ABSTRACT
As I leave the familiar sights of Brisbane’s inner city and head south-west towards the suburb of Inala, I notice the landscape begin to change. The cityscape gives way to long stretches of industrial blocks and modest housing. This urban context, known for its high Indigenous Australian population, 1 is one of the case studies in a large nationwide project called Sound Links, on which I am working (for further details, see Bartleet et al. 2009). In particular, we are focusing on Stylin’ Up, an Indigenous-owned hip-hop and R&B festival and skills-development program, which is hosted in the suburb of Inala. This afternoon I am undertaking fieldwork at a local community centre involved in the program. Soon after arriving at Elorac Place, I notice the loud vibrations of hip-hop beats coming from an adjoining room. After a few minutes, Craig Cranston from Inala Youth Service walks in and warmly greets me. Craig is supervising the afternoon’s hip-hop workshops. ‘Do you want to come take a look at what the guys are doing?’ he asks.
