2018 has been a strong year for hip hop. Sure, the last few years have seen our music communities diversifying more than they have before, but there has definitely been a solid impact left on our hip hop, rap and R&B scenes, thanks to the likes of Carmouflage Rose.
The Brisbane-based artist is one of a formidable crew of MCs, producers, singers and writers who have currently turned the term ‘Australian hip hop’ on its head. The breakthrough of ‘Wildflowers’ and ‘Late Nights’ made Carmouflage Rose more than just a buzz name, but with the release of his debut EP TASTE, the young creative truly showed how vibrant his musical palette is.
Not simply an up and down hip hop record, TASTE borrows from late-night club culture, the ambitious wave of R&B flecked rap that we have seen emerge out of the US in recent years and the informed and fiercely intelligent approach to the genre we have seen artists like Remi, Manu Crook$ and Tkay Maidza all bring to their individual bodies of work.
“I just think of us as the new update, the new wave,” he says of the circles he and his peers create within. “Arno [Faraji] and Tkay are from Zimbabwe, and I’m from there as well. I know them and we can relate to a lot of stuff back home. It’s crazy, everybody’s been working for a really long time, nothing just happened overnight. I just think the future is looking very bright.”
When you listen to TASTE, you can hear the developed strength behind Carmouflage Rose’s artistry in spades. Working with producer James Angus on this record allowed the artist to fully flex in the studio.
“I was trying new things continuously and finally becoming comfortable with it being ‘our sound’,” he remembers. “When we were making ‘Dennis Rodman’, we had a lot of fun with that because I think that was one of the songs that wasn’t done until the last few days. It just blossomed in the last few days, it was really good.”
“We’re always trying new stuff; we’re always trying to be able to create our own world and not exist in anybody else’s. Just create our own sound. That’s all I’m trying to do.”
A vivacious live performer, Carmouflage Rose has flourished over the last six months, landing lucrative support slots and before the end of the year, he’ll be out on the road for his own headline run. It’s an opportunity that’s got Carmouflage Rose chomping at the bit and best believe, he’s sharpened his teeth.
“What excites me about the live element of the music is that I’m able and prefer to deliver the songs exactly how it sounds on Spotify or Apple Music,” he says. “I’ve got my manager and my team, they help me a lot with that, just making sure I’m not just going out there and hurting people’s ears. I always like to sound the best and I like to put on a show.”
“Sometimes I feel like you can just go out there and just yell in a mic at people, that’s just a basic show. I like getting in with the crowd though, we’re out here to party together and we’re connected. I’ll fly all the way from Brisbane to Adelaide or Melbourne or Perth … I’m just really keen to feel their vibe and have everyone interacting. I like to be a part of things, that’s why I like to go in the crowd and have like a house party vibe.”
Bringing the house party vibe to the festival stage too, Carmouflage Rose is eager for his Childish Gambino support slot in November. It’s a chance to show everyone how he has levelled up but also as a fan, Carmouflage Rose isn’t taking this opportunity for granted.
“Every time my team rings me up and is like, ‘We’ve got you on this festival, you’re doing this, you’re doing that,” it’s always surreal,” he says. “Sometimes I feel like the people around you show you your value more than you know yourself. So, doing a festival with Childish Gambino, I’m like ‘Oh my God, I’ve been listening to your music for a long time,’ and now I’m going to be on the same stage as him. That’s the first thing that goes through my head. The second is, ‘Okay – how can I steal the show?’”
