“I win or learn, I never lose,” spits Barkaa, aka proud Malyangapa, Barkindji woman Chloe Quayle, on “Preach”. A spirited cut from her second EP, its lyrics are indicative of the defiance, determination and pride that informs Big Tidda, a record on which Quayle celebrates her triumphs in the face of adversity, having overcome an ice (methamphetamine) addiction and jail time to emerge as one of Australia’s most acclaimed rappers. While 2021 predecessor Blak Matriarchy was informed by social and political issues, Big Tidda shifts its focus to more personal territory. “Blak Matriarchy for me is very cultural, very political, very radical. There are more cheeky songs on Big Tidda,” Quayle tells Apple Music. “And there are a lot more positive songs because I’ve come a long way since I put out Blak Matriarchy. I now have a really beautiful and amazing career. I have a beautiful team; my kids are flourishing. I wanted to enjoy happiness.” Named Big Tidda in tribute to her First Nations sisters, or tiddas (“I want it to be like, nobody can mess with them, you are who you are, and nobody can step to that”) the EP comes off the back of an 18-month period of writer’s block as Quayle battled issues in her personal life and problems within her team. “When I got rid of that outside energy and outside noise and the things that were holding me back, it naturally came back when I was in a good place,” she says. The EP is produced by jayteehazard and Nerve and features guest spots from First Nations artists such as Kobie Dee, Say True God? and MINTY. Here, Quayle talks Apple Music through the positivity of Big Tidda, track by track. “Preach” “Growing up as a First Nations female, and generally in this country, we suffer from tall poppy syndrome. And Blakfellas, that’s been a part of our fabric since colonisation. If you’re too proud or too confident you’ll get called a ‘big noter’ and told, ‘Don’t do that, ’cause that’s shame.’ Or your people will hold you back because they fear for you. It’s just unknown territory. I’ve been called a big noter in a negative connotation growing up. ‘Preach’ is like, I’m a proud big noter now. I wear the title with pride. Just loving myself unapologetically. That’s what ‘Preach’ is about—love yourself and fuck everybody that doesn’t love you.” “Big Mood” (feat. Kobie Dee) “It’s again a cocky, big notey track. If you play humble too much you get overlooked. ‘Big Mood’ is just knowing who you are. You are a big mood, you bring big vibes, you bring big energy to the room. It’s just a fun little flex song. We got Kobie last minute to do his verse, and I absolutely love it. To have him flexing as well and being cocky and being a big noter, it was really nice to have him on there.” “Boujee & Brown” (feat. Say True God?) “It’s a diss track. But it’s a whole diss. Whoever wants it can get it, pretty much! I started making a name for myself, and we get called the elitist Blacks or boujee, or the latte-sipping Blacks. Who gives a fuck? I love lattes! There’s a lot of people who say, ‘You lost your roots’, or ‘You lost who you are’, and it’s like, nah I didn’t, I found who I am. I was losing my soul when I was in the gutter and in the cracks of my addiction. The shit that I’ve been through, not many people can come back from. And I’m part of that two per cent of people who’ve given up ice and stayed clean and gotten out of prison. It’s taken me a lot to get where I am today, and I just wanted to bring out a song that was like, ‘You don’t get to tell me who I am when you haven’t walked where I have.’” “We Up” “I got rid of all the negative people before this EP. I’ve silenced all those voices. Even the line, ‘None of us front we’ve got many men’—like, if you’re not going to do that for me I’ll find someone else who can. If you’re not going to give me what I deserve then somebody else is. Telling myself and telling my sisters, don’t settle for less. You deserve all the great things. You don’t have to minimise your standards or mould yourself into a person for people to love. Just be who are you. ‘We Up’ is another big noting song. We’re not taking shit.” “Alinta” “My daughter is sampled at the start. It was at the [Sydney] Opera House. They had this Blakfella event on, and she got to perform with me, and it was beautiful. It’s very personal. It’s for her. I really wanted to put into words how sorry I am for what I put her through and tell her where I was at as a young mother. I was a baby when I had my daughter, I was so young. I thought I knew everything, but I realised how young and naïve I was. She’s really helped me grow. I wouldn’t be the woman I am without her. Now I’m out making something of myself and showing my kids they can be whatever they want to be. She’s really proud of me now. I’m blessed to have her.” “Fruition” (feat. MINTY) “It feels very different to what I usually write. I wrote that in my backyard in the morning, and I never write in the daytime. I’m usually writing at 3am. The sun was shining. I really wanted to make a joyous song, paying homage to who I was and to everything I am now. I have a pretty big platform now in this country, and brother Nooky always said, ‘Put your hand back and help your Mob who don’t have a platform.’ MINTY is this hidden talent in our country. He’s so talented, so I really wanted to give an up-and-coming artist, one of our brothers, a hand up.” “T.I.D.D.A Freestyle” “I wrote that track when I was feeling like, I’ve done all this stuff and people still aren’t showing me the respect I deserve. I wanted to solidify that I’m not just here ’cause I’m a Black female rapper, I’m here ’cause I can go bar for bar with all of you and rip it up. It’s cocky, but you’ve gotta be.”
