Growing up in Wollongong, with ancestral connections to Murrawarri and Ngemba lands (Weilmoringle, Brewarrina NSW), DOBBY is an emerging composer and rapper with a slick flow and a mind-blowing live performance.
On stage, DOBBY jumps between the drums, beat pad and the mic, accompanied by DIOLA on turntables and guitar. With a background in classical piano and jazz drums, he produces technically innovative music while following in the storytelling tradition of Hip Hop, proudly expressing his Filipino and Aboriginal cultural identity.
Hip Hop has always given him a sense of belonging. As an educator, he advocates “for Hip Hop to be included in curriculum as a platform for students to express ways of being and knowing”.
“There's boundless application and potential for Hip Hop in education, cultural histories and knowledge, language and, ultimately, the potential to unify in an ever-divided existence.”
The MC has worked hard to amplify First Nations voices in Australian music, evident in his latest single, ‘I Can’t Breathe’. “In this song [we] call for immediate action to bring justice to the families of the 438 Indigenous people who died in police custody since the 1991 Royal Commission.”
Some of the items on DOBBY’s BIGSOUND wishlist: organise gigs and bookings for an upcoming national tour, build connections with domestic and international industry folk, get signed and explore opportunities for international performance. He’d like to organise a creative residency in the US where he can create and perform his debut album. Last, but not least: open for Anderson Paak. “I believe I'd be a great fit seeing as we are both drummer/vocalists!”
While the music industry has been hit hard this year, DOBBY is impressed by its resilience. “From the calamity of the pandemic I sense a clearer collective purpose in the industry. It's inspiring.”
