Sydney hip hop artists Provocalz and Felon are headlining Brisbane’s Red Flag anniversary celebration – Words of Struggle III. The following excerpts are from an interview with Provocalz by Red Flag’s Carl Jackson.

“When the federal budget dropped I was like, ‘What the fuck? Every day they turn on someone new.’ My track Class War was inspired by the budget. I thought ‘Will we stand up and fight?’ For me the way we can do this is through protest and through music. Hip hop can be a voice for the voiceless who suffer the most injustice – the people who have no say in the mass media, who have no say in politics”.

The titles of Provocalz tracks including “Respect” – inspired by the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Redfern’s the Block – and “Cop Shot”, which rails against police violence towards Indigenous people.

Provocalz is not just a musician. He is also active in his community. “You can sit in your home all you want, it’s not going to change anything, you’ve got to get up and be involved,” he says.

He cites Public Enemy (first big political hip-hop group), Immortal Technique and Dead Prez as musical influences, and Malcolm X and Huey P Newton (Black Panther Party) as his political influences.

Provocalz believes artists have a responsibility to stand up against injustice. “How can I look my son in the eye if I didn’t fight for his future? How can I teach him to stand up for what he believes if I don’t stand up for what I believe?”

“Poor people have always carried the weight in this country. This country is built on our backs – especially Aboriginal people. There was stolen wages and free labour; the stolen generation trained to be domestic slaves.

“Read, keep informed. There’s so much stuff you can learn and if you’re not learning something new every day then you’re just wasting your time.”

Brisbane Red Flag anniversary ‘Words of Struggle’ features:

Provocalz and Felon; No Pain, No Gain; Marx Sick-Mind and MC Triks.

Saturday 2 August. Dinner from 6pm ($10). Music starts 7.30pm.

Kurilpa Hall, 174 Boundary Street, West End.

Door tickets: $30 (supporter price), $20; Presale tickets available. Contact: 0401785942