At a fresh-faced 17, Baro isn’t actually old enough to order a beer from the bar he’s performing in. But the Melbourne rapper’s age is an easy detail to overlook when faced with his penchant for restrained jazzy beats and his disgustingly assured flow. (Me? I invested my teenage energies chiefly into Nintendo 64 and making awkward small talk with girls, so take Baro’s advice and not mine.)
Sit down, and listen up – class is in session.
Melburnians can catch Baro playing The Toff in Town with Lucianblomkamp on Wednesday September 24.
How do you play a venue if you’re not old enough to get into the venue?
This is a fucking tricky one. It never used to be a problem last year when my friend Marcus was playing shows and I was associated in the act, but now since I’ve been doing my own shows security are extra pricks with letting me in. It’s usually a major hassle to get in, but I smile and smooth talk, and always play my shows in the end. Some places it’s less of a hassle than others. That’s me on the poster, man.
On juggling school and music
This is not a problem for me. I never really liked school. It was always music, some other shit, some other shit, some other shit, school. It’s all about priorities. Know what you want in the short term and that’ll figure out your long term. Don’t plan too long ahead – you can’t have plan A and B, and plan B is slowing you down to achieve plan A. Put your all into one thing. [Laughs.] I sound so shit right now.
What happens when a teacher or another student hears your song on the radio, or sees you in a magazine? Do they tell you, or act differently towards you somehow?
Teachers give me daps as soon as some cool shit happens. Most teachers and students hated me and thought I was a fuck-up and sort of ridiculed me musically ‘cause I was never really engaged in the work. I have never really been one to do what someone says just because of who they were, but now it’s kind of like they realised I have some potential. But yeah, it’s cool. One of the principals at the school told me they wanted me on the front cover of the school magazine or some shit recently. I turned that shit down.
How do you help make sure your parents are cool with the idea of a career in music?
My mother is kind of conservative, and my dad is too but in his own ways. They were always iffy with me not focusing much on school and tried to push me to do better, which I have always understood, but never listened to much. It’s just a matter of trust and not fucking up. Some people may not be cool with something but if you feel happy doing something and feel like you can do something with it, don’t listen to anybody.
What can you do to help your school be supportive of your music, and of music in school generally?
Go to them and tell them what your doing. Show them evidence. If school is weighing you down to do something you want to do in the long run, ask them if you can cut some subjects or something, focus on music and pray that it works out. Try to do as many subjects as you can though – you don’t wanna still be there when you’re 22. It’s better if they understand why you are handing shit in late or not at all. Wow, was any of that even helpful?