ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the discursive techniques adopted by some prolific Australian Indigenous rappers in their negotiation of notions of place and cultural values in tension with the colonial history of the country. In an era of decentering globalizing forces that continuously shift the locale of cultural production and consumption from global markets to local realities and vice versa, music has come to play a crucial role in redefining the value of regional discourses. Since its beginnings in the 1980s, hip hop in Australia immediately found fertile ground amongst disadvantaged strata of the population. Indigenous hip hop artists are thus prolifically utilizing the medium of hip hop to participate in discussions on national affairs, continuing their Elders' legacy to speak out against injustices. The local reality of Australian Indigenous hip hop, with its struggle over visibility, recognition and access to the Australian public sphere, has gradually encouraged a cross-cultural debate where specific local practices are fostered and re-shaped by different urban geographies.
