Album number two finds Baker Boy strutting into his man era – multi-faceted, fearless and keen to make bold moves, all while rocking a lux Gucci tracksuit.
What sounds like an ancient wind instrument beckons. Deep chanting in language follows. At Peacekeeper’s 15-second mark, we slingshot from the chair – that beat won’t quit! Rumbling drums, crisp production, Baker Boy’s staccato, metrical flow – you can’t not move to Djandjay’s trilingual lead single, delivered in English, Yolŋu Matha and Spanish.
As well as his beloved late grandmother’s name, Djandjay is also a spiritual being in Yolŋu culture. Taking the form of an octopus, Djandjay gently guides souls into the afterlife.
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“I come from the biggest mob, but I ain’t no Italian…” – opener Biggest Mob serves mob-boss energy over Drop It Like It’s Hot-inspired, 808 beats. Baker Boy’s humble-brags are always smile-inducing (eg. “Black tie/ Bare feet/ Looking fresh…”). Gotta love the ka-ching cash register sound, which calls to mind M.I.A.’s Paper Planes, as well.
Danzal Baker (aka Baker Boy) artfully peppers old-school hip hop and pop culture references throughout this record, and we get to know the man behind the moniker a whole lot more.
“I really wanna dance with J.Lo,” he sings during The Neptunes-esque Keep Up. Vibratory bottom end, flashes of funky Prince guitar – every sonic detail counts (think: Justin Timberlake’s Rock Your Body). Freak Out (ft. Briggs and Haiku Hands) interpolates iconic phrases – including Chic’s “Le freak c’est chic” – and teases The Message: “Don’t push me, ’cause I’m close to the…”
Featuring a striking guest hook from Minnesota-born hip-hop artist Pardyalone, Running Low drops the tempo to a casually head-bopping pace. “I was talking about being on the road, the pressure to create – but also the sacrifice of living away from community, of missing funerals and carrying that weight,” Danzal has revealed of this one.
Don’t be fooled by the laidback, reggae-tinged Lightning (ft. REDD), it’s a slow-burner: “Make your speakers jump (jump, jump, ja-ja, jump, jump, jump, jump)…”
“Wasn’t for the fame/ I just needed to survive/ Not a silent soldier/ My pigment is my pride” – written in the aftermath of 2023’s Indigenous Voice Referendum, Thick Skin channels punk spirit. During the sped-up section, Danzal’s technical virtuosity is shown off to perfection with some rapid-fire flow. His “Blak choir” – Emma Donovan, Thelma Plum, Kee’ahn and Jada Weazel – brings steadfast solidarity. “You can’t tear my thick skin” – Donovan’s powerful vocal performance, world-weary but indomitable, is right up there with her finest work.
The penultimate War Cry, featuring Jean Deaux’s shiny pop hook, closes out with a precious video-call snippet of Djandjay telling Danzal she loves him.
“I became a dragon from a caterpillar,” Danzal sings during the closing Mustard Yellow. With the release of Djandjay, Baker Boy’s metamorphosis from Fresh Prince of Arnhem Land to Global Hitmaking Superstar is complete.
LABEL: ISLAND RECORDS
RELEASE: 10 OCT
