As we reach an undeniable tipping point, DRMNGNOW demarcates a clear line between the right and wrong sides of history.

Distilling the general rhetoric of 2020 into a 3 minute track is no mean feat, but it’s a feat that DRMNGNOW has pulled off and then some.

A proud Yorta Yorta artist whose unique fusion of hip hop and electronic elements has made waves across the nation, DRMNGNOW’s self-described “grassroots ethic and big picture vision” guides him as he articulately and uncompromisingly explores decolonial content.

His latest release, ‘Never Defeated’, is a collaboration with local producer Dizz1 (Aloe Blacc, Roots Manuva, Georgia Ann Muldrow) that sees DRMNGNOW pivot away from his recent trap-heavy productions, into a more synth & bass-led mode that evokes comparisons to the some of the hip hop greats like Pharoahe Monch, Dead Prez, The Roots and Dr Dre.

Excellent musicianship aside, DRMNGNOW’s greatest artistic strength is the way he reckons with his subject matter. As so-called Australia faces its complicity in the deaths of hundreds of First Nations people at the hands of police and correctional services, DRMNGNOW reminds us that when it comes to working against the forces of colonisation, we are merely at the tip of the iceberg.

Of the track, DRMNGNOW says:

“‘Never Defeated’ is a vehement call to stand against these injustices as a long term strategy, and a way of life. Not just a moment or a Black tile on social media. It is a call [to remind people that] regardless of the Colonial impacts, that First Nations peoples will continue resisting Colonial regimes in honour of Ancestors of the past and future Ancestors.”

Capturing a moment but also its context, there’s a takeaway in ‘Never Defeated’ for all. For First Nations people, it’s a celebration of sheer strength. For everyone else, it’s a call to square up.

Stream and purchase ‘Never Defeated’ by DRMNGNOW below.