Local hip-hop superstar and certified ARIA-snatcher Baker Boy is entering a new era — and it’s powerful, personal, and positively ~charged~.
Today, the proud Yolŋu artist officially announced his long-awaited sophomore album DJANDJAY (pronounced “jan-jay”), landing October 10 via Island Records. Alongside the announcement, he’s also shared the LP’s third single ‘Lightning’ ft. REDD., which comes packing a cheeky music video with a deeper message.
Baker Boy – ‘LIGHTNING’ ft. REDD.
Sonically bouncy and lyrically bold, ‘Lightning’ balances confident swagger with cutting real talk.
“People are always going to have opinions,” Baker Boy explains in a press statement, “but I’ve learned to look past the noise and protect my peace.”
And that energy absolutely crackles through the track — which flips between English, Yolŋu Matha and Burarra in a flex of language, power and pride.
The accompanying clip also continues the epic visual saga that the rapper has been cooking up with his recent releases. Filmed inside the historic colonial-era Werribee Mansion, ‘Lightning’ sees an all-First Nations, Black and POC cast being served by balanda (non-First Nations) butlers. It’s playful, but cuts deep: cheeky in tone, but sharp in commentary.
As for the album, DJANDJAY is shaping up to be Baker Boy’s most honest and evolved work to date — a full-circle moment rooted in culture, grief, and growth. Named after both his late grandmother and a Yolŋu spiritual octopus, the album blends ancestral energy with futuristic flair and features a stacked list of collaborators, including Thelma Plum, Emma Donovan, Kee’ahn, Gold Fang and more.
“This is my strongest, most powerful work yet,” Baker Boy declares. “It’s about truth. It’s about defiance. It’s me.”
Following up his ARIA-sweeping Gela LP was never going to be easy, but with DJANDJAY, it sounds like Baker Boy is on course to level-up.
You can pre-order the record right here.
Further Reading
Baker Boy Enlists Briggs And Haiku Hands For Posse Cut ‘Freak Out’
Baker Boy Returns With Gritty New Single ‘Peacekeeper’
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