There is little that Melbourne emcee Mantra hasn't done.
With the kind of industry respect that has earned him the label ‘your favourite rapper’s favourite rapper’, Mantra is now doing great things in the heart of Australia for indigenous communities.
You posted a clip to Facebook recently of you shooting a sling shot in the Aussie outback; how good is your shot; what could/ would Mantra bring down with his trusty slingshot?
To be honest, my sling shot game is pretty average. In that clip I hit the target perfectly but believe me that was a rare occasion. I doubt I could properly bring anything down if my clan needed food, unless it was extremely slow-moving.
Judging by your recent social media photos, you're travelling throughout the Australian outback at the moment; what are you up to?
I've been working on a music project in an indigenous community called Lajamanu, in remote NT. Me and my good friend Monkey Marc have been speaking with elders in the community and helping them document their dreaming stories. Now we're working with kids in the local schools to write songs based on those stories.
Has it been good for you to escape the clutches of the city and get a different perspective of Australia?
I've been out here a couple of times and it always blows my mind. Meeting the local people, learning their history and their traditions, trying to understand their perspectives, it's a really intense experience. I feel very grateful to have had the opportunity. I realised I didn't truly know 'Australia' until I first set foot in the desert. I'm still learning.
You and DJ Flagrant will be heading to Manifest in September, joining the likes of DJ Total Eclipse, Blockhead, Ed Solo and Astronomy Class; will you spend the weekend at the festival immersing yourself in the event?
Hell yeah, we'll be getting all up in it! A bunch of our homies are on the bill, so I'm looking forward to checking out some shows and getting rowdy with my peeps.
Playing an outdoor, bush event is not something we've seen Mantra do often; is it nice to bring your music to new, regional stages?
It doesn't happen all that often but I enjoy it every time. I really love performing my music for new people in a new setting. Especially when it's a picturesque paradise in Queensland.
Are you working on new material at the moment? Anything you can share?
I'm working on a BUNCH of new material at the moment. I can't share anything too specific yet as we're still working out where it's all gonna go, but I reckon I'll have some news real soon. In the meantime peeps can cop my 'Scenefour' EP, which dropped last November.
You are one of many local hip hop artists making a vocal stand against racism on social media, particularly the Frankston Bomber disgrace. It's wonderful to see, but it must be mind-numbing to encounter so frequently living in the 'lucky country'?
Man, it's really frustrating. It breaks my heart to see how much ignorance still exists towards matters of race and the anger that stems from it. Don't get me wrong, I think there is a lot of progress being made and things are slowly changing. It's just hard when we get so called hip hop fans excusing their own racist behaviour, it makes no sense to me. That shit [blackface] doesn't belong anywhere, let alone within a culture as inclusive and diverse as hip hop.
Future collaborations; who is on your bucket list that you must work with before your die?
Damn, this is always so hard. I reckon D'angelo would probably be right up there. Or a bad-ass soulstress like Sharon Jones. Would love to get some of the Daptone players on a record too, the Menihan Street Band would be killer to write something with. On a rap tip, probably one of the classic poets like Common or Talib Kweli. But I could go on forever.
Life for Mantra right now; is the creative, artistic side of your life where you want it to be?
I'm having a ball right now. I'm involved in a number of creative projects that are all challenging me in different ways. I'm working on a number of youth and community projects back in Melbourne, which are doing super exciting things at the moment, so life is pretty full.
Australian hip hop in 2016. What is Mantra's opinion of the scene?
I think the scene has evolved to a point where I couldn't really describe it as a 'scene' anymore. You've got a huge range of diverse artists all doing their own thing, which is dope. There's a big spectrum of different styles and sounds. You've got artists like the Hoods (which we never thought would happen!) but you've still got grassroots, open-mic cyphers and underground cats battling each other. This all exists under the one hip hop umbrella now, which I think is really positive.
Who are a couple of young MCs who have caught your attention people should be checking out?
A young lady called Netti is rocking shit at the moment. Dunno if she got much recorded but the bars are on-point. A 17-year-old kid called DEX is doing everything right and making some great music. Cats like Remi and Sampa The Great are vibing too, but y'all should know that already.
The rest of 2016, and into 2017 for Mantra; what do you have in the works?
Ima do a bunch of shows and try to get some of this music finished, so I can give the heads something new.
We're getting deep into footy season; how's your team travelling?
Mate, I'm an Essendon supporter. We're doing atrociously. But I guess we expected too, so that's softening the blow a little bit.
Mantra plays Manifest, which takes place 23-25 September at Cherrabah Resort in South-East Queensland.
