous is out, and he recently celebrated the release by letting off some steam – quite literally – in a very unique setting as part of Rekorderlig Sauna Sounds.
“It was interesting, never played in a sauna before – it was still hot when we got in there,” he tells us, explaining that despite the Swedish vibes, he kept this performance nice and local.
“We did mine where I grew up in Liverpool, at the Whitlam Centre. All these old dudes are there till like 8:30, right up until the end. It was definitely a different vibe, I really enjoyed it.”
With his album launch tour about to kick off, B Wise chatted with Tone Deaf about his favourite Aussie rappers, giving us his ‘Mount Rushmore’ below.
B Wise tells us four of the best Australian rappers
Manu Crooks
Manu Crooks has been producing music since he was a teenager, and has been steadily releasing music for a few years now. His latest single ‘Best Years’ came out a month ago, after it was announced the rapper would be playing at Spilt Milk 2018.
What B Wise says: “Manu Crooks is obviously a big standout, he’s a good friend of mine. I think where he’s taking the culture is huge.”
Spit Syndicate
Spit Syndicate began when both Nick Lupi and Jimmy Nice were still attending high school in Sydney’s Inner West. Fast forward 12 years and the duo have been nominated for ARIA awards, and have just put out their sixth album.
B Wise says: “I have to throw in Spit Syndicate, they’re also from Sydney. They’ve always pushed their music and taken the chance to expand their sound. They keep their fingers on the pulse and I really admire that about them.”
Tkay Maidza
2018 has seen Tkay Maidza return with her incredible Last Year Was Weird EP. Her sound has often found her blurring the lines between pop hooks and incredible rap verses, but this latest release is all Hip Hop.
B Wise says: “Tkay Maidza has gotta be in there, I really like what she’s done on her new EP Last Year Was Weird and with ‘Flexin’. I feel like she had a certain direction she was kind of going in, but has come back to the rap side of things and really proven herself more as a rapper, so I’m going to throw her in for sure.”
I.E.
An experimental, independent artist from Sydney, I.E. has only released a handful of tracks so far, but they all show a whole lot of talent. The rapper’s aesthetic is as polished as their tracks, proving the artist is here for the long run.
B Wise says: “I.E. has got this aesthetic where his face is covered. A lot of his music is about relationships and is really moody, but the beats and production are really on point.”
https://youtu.be/WIaCkKVVQXo
If you like what you saw in the Rekorderlig Sauna Sounds performance, you can get tickets to B Wise’s album launch tour here, kicking off October 5.
B Wise – Area Famous 2018 National Tour Dates
Friday, 5th October
The Lansdowne, Sydney
Tickets: Official Website
Saturday, 6th October
The Cambridge, Newcastle
Tickets: Official Website
Friday, 12th October
Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
Tickets: Official Website
Saturday, 13th October
Karova Lounge, Ballarat
Tickets: Official Website
Saturday, 20th October
Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
Tickets: Official Website
Friday, 26th October
Transit Bar, Canberra
Tickets: Official Website
Friday, 2nd November
Jack Rabbit Slim’s, Perth
Tickets: Official Website
Saturday, 3rd November
Rocket Bar, Adelaide
Tickets: Official Website
