Bukkcity
Bukkcity aka Andre Knight.
Born in Canberra, Australia. Raised in Irvington, New Jersey, USA. Permanently residing in Melbourne, Australia.
While hip-hop so often obsesses over representing your hometown, Bukkcity would rather hold it down for all three. While other emcees do their best to fit the moulds set by those that went before them, Bukkcity would rather carve his own niche by relating unique experiences that have – quite literally – brought him half way around the world and back again.
Born in Australia’s national capital to an African American father and a South African mother, Bukk’s family uprooted to New Jersey, as a baby where he faced a childhood far less sheltered than the one that had been promised to him in Canberra. After his father departed and the family moved several more times, a story not so unfamiliar, like most kids he struggled being the only young male in the household with his single parent mother and two sisters, a responsibility that was thrust upon him well before he could call himself a man. In a place of ubiquitous violence, drugs and more violence, Bukkcity found himself a teenager with a talent for two things – finding trouble and making music.
After twenty-one years, Bukk found saving grace when he moved back to Australia. While he didn’t quite know it at the time, the move allowed him to move on from a troubled past and to focus on his life and music. Boasting a newfound perspective, Bukk recounts some of his experiences from a view that only a change of environment and a good dose of reflection could bring. Bukk recalls that when he arrived in Melbourne five years ago, he quickly discovered that the local hip-hop scene in Australia was very different both lyrically and in content from his cultural hip-hop upbringing in America. Bukkcity admits that on moving back he felt an instant segregation in the local hip-hop scene, he noticed immediately the dominance of white rappers compared to the small presence of indigenous and black rappers. Bukk says, “It wasn’t the black-white issue that bothered me, it was more about the lack of lyrical acceptance and respect people had back then for different cultural backgrounds, each other’s life story and opinions. It was like they didn’t want to acknowledge my lyrical contribution to the scene, you had to either conform to the Oz Hip-Hop Style or your individual story or opinion was lost, especially mine, I’m a black Afro-American who grew up in the US and naturally spoke with an American accent. It was a real issue for the local hip-hop scene and still is to a degree, it was a weird feeling being ostracized for ’being me’ in hip-hop. I do think things have changed a little over the last couple of years, everyone seems to be more relaxed and receptive and more willing to hear your story and give you a go, so the attitude is changing and becoming more to what I grew up with for hip hop. The great thing is that at the time, I slowly became accepted by a lot of listeners from other musical genres, which is why this release has different musical influences in the production”
With his debut Mini-Album around the corner, Bukkcity has already begun winning over Australian audiences with an infectious 0nstage presence and a unique lyrical storytelling style to match it with the best of them. His first mixtape release, The 1st & 15th, put him on the local radar with its combination of brazen, sometimes-venomous battle raps and moments of quiet introspection. His second release, Underbelly: The Mixtape, a cleverly amusing download, which generated ill-informed controversy for its presumed glorification of gangland activities, was widely lauded by critics and listeners both inside and outside the hip-hop scene.
And now, ‘Same Place’ Bukkcity’s official 2009 debut release which sonically fuses and experiments with a few new musical influences in the sound and vocal production. Bukk’s debut Single “Nobody Wanted This” is the perfect introduction to the release; the artist begins by challenging his view on victims of war. The debut single enables any listener, especially a non hip-hop listener to cross over and appreciate the genuine perspective and sincerity of the message. The Bukkcity Mini-Album is not a hard-core hip-hop release, its not an oz hip-hop release, its hip-hop and not about an American rapper who has come here to show-up the local scene with his American culture, it’s about an artist called Bukkcity whose real name is Andre Knight, and he has recorded some of his life experiences, opinions and some social topics on seven well sorted instrumentals, that’s all, it’s just music… great music… enjoy!
ACHIEVEMENTS:
2009
Rage TV ABC “Clip Of The Week” song: Nobody Wanted This
Radar Radio – #1 Radar Song of the month “May 2009″ song: Nobody Wanted This
PREVIOUS RELEASES:
April 2008: UNDERbelly The Mixtape 8,800 + downloads to date
Mar 2008: UNDA K9 presents Sampler Giveaway through Footlocker Stores Song: Days Gone By
Oct 2007: 1st & 15th The Mixtape 11,000 + downloads
AWARDS:
2008: MusicOz Winner “Best Urban Artist” Bukkcity
2008: MusicOz Winner “Best Urban Song” Bukkcity: Nobody Wanted This.
2007: MusicOz Winner “Best Urban Song” Bukkcity: Days Gone By.
2006: Nokia Winner ” Best Urban Artist & Song” Bukkcity Days have Gone.
PREVIOUS TOURS & APPEARANCES:
YEAR – 2009
TECH N9NE 14 September, Perth, Capital (900)
TECH N9NE 15 September, Adelaide, The Gov (All Ages -700)
TECH N9NE 16 September, Brisbane, The Zoo (500)
TECH N9NE 17 September, Sydney, The Forum (All ages – 1,100)
TECH N9NE 18 September, Melbourne, Prince Of Wales (900)
JINDABYNE 5 August, The Station (1,500) Jindabyne, supporting The Herd and Koolism.
JINDABYNE 29 July – The Station (1,500) Jindabyne – supporting Drapft and Downsyde
BEMAC YOUTH CONCERT 20 February, Suncorp Plaza, Brisbane Southbank
REVERB TOUR 13 March, Empire Hotel, Kings Cross
REVERB TOUR 14 March, Woodport Inn, Central Coast
REVERB TOUR 15 March, Waves, Wollongong
REVERB TOUR 27 March, Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
REVERB TOUR 28 March, Sawtell RSL, Coffs Harbour
REVERB TOUR 29 March, Post Office, Grafton
REVERB TOUR 1 April, ANU Bar, Canberra
REVERB TOUR 3 April, The Globe, Brisbane
REVERB TOUR 4 April, Shark Bar Miami Gold Coast
REVERB TOUR 11 April, Lakeview Hotel, Meriumbula
REVERB TOUR 18 April, National Hotel, Geelong
REVERB TOUR 19 April, Charlies Hotel, Bairnsdale
AUSTRALIA DAY 26 Jan 2009, Parramatta Council, Stomping Grounds Stage
ROCKARAMA FESTIVAL 25 Jan, Peaches & Cream Stage Victoria
BEMAC (6 Weeks) Queensland Government Concert Music Workshops for Tongan And Somalian Youths
YEAR – 2008
PEATS RIDGE FESTIVAL 26 Dec, Under World Tent
MUSICOZ AWARDS MTV December Performance
RESONATE October, Headline for Newcastle Music Week
NEWCASTLE MUSIC WEEK October, Workshops
DJ RECTANGLE August Support Act
PARIS (GUERILLA FUNK NATIONAL TOUR) August, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.
SNOB SCRILLA March – Double Headline Show
TURN STYLE PUPPETS March – Support Act Album Launch
YEAR- 2007
ICE CUBE July, 2 shows Sydney and Melbourne
BUTTERFINGERS September, 3 x shows Sydney, Melbourne and Geelong
BLUE JUICE August, 2 x shows Sydney and Melbourne
FEDERATION SQUARE January, Youth Concert
MIX IT UP January, February, March and April. Monthly Hip Hop Showcase Shows
HEAVYWEIGHT TV July Launch Party Melbourne
BLACKTOWN YOUTH FESTIVAL June Blacktown Youth Center
RESIDENCY at THE EVELYN, February Residency every Monday for one month
