Eight years after his first appearance in triple j’s Like a Version studio, thatboykwame has returned with a fresh take on one of Australia’s biggest global hits.
The Ghanian-Australian artist took on Tones and I’s chart-conquering “Dance Monkey” – reworking it into an insightful exploration of Black identity in modern Australia, per triple j.
Rather than replicating the infectious pop energy that helped propel the original song to international success, his version layers sharp lyricism and soulful production over themes of race, representation, and belonging, offering a perspective rarely heard in mainstream Australian music.
“I honestly, genuinely resonate with the lyrics,” thatboykwame said. “Toni speaks from a place of feeling controlled, feeling used – I feel like that’s something that I have been dealing with all my career as an artist.
“So to be able to draw a deeper parallel from a historic standpoint of just the way in which Black people have been dehumanised, controlled and expected to perform based on how we’re seen was something that I was really drawn to.”
The performance marked his welcome return to Like a Version, after first appearing on the segment in 2018 under the name Kwame, where he performed a memorable cover of Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright”.
Check out his cover of “Dance Monkey” below.
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian/New Zealand music and globally.
Thatboykwame paired his cover with a performance of his latest single, “LET ME BE!”, continuing a prolific run of releases that has seen him further refine his blend of hip-hop, R&B, soul, and alternative sounds.
