Few acts can tackle hard-hitting issues quite like A.B. Original, and the duo have remained equally incisive on their new referendum-based single, Yes.
A.B. Original have released Yes, a triumphant new single in support of the upcoming Indigenous Voice to parliament referendum.
The single sees the hip-hop duo, composed of rapper Briggs and producer trials, enlist featured artists Marlon Motlop and DJ Total Eclipse for an uncompromising take on Australian politics, as fuelled by Briggs’ razor-sharp bars.
Throughout the track, A.B. Original broach a range of topics related to the referendum with incisive finesse, from the apathy of the general public to the rampant misinformation of opposing interest groups.
The break-neck cadence leaves no stone unturned, with name-drops of everyone from Peter Dutton to Pauline Hanson.
Through it all, the proud Indigenous duo make their position on the referendum abundantly clear: anything less than a Yes vote “is signed with a death note.”
While there’s plenty of barbs directed at the referendum’s more troubling corners — including those who are “terrified of giving equity” — Yes ultimately advocates for a positive outcome that will “echo through whole generations.”
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The insightful lyrics are reason enough to tune into Yes, but the track is further helped along by its production. Spanning old-school hip-hop flairs to an earworm of a chorus, the track’s activist message is made all the more poignant by its masterful sound.
“It’s important that we continue to work towards better outcomes for Blackfullas,” Briggs said in a statement. “The alternative to voting Yes just reinforces racism, and puts us in a worse position than where we are now.”
It’s a fitting call to action from a duo already renowned for their advocacy, with their 2016 debut album Reclaim Australia tackling important topics from police brutality to Indigenous deaths in custody.
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A.B. Original join a slew of fellow musicians who’ve likewise thrown their support behind the Yes campaign. Paul Kelly showed his support with the song If Not Now last month, while GANGgajang released Speak To Me in favour of the campaign in August.
For his part, John Farnham also lent his staple hit You’re The Voice to promotional materials in support of the Yes campaign. Australians will have their say on an Indigenous Voice to parliament when the referendum takes place on Saturday, October 14.
In the meantime, listen to A.B. Original’s new single Yes below.
