Sampa the Great in 'Burn Gently'
Sampa the Great in 'Burn Gently'

Sampa the Great, Bliss n Eso, Barkaa and More Appear in First Trailer for Australian Hip Hop Documentary ‘Burn Gently’

The first trailer has arrived for Burn Gently, an upcoming independent documentary on the Australian hip hop scene described as “an exploration into the ins and outs of the Australian music industry, its growth, pressures, expectations and hardships, its success and failings.”

Directed by Sensible Antixx and produced by Hideaway Productions and N’fa Jones, the film’s first trailer features snippets of conversations with Sampa the Great, Bliss n Eso, Barkaa, DRMNGNOWMirrah, Urthboy, Drapht, Matt Okine, Ecca Vandal, Joelistics, 360, Thundamentals, Thundamentals‘ Jeswon, Suffa from Hilltop Hoods, DJ Peril (1200 Techniques) and more.

Burn Gently – Official Trailer

The film, which its creators say is half a decade in the making, is set to have its cinematic release on Thursday, 23rd March. In addition to those featured in the trailer, the documentary includes footage of Baker Boy, Genesis Owusu, L-FRESH the LION, Seth Sentry and many others.

Burn Gently puts a microscope on the history of how hip hop has been consumed in Australia, while also focusing on issues of racism, substance abuse, mental health, misogyny and violence. Antony Attridge of Sensible Antixx explained that he and co-director Kristina Hood felt “hip hop has always had to fight for its place in the [Australian] music scene.”

“We wanted to tell a story that championed the incredible careers and influence of the many artists, whilst demonstrating that an often-stigmatised genre is so much more than its common stereotypes,” Attridge said, per The Music. Hood said that the conversations they had with the artists featured in Burn Gently have been “nothing short of surreal.”

“There’s no denying hip hop has been rife with complexities in its short history within our country, however, these artists successfully continue to break glass ceilings on a global scale time and time again. We want to celebrate Aus hip hop as world-class music.”

Burn Gently will be touring cinemas across the country from March. For more information, follow the documentary’s Facebook page here.

Further Reading

2021, The Year That Indigenous Hip Hop Took Over

“The World’s Starting To Take Notice” – BLESSED on the Global Rise of Australian Hip Hop

Sampa The Great Soundtracks New ‘Black Panther’ Trailer

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