Remi (band)
Remi (stylised in all caps) were an Australian hip hop duo consisting of rapper Remi Kolawole and producer Justin "Sensible J" Smith.[1] Originally a trio, which included producer-engineer Daniel "Dutch" Siwes, the group released four full-length albums as well as two mix-tapes and four extended plays (EPs). Their 2014 release Raw x Infinity garnered critical acclaim, winning the Australian Music Prize, while their third album Divas & Demons (2016)—their first as a duo—was nominated for the 2017 ARIA Award for Best Urban Album. The act's final album, Fried (May 2021), coincided with the dissolution of Remi as a duo.
Remi | |
|---|---|
Remi Kolawole in December 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Genres | Australian hip hop |
| Years active | 2011–2021 |
| Labels |
|
| Past members |
|
| Website | remikolawole |
History
Remi were formed in Melbourne as a three-piece by Aderemi "Remi" Matthew Kolawole on lead vocals, Daniel James "Dutch" Siwes on co-production and engineering and Justin Scott "Sensible J" Smith on drums and production.[2][3][4] Kolawole was born in Canberra to a Tasmanian mother and Nigerian father.[5] He took classical piano lessons while growing up and started rapping on a dare from a friend.[5] Siwes and Smith were neighbours and jammed in various bands in the late 1990s.[5] The pair mentored Kolawole early in his solo career.[5]
The trio's first recordings appeared in 2011, "Apollo 13" and "Ape", as free downloads through Kolawole's Bandcamp page.[6] "Ape" was also the lead single from Remi's first album, Regular People Shit, which was self-released via House of Beige in 2012.[7] "Ape" received high rotation on national youth radio station, Triple J. Remi's 2013 singles, "Sangria" and "Saggin" from the trio's mix-tape F.Y.G. Act 1, also gained consistent radio airplay,[8] contributing to Remi winning that year's Triple J Unearthed Artist of the Year award.[9]
The trio's second album, Raw x Infinity, was released in June 2014 to critical acclaim. Backed by the singles "Livin" and "Tyson"—the latter a boastful nod to boxer Mike Tyson—the release was nominated for Australian Album of the Year in the J Awards of 2014.[10] In March 2015, Remi were awarded the coveted $30,000 Australian Music Prize for Raw x Infinity, adding to the record's growing list of accolades.[11][12]
Slimming to a duo in 2016, Kolawole and Smith released Divas & Demons, Remi's third album, which peaked in the top 10 of the ARIA Charts.[13] The following year, the record was nominated for the 2017 ARIA Award for Best Urban Album.[14][15]
The duo's final album, Fried, was released in May 2021 after being postponed for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.[16] The pair also announced their split during the week of the album's release.[14][17]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [18] | ||
| Regular People Shit |
| – |
| Raw x Infinity | 29 | |
| Divas & Demons | 10 | |
| Fried |
| – |
Extended plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Childish (as Remi 'Remi.' Kolawole) |
|
| Five Beats I Love (as Remi 'Remi.' Kolawole) |
|
| Black Hole Sun (with Raiza Biza) |
|
| Live at the Secret Creek |
|
Mixtapes
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| F.Y.G. Act:1 |
|
| Call It What You Want (F.Y.G. Act:2) |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Ape" | 2011 | Regular People Shit |
| "Rock Ish Remix" | 2012 | Non-album single |
| "Sangria" | 2013 | F.Y.G. Act:1 |
| "Saggin" | ||
| "Livin" | 2014 | Raw x Infinity |
| "Tyson" | ||
| "XTC Party" | ||
| "Ode to Ignorance" | 2015 | |
| "For Good" (featuring Sampa the Great) | 2016 | Divas & Demons |
| "Substance Therapy" | ||
| "Lose Sleep" (featuring Jordan Rakei) | ||
| "My People" (featuring Thando) | 2018 | Non-album single |
| "Runner" (with Raiza Biza featuring Baro) | Black Hole Sun | |
| "5 A.M." (featuring Whosane) | 2019 | Fried |
| "Brain" (featuring Lori) | ||
| "Elevate" | 2020 | |
| "Get It Right" (featuring Jace XL) | ||
| "Left a Note (No Master)" | 2021 | Non-album single |
Music videos
| Title | Year | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Ape" | 2012 | Ollie Cole[19] |
| "Sangria" | 2013 | Jarvis Hunder and Michelle Grace Hunder[20][21] |
| "Saggin" | ||
| "Livin" | 2014 | Michelle Grace Hunder[22] |
| "Tyson" | Nic McRobbie[23] | |
| "XTC Party" | Remi Kolawole and Bé Price[24] | |
| "Ode to Ignorance" | 2015 | Jam Nawaz[25] |
| "For Good" | 2016 | James Ruse[26] |
| "Substance Therapy" | Jam Nawaz[27][28] | |
| "Lose Sleep" | ||
| "My People" | 2018 | Baz Richie and Harry Deadman[29] |
| "Runner" | Tig Terera[30] | |
| "5 A.M." | 2019 | Barun Chatterjee[31][32] |
| "Brain" |
Awards and nominations
AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR Awards of 2014[33] | Raw X Infinity | Best Independent Hip Hop/Urban Album | Won |
| themselves | Breakthrough Independent Artist | Nominated | |
| Carlton Dry Global Music Grant | Won | ||
| AIR Awards of 2017[34] | Divas and Demons | Best Independent Hip Hop/Urban Album | Nominated |
Australian Music Prize
The Australian Music Prize (the AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Raw X Infinity | Australian Music Prize | Won |
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards or ARIA Awards) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA)
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Divas & Demons | Best Urban Album | Nominated |
J Award
