Rising Australian singer, songwriter and rapper Tasman Keith has signed with AWAL and Sony Music Publishing ahead of his debut album release, Billboard can exclusively reveal.
This Friday (Jan. 21), the First Nations talent drops “5 Ft Freestyle,” a homegrown hip-hop tune lifted from his debut full-length album of the same name.
Keith adopts a new character on his forthcoming music, which, he explains “is a part of a duality of personas which is built from my personal experiences, past, and current. It is an entirely new direction in my artistry which I am excited to reveal in due time.”
With his two new deals, Keith’s career appears ready to lift off. Last year, he contributed to the politically-charged song “First Nation,” which appeared on Midnight Oil’s No. 1 ARIA Album from 2020, The Makarrata Project. Keith also supported the legendary rock band on tour and, more recently, cut the collaborative track “One” with Kwame.
With each release, his story is building. Keith’s output has been lauded in the NME, Complex, Rolling Stone, VICE and beyond, and he’s appeared on a string of national TV networks.
At AWAL, Keith joins a domestic roster that includes Little Simz, Spacey Jane, and Genesis Owusu, one of the breakthrough artist stories of 2021. Sony Music Publishing is, of course, home to the catalogs of The Beatles, Beyoncé, Kevin Parker (Tame Impala) and many others.
“Having worked so successfully with Tasman and his management for a few years, the whole AWAL team is hugely excited to now be working on his new full-length record,” comments Ben Godding, senior marketing director of AWAL in Australia. “Tasman is a genuinely talented and special artist with infinite creative vision. It’s a great responsibility to help such an artist continue their upward trajectory and we truly believe there is no limit to what Tasman can achieve in partnership with AWAL.”
His comments are echoed by Damian Trotter, managing director of Sony Music Publishing Australia. “SMP Australia couldn’t be more proud and excited to be extending our relationship with Tasman Keith,” alongside his management team Melody Forghani, founder and director of 23 PR and management, and Mardi Caught, founder and director of marketing services business The Annex, he comments.
Over recent years, Tasman “has emerged as one of this country’s most powerful and uncompromising voices, whose lyrical assault and no holds barred live performances set him apart from his contemporaries,” Trotter enthuses, adding “we can’t wait to see what the next few years hold for this remarkable artist.”
Keith will road-test new material when he embarks on a mini-east coast tour of Australia this February and March.
