Nathan Bird, known professionally as Birdz, is an Australian rapper, songwriter, and

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

. As of 2021, he has released one studio album and two

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

s. His second studio album, ''Legacy'', was released on 19 November 2021. A prominent activist, Birdz describes his music as a "declaration of survival".

Early life

Nathan Bird is a Butchulla man who grew up in Katherine, Northern Territory and describes himself as "a proud Murri man with Badtjala, Juru, Scottish and Melanesian heritage." In 2019, Bird said "I remember staying up late on the weekends just so that I could catch '' Rage'' play the standard half an hour of rap videos, before their programming would return to whatever was popular on the Australian charts at the time. Seeing artists like

Ice Cube An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be produc ...

speak out against police brutality and racism on "

Fuck tha Police "Fuck tha Police" is a protest song by American hip hop group N.W.A that appears on the 1988 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' as well as on the ''N.W.A's Greatest Hits'' compilation. The lyrics protest police brutality and racial profilin ...

" is still one of the coolest things I've ever witnessed. It reminded me of my father and how his confidence would never break stride, no matter where he was or who he was with. Since that day, my passion for hip-hop has never wavered."

Career

Birdz released "Red Black and Yellow" in June 2013 which is inspired by experiences as a young Aboriginal man residing in

Brisbane, Queensland Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

. The song paints a vivid picture of the everyday challenges black Australia continues to endure. Birdz released his debut EP ''Birdz Eye View'' in September 2013. In February 2015, Birdz told ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' "I'm a full-time rapper and part-time support worker for Link-Up Victoria, currently residing in Melbourne." Birdz released his debut studio album ''Train of Thought'' in August 2017. At the

Music Victoria Awards of 2017 The Music Victoria Awards of 2017 are the 12th Annual Music Victoria Awards and consist of a series of awards, presented on 22 November 2017. For the first time this year, the Best Regional Venue award was separated into of over and under 50 gigs ...

, the album was nominated for Best Hip Hop Album, while it won Best Independent Hip Hop Album at the

AIR Awards of 2018 The AIR Awards of 2018 is the twelfth annual Australian Independent Record Labels Association Music Awards (generally known as the AIR Awards) and was an award ceremony at Queen's Theatre Adelaide, Australia on Thursday 26 July 2017. In 2018, ...

. On 1 October 2021, Birdz released "Legacy Part 2", a collaboration with

Missy Higgins Melissa Morrison Higgins (born 19 August 1983), known professionally as Missy Higgins, is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. Her Australian number-one albums are ''The Sound of White'' (2004), ''On a Clear Night'' (2007) and ''The Ol ...

and announced his second album ''Legacy'' will be released in November 2021.

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles

As lead artist

Awards and nominations

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (known colloquially as the

AIR Awards The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. History The inaugural 2006 awards were held at ...

) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. ! , - ! scope="row",

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

, ''Train of Thought , Best Independent Hip Hop Album , ,

Music Victoria Awards

The

Music Victoria Awards The Music Victoria Awards (previously known as The Age EG Awards and The Age Music Victoria Awards) are an annual awards night celebrating music from the Australian state of Victoria. They commenced in 2006 and are awarded in Melbourne Music W ...

, are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2005. ! , - , rowspan="2",

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

, Birdz , Best Aboriginal Act , , rowspan="3", , - , ''Train of Thought'' , Best Hip Hop Album , , - , rowspan="1",

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

, Birdz , Best Hip Hop Act ,

National Indigenous Music Awards

The

National Indigenous Music Awards The National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA), also known as the NT Indigenous Music Awards from 2004 to 2008, are music awards presented to recognise excellence, innovation and leadership among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians in ...

recognise excellence, innovation and leadership among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians from throughout Australia. They commenced in 2004. ! , - ! scope="row" rowspan="2",

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

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2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

, ''Legacy'' , Album of the Year , , , -

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Birdz 1990s births Bad Apples Music artists Australian male rappers Living people Year of birth uncertain