Melbourne’s African diaspora rap scene: Growing into hip-hop was understanding who I was as a person

“Hip-hop is from our people, African people, all of us. It’d be hard for me not to fall into what my people created... Growing into hip-hop I reckon was like me understanding who I was as a person” - Melbourne rapper Nelson told Guardian about the city's African diaspora rap scene. Its hotspot is 66 Records, a house to many with similar stories: Poni who fled civil war in Sudan via Uganda; Jordan “Lil Jaye” Yermian who bounced between Cameroon, France and Australia; Ater “BabyT” Mamer left Kenya for New Zealand as a baby before moving to Australia; Nelson was displaced by the Liberian civil war at just six months of age, BBG Smokey...