Gomeroi rapper Kobie Dee, proudly based in South Sydney’s Maroubra Bidjigal Land, releases his highly anticipated EP, Chapter 26 out now via Bad Apples Music. Alongside the release, Kobie announces his forthcoming national tour, set to ignite stages in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle, Fremantle, Hobart and Moree across September and October.
Across eight tracks, Chapter 26 captures the contrasting realities of Kobie’s current life stage through a stream of stories that are all at once vulnerable and visceral. First and foremost values-based, Chapter 26 invites fans to sit alongside Kobie as he reflects and raps through the growth, the pain points and success at this moment in his life. The heart-aching urgency in ballads like “Statistic” and “Father’s Eyes”, speaking to the pain in Kobie’s early life, gives the triumph of the EP’s closing tracks “Warriors and Storytellers” and “Reflection Freestyle”, all the more gravity.
From young man to fatherhood, rapper to artist and role model to leader, Kobie navigates vulnerability and strength, to beat self-doubt and find confidence – each day building a stronger vision and legacy. Executive producer, Jayteehazard lays down organic and 90s-ready beats across hooks from various special guests including Oddisee, Stan Walker, Miss Kaninna, and Zia Jade for Kobie to tell his story, hoping to leave lessons and clues for the next generation to stand tall in their own shoes.
Kobie says on the EP:
“Chapter 26 is a journey through my life, from being a young Blak man in Australia, to becoming a father and navigating fatherhood from a place of having an absent father myself. To then meeting my fiance and having my second child, starting to grow my family, then navigating my way through my career at this point in time and being conscious of the time that I have right now and how I’m going to use it.
All of the stories I share can be traced right back to my area [Bidjigal Land in South East Sydney], a place that holds some of my biggest lessons and some of my best memories. I want listeners to be educated on the subjects I’m talking about and to start discussions. I want people to feel inspired and motivated to overcome any situation they face in life at whatever chapter they’re in.”
Kobie will be taking the record to audiences across the country later this year, touching down in Naarm/Melbourne on Saturday 7 September at The Curtin, before heading to Meanjin/Brisbane’s Black Bear Lodge on Friday 13 September, The Chippo Hotel in Gadigal/Sydney on Friday 20 September, Mulubinba/Newcastle’s New Annual on Friday 27 September and Mojo’s in Walyalup/Fremantle on Saturday 28 September. To close out an already impressive run, the rapper will be performing alongside Miss Kaninna at Lutruwita/Hobart’s Altar on Friday 18 October, before heading to Gomeroi/Moree Block Party on Thursday 24 October. Kobie will be also announcing a Northern Territory tour to kick off this August, more details to come soon!
Chapter 26 arrives off-the-back-of Kobie’s most recent single “Warriors & Storytellers”, a celebratory nod of recognition to both personal and professional achievements in his life. On release, the track was awarded rage’s Feature Video, followed by a powerful sync for AFL and NRL’s Indigenous Round that generated so much buzz the track reached #30 on the Shazam Charts, alongside a triple j addition that saw “Warriors & Storytellers” achieve #22 Most Played on the station.
