Rising Melbourne Rapper Brazen Barbie Finds Her Voice

Photo: Casey Horsfield

Brazen Barbie is part of an exciting new gen of rappers appearing as part of The Makers Series for Sydney Fringe. In partnership with Maker’s Mark, the Kenyan Australian MC talks moving from Perth to Melbourne to make her mark in the local hip-hop scene.

Jehmeela Dalton had spent her whole life in Perth. But by age 19, she felt like a big fish in the city’s small-rap-scene pond. So, midway through 2024, she relocated to Melbourne to capitalise on her budding career as Brazen Barbie. The cross-country move has not only put her much closer to other capital cities – including Sydney, where she’s about to make her debut as part of the Makers Series, presented by Maker’s Mark in collaboration with Sydney Fringe – but also immersed her in a tight-knit creative community that values emerging voices.

“It’s still fresh,” she says. “The biggest change in my career was moving to Melbourne. It’s a lot more laid-back in Perth, and it’s very isolated so no one really knows about it. I feel like I had to come here to progress.”

Dalton didn’t wait around too long before making the change. Still a teenager, she’s only been seriously pursuing her work as Brazen Barbie for two and a half years. But in that short time, she’s dropped a cluster of memorable solo tracks and collabs, with her 2023 single Deserve It climbing toward 200,000 streams on Spotify.

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Her latest release, Don’t Talk, is a slick diss track that’s true to her stage name. “When I was in school, a lot of people called me brutally honest,” says Dalton, explaining the first half of her moniker. “And the Barbie part came from when my mum used to do photo shoots with me when I was young. She would say ‘Black Barbie’. So I just put them together.”

Growing up with her Kenyan mother and Australian father, Dalton’s musical entry point was fairly traditional. “I did choirs a lot and I played the cello,” she says, “so I was always just doing music. But I listened to rap more than I listened to singing. I didn’t really take it seriously until I was almost 17. That’s when I started putting more behind it.”

She began by producing her own material, and although recent singles have seen her working with producer Mixed by Daniel, Dalton remains self-funded and unsigned. This year she’s part of the Acclaim All-Stars, a showcase of the country’s best emerging hip-hop and R’n’B artists, as chosen by an industry panel and popular vote. It’s an initiative of Australian hip-hop and R&B bible Acclaim magazine, which has also curated the September 28 Voices From the Fringe showcase for Sydney Fringe and Maker’s Mark.

Following her Fringe appearance, Dalton will perform at Promiseland festival on the Gold Coast, alongside a stacked three-day line-up that includes Busta Rhymes, Jorja Smith, Stan Walker and Metro Boomin. It’s a far cry from her days coming up in Perth.

Given her age and her impressive delivery, she’s the kind of young star who’s bound to be labelled as talented beyond her years. But talent can only take someone so far without ambition and a strong work ethic. As she puts together tracks for her debut EP, Dalton’s making damn sure that every one of them counts.

“If you don’t believe in yourself, nobody else is going to. When I put something out, I want to be excited about it. I want to be proud of it. Australia doesn’t have as much light shone on it as the UK or America, which is even more reason to put things out at the highest quality. Also, you never know who’s watching.”

Catch Brazen Barbie at Machine Hall on September 28 for Voices From the Fringe, presented by Maker’s Mark in partnership with Sydney Fringe Festival. Tickets on sale now.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Maker’s Mark.

Produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Maker's Mark

Produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Maker's Mark
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