YUNG WARRIORS – STANDING STRONG

Tjimba Possum Burns and Danny ‘D-Boy’ Ramzan of Melbourne indigenous rap crew Yung Warriors present Standing Strong: a finely tuned and socially conscious record filled with jazzy hip-hop jams, soulful hooks and dexterous word flow. Black Deaths In Custody  explores the regression of Aboriginal treatment in police custody as the Yung Warrors ask, “What you know about black deaths in custody?” and then rattle off a list of the various systematic abuses that occur: “what you know about those crooked ass cops/ that harass young black fellas/ just to lock ’em up.” Tracks like Family Love, Childhood Days and Hold On deal with the importance of family and friendship in staying grounded and helping survive adversity while track titles such as Shake That Thing, Blaze It Up and Up In The Club are pretty self explanatory in their lighter hearted subject matter. The album was largely produced by Momo of Diafrix and looks to innovators such as Pharcyde and Jay Dee for slick beat inspiration, yet the powerful and effortless exploration of important themes in indigenous affairs really is where the strength of this album lies. ***1/2