The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. They commenced in 2005.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| J Awards of 2013[9] | themselves | Unearthed Artist of the Year | Won |
| J Awards of 2014[35] | Raw X Infinity | Australian Album of the Year | Nominated |
Music Victoria Awards
The Music Victoria Awards, are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2005.[36][37]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | himself | Best Emerging Artist | Won |
| Raw x Infinity | Best Hip Hop Album | Nominated | |
| 2016 | himself | Best Male Artist | Nominated |
| 2017 | himself | Best Male Artist | Nominated |
| Divas & Demons | Best Hip Hop Album | Nominated | |
| 2019 | himself | Best Hip Hop Act | Nominated |
National Live Music Awards
The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Live Music Awards of 2016[38] | Remi | Live Hip Hop Act of the Year | Nominated |
References
- ^ Drever, Andrew (15 September 2016), "Rapper Remi Kolawole opens up about depression on new album Divas and Demons", Sydney Morning Herald
- ^ Drever, Andrew (30 June 2014). "Rapper Remi Working for Market Support". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ Wong, Kellianne (16 October 2014). "Remi – Raw x Infinity". Happy Mag. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ "Song Catalogue Search Results for 'Ape'". APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society). Retrieved 16 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d Cyclone (4 June 2014). "Remi Sensible J". The Music. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "'Apollo 13'. (Prod. by J Smith & Dutch.)". Bandcamp. 17 August 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ Wehner, Cyclone (9 June 2014). "Remi Unsure of 'Intelligent' Rapper Tag". The Music. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ Anthony, Daniel (18 July 2013). "Remi Kolawole – The New Kid". Broadsheet. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ a b . Triple J (Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)). 2013. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
- ^ "Remi - Raw x Infinity". Triple J. 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ Tan, Monica (4 March 2015). "Australian music prize awards $30,000 to Melbourne hip-hop trio Remi". Guardian Australia. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ Zuel, Bernard (4 March 2015), "Melbourne rapper Remi takes hip-hop to the top to win Australian Music Prize", Sydney Morning Herald
- ^ Rae, Harvey (29 September 2016). "Prize hip-hop duo REMI get personal". The West Australian. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ a b Medcalf, Caitlin (5 May 2021). "REMI Announces Their Forthcoming Record Will Be Their Last Together". Music Feeds. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ McCabe, Kathy (10 October 2017), "ARIA Award nominees revealed", The Chronicle
- ^ Triscari, Caleb (7 May 2021). "Listen to REMI's third and final album, 'Fried'". NME. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ Fuamoli, Sose (7 May 2021). "REMI call time on music, releasing their third and final album, Fried". Triple J. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ "Discography - Remi". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ Remi - Ape. (Official 'Low Budget Balling Edition' Video), retrieved 22 June 2022
- ^ Remi - Sangria (Official Film Clip.), retrieved 22 June 2022
- ^ Remi - Saggin. (Official Film Clip), retrieved 22 June 2022
- ^ Remi - LIVIN (Official Film Clip.), YouTube, retrieved 22 June 2022
- ^ "Music Videos". McRobbie Productions. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ "REMI Releases New Single & Video 'XTC Party'". AAA Backstage. 29 August 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ "Watch: Remi - 'Ode To Ignorance'". Music Feeds. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ Watson, Andrew (19 April 2016). "REMI + Sampa The Great – For Good | Music Video". Conversations About Her. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ Fuamoli, Sosefina (6 July 2016). "Music Video of the Day: Remi "Substance Therapy" (2016)". The AU Review. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ "Remi shares new video for single "Lose Sleep" ft. Jordan Rakei". Aus Music Scene. 11 December 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ Deadman, Harry (22 June 2022). "Remi - My People (ft. Thando)". Harry Deadman. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ "New video: JOVM mainstay REMI teams up with Black Milk, Razia Biza, and Baro on upbeat yet politically charged "Runner"". The Joy of Violent Movement. 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ "REMI share video for latest single "5 A.M." feat. WHOSANE + announce 2019 Australian tour". Amnplify. 4 August 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ "REMI's 'Brain' Video Featuring Lori is Relationship Goals". Singersroom. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ "CARLTON DRY AIR AWARDS 2014 NOMINEES ANNOUNCED". speaker tv. September 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
- ^ "A.B Original dominates 2017 AIR Awards nominations". theindustryobserver. 31 May 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
- ^ "J Award 2014". Triple J. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
- ^ "Previous Nominess". Music Victoria. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ "Previous Winners". Music Victoria. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ "Nominees 2016". NLMA. 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2020.