JESSWAR debut EP TROPIXX - out now

JESSWAR RELEASES DEBUT EP TROPIXX + SHARES ‘XXL’ VIDEO PRODUCED IN COLLABORATION WITH HOUSE OF SLÉ

Photo credit: James Hornsby & Georgia Wallace
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PRAISE FOR JESSWAR

“If raw, unapologetic ambition is a quality that’s been largely, necessarily absent in this ever-changing, plan-ruining dumpster fire of a year, then ‘Venom’ – the latest from Fijian rapper Jesswar – lands as an invigoratingly ferocious call to take what’s rightfully yours.” – DIY Mag

“a stunning single and video that sees the rising star laying down sick bars while backed up by a literal army of Pasifika women” – Billboard

“Jesswar likes to take her time when it comes to releasing songs, but when she does drop, the wait always seems to have been worth it.” – PAPER

“[A] force to be reckoned with” –Pilerats

Jesswar, a proud Fijian rapper who currently creates on Yugambeh/Kombumerri land, releases her new debut EP TROPIXX on Inertia Music / [PIAS] Recordings. On her debut EP, Jesswar says, “I made something that was for myself and the phenomenal Black, Brown and Indigenous women in my life. They constantly teach me to stand tall and be as loud as I want and I look up to them.”

From fracturing traditional notions of power with ‘Venom’ to a communal call-to-arms in ‘Medusa’, the TROPIXX EP is a true encapsulation of everything that Jesswar stands for. “Making this project wasn’t pretty and perfect, it was dark, relentless and ambitious. Waking up every day watching how women of colour are constantly overlooked in the music industry really pissed me off.”

Jesswar goes on to say, “That is why it’s important for me to work with my community because I realised what I’m doing is bigger than just myself. There needs to be room for all of us and If I can share the wins maybe we won’t be overlooked.”

Rounding out a trifecta of stunning visuals to accompany the singles lifted from TROPIXX, Jesswar teamed up with Western Sydney based artist collective House of Slé for the ‘XXL’ video. Filmed at Phoenix Central Park, choreographed by Bhenji Ra and directed by Natasha Foster at Entropico, Jesswar again uses her platform to celebrate female power and community. Explaining the shoot, Foster commented “I am so excited to have had the opportunity to execute this video at such a special venue like Phoenix. We also had our talented Choreographer, Bhenji Ra hanging upside down and dancing to push the perspective of the space even more” she continues “I was keen to add a graceful, elegant edge to the clip and we did this with long, rotating steadicam takes. Together with the grungy lighting, Jesswar’s epic rap and the House of Sle’s moves, this collaboration became a juxtaposition of worlds that came together to make this beautiful clip come to life.”

Jesswar commented “When someone asked me why did I name this song XXL, I was just like, it’s BIG. The track started off as a 1 minute verse I was gonna upload to insta, but then I just kept going !! We weren’t even planning on doing a vid for this track but Phoenix Central Park gave me an opportunity to collaborate in a different way with my sissys in the House of Slé. We took inspo from Janet Jackson – Rock with U, big baby pink power suits, big moves. The space itself matched the eerie nature of the track. XXL is big, this video is a statement that our community gets bigger, more acknowledged, together.”

Jesswar’s ruthless refusal of prescribed definitions is the foundation on which she builds her universe. Deeply inspired by her chosen community and her experiences she uses music as the vessel to tell her story. Her pride reflects on her resilience and resourcefulness and defends the notions of holistic interdependency and kinship. Jesswar has been supported by the likes of triple j, Billboard, PAPER, Refinery29, Mixmag and received praise from heavyweights such as Ebro Darden and Travis Mills. She has performed at Laneway, Splendour in the Grass and Groovin the Moo, and collaborated with the likes of DZ Deathrays, Miiesha, Tasha the Amazon & Briggs.

The first member of her family to attend University, Jess is a peer support worker and runs music workshops for young people in the outer suburbs of Meanjin.

TROPIXX by Jesswar is out now
Listen now: https://ffm.to/jesswar_tropixx