If a debut album is meant to be a statement of intent, Kill the Dead, by Blak music collective 3%, is a rallying call to attention. The group was born in 2022, after initial collaboration sessions between MCs Nooky and Dallas Woods became a full-blown project featuring a third player in singer-songwriter Angus Field.
Their first single, the powerful “Our People”, was quick to capture the attention of audiences: a smart use of The Presets club classic, fused with a passionate delivery of lyrics and insights into the struggles of First Nations people in this country. As a taster of what a full studio project could sound like from 3%, the immediacy of the message and the diversity in sound was clear.
Although covering weighty themes of reclamation, Indigenous deaths in custody and closing the gap, Kill the Dead is more than an album that is built on songs and stories of protest. It’s also a beautifully celebratory moment for Blak musicians and artists. The arrival of this album is poignant, as the Australian music space is being flooded with the talents of a new generation of Blak excellence.
Featuring dynamic collaborative moments with artists including Jessica Mauboy on album highlight “Won’t Stop”, Tia Gostelow on “Sleezy Steezy”, and Marlon Motlop on album opener “Black Australia Policy”, the sonic palette of Kill the Dead is ambitious and unafraid to lean into vulnerability and beauty, as it is content to flex within the visceral rap energy fans may associate with an artist like Nooky.
The spirit that weaves throughout this album is natural; the chemistry between the members of 3% striking for a group that has only been together a short period of time. Timing is everything, and the connection between these artists feels perfectly aligned — this is music that has never been more relevant, or needed.
Stream: 3%, Kill the Dead
This review features in the June-August 2024 issue of Rolling Stone AU/NZ. If you’re eager to get your hands on it, then now is the time to sign up for a subscription.
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