YOU won’t hear from Corey Webster unless what he has to say is coming from the heart.
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It’s that mindset that took him from a young Nowra boy scratching out rap lyrics, to a national award-winning hip-hop artist.
Nowra-born, but now Sydney-based Yuin Nation hip hop artist Webster, who is known professionally as Nooky, will be presented the Australia Council’s Dreaming Award at the ninth National Indigenous Arts Awards on Friday, at the Sydney Opera House.
He will use the prize money and mentorships from the award to create an album.
“I’m so pumped,” he said.
“I can do so much with this and it’s not just for me. My music’s never been just for me, it’s about my people, it’s about my community, it’s about Nowra.
“Paying respects to them, giving back to them. I wouldn’t have this voice if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be able to tell these stories.
“It’s always been about them, it’s always ever gonna be about them. I want to put those kids on an album cover they can show their kids and grandkids,” he said.
The National Indigenous Arts Awards were established by the Australia Council’s former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board, consisting of leading Indigenous artists, curators and arts managers, to recognise the outstanding work and achievements of their fellow artists.
The awards are decided by a national panel of Indigenous arts peers from each state and territory, including the Torres Strait.
Webster is no stranger to the national and even international stage. He has made a number of notable impacts on the hip-hop scene including recording in Los Angeles with Taboo from the The Black-Eyed Peas and performing at the Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony in 2008.
“Working with Taboo came about when I was doing a music program at Redfern Community Centre in 2009,” he said.
“I had a lot of fire. Nomad Two Worlds were working with Taboo and introduced us and I ended up going to LA to record with him in 2010.
“I’d never experienced anything like that before, I didn’t think I could. I was in the recording booth at his home thinking, ‘Maybe I could do something with this’.
“It got lots of media attention and lots of the kids in Nowra saw the stories and were blown away. I’m grateful for the experience, for sure.”
Webster has never forgotten where he comes from and continues to work with local youth from Nowra High School and the South Coast in general.
“I’m working with young kids all the time. I’ve got young kids from Nowra reaching out to me. I offer my guidance a lot,” he said.
“To receive this award from the Australia Council, and to be a hip-hop artist is a big boost in my confidence, “Hip-hop was stigmatised for a long time, but we’re being taken seriously now.
“Nowra’s with me every where I go. Every stage I step on I take Nowra with me. I love it.
“Growing up in Nowra and the experiences good and bad helped make me who I am,” he said.
Webster is currently working on an EP and has a record deal with Bad Apples Music. He expects his EP to be out later this year.
First presented in 2012, The Dreaming Award supports an inspirational young Indigenous artist aged 18 to 26 years to create a major body of work through mentoring and partnerships, either nationally or internationally.
The recipient is mentored in their chosen discipline by another established professional artist or by an arts institution nominated by the artist. The recipient receives $20,000 to support their mentorship work.