When Lisi had his breakout year in 2019, the Australian rap scene hadn’t quite seen someone like him before. It was a year when local drill music was gaining momentum, and the face of hip-hop in Australia was shifting fast: ONEFOUR’s “The Message” had landed with force, Hooligan Hefs had dropped “No Effect,” and HP Boyz had come out with “Engineers.”
Into that landscape came Lisi with “Say Less”, but while many of those artists would go on to cement themselves within drill, Lisi moved in own direction. He rapped with the same intensity, and commanded the same respect from listeners and the scene alike, but his message stood apart. Where much of the moment was tied to street narratives, Lisi’s approach was notably anti-violence.
Much of Lisi’s writing instead centred on his own experiences growing up, as well as themes of family and culture. Reflecting on that time now, he says: “A lot of people were like, ‘Who is this guy? Who does he think he is, going against the grain like that?’ But I wasn’t trying to be different. I was just showing that I am different, and that there’s more than one way of life. Not all rap has to be about belligerence.”
In 2020 he released his project Average Man, followed by Perspective in 2021. In the years since he’s dropped a run of singles, including last year’s “Keep It Moving” and “Try Me,” which have continued to rack up strong numbers online. Even so, fans have been waiting on another full-length project.
Part of that slowdown has come down to a major life change: becoming a father. His son is now two years old. “I’ve had a baby, he’s two now, so I’ve just been in full dad mode,” he says.
For someone whose music has long emphasised family, the shift feels natural. “I’m from a tight household. Family plays a big part in my life and I talk about it a lot in my music. Now that I have my own family, I want my kids to have that same thing.”
While he’s taken time to focus on family life, he’s now preparing to return with new music, with releases planned for later this year. Speaking to Complex Australia, Lisi reflects on becoming a father, his early come-up, and his latest campaign with Under Armour and JD Sports.
It’s been a while since you’ve done an interview. What’s life been like for you lately?
Well, you can probably hear him in the back, but I had a baby. He’s two now. So I’ve just been in full dad mode. I’ve slowed down a bit with music, but I’m still pumping. I’ve got songs ready to go. But yeah it’s mostly been dad life and training.
Dad life, how’s it been?
It’s been good—I love it compared to the lifestyle I used to maintain—being a young man with the world at my feet. But it’s sort of humbled me and brought me back down.
It’s given me a bit of purpose and helped me screw my head on, you know? Instead of just partying and living recklessly and stuff like that.
Taking it back a little bit to your breakout year, 2019, the “Say Less” era. You had such a fast and organic rise. With a bit of distance from that time in your life now, do you have any reflections on that period?
Honestly, the way I look at it in hindsight is that it was all God.
Because the thing is with me, I didn’t really have anything going for me. I mean, I was rapping obviously, but I didn’t have any A&Rs or people checking for me. I was just rapping for the sake of rapping.
Then one day I just gave it a crack—put a song on YouTube and Spotify—and yeah, it just happened. When I look back at it now it’s crazy how it all happened.
At the same time, I try to look at it in a grateful light. Some people might say I was lucky to rise the way I did, but a lot of people resonated with the music and it helped them. That’s why I say it was God. He put me on this pedestal to reach people like that.
On that, it was really refreshing when you came onto the scene. It was just so different compared to what other rappers were putting out at that moment. Your music was associated with drill and still staunch, but had a lot of themes around anti-violence, family and culture.
Yeah, a lot of people hated it too. A lot of people were like ‘Who is this guy, who does he think he is going against the grain like that?’ But I wasn’t trying to be different, I was just showing that I am different, and there’s more than one way of life. Not all rap has to be about belligerence.
With the music you’ve been working on, is rapping about those themes still important to you? Has the message changed at all?
If anything, it’s more at the forefront than it’s ever been.
I remember hearing a song I wrote when I was about 20, and then listening to it again when I was 25. I was like, damn, I was really spitting some game. I didn’t even realise it at the time.
Now with music, I really see the impact it can have on people. That’s what matters most now. I think back then, there were times when I was still writing and rapping about beef sometimes, but nowadays I’m so far away from that stuff.
You have a really great pen. Where does that come from?
Honestly, I think being into so much battle rap when I was younger has something to do with it. Watching and listening to that was where I learnt so much about stylistic devices: similes, metaphors, hyperboles—all the stuff you learn in English. In battle rap, there’s no beat, they’re just using those things creatively.
Watching that got me into it, and it made me start listening to rappers who use lyrics like that. For me, it made writing raps more interesting. Anyone can rhyme, but when you add that little bit of intelligence in there, it makes it better.
Your latest campaign with JD Sports and Under Armour centres around the idea ‘This Ain’t My Final Form.’ What does that phrase represent for you personally right now?
It resonates with me a lot. relates to me a lot. It kind of explains how I’m feeling right now. I’ve taken a break, but I’m back and I’ve got songs ready to go. So yeah, this isn’t my final form
With this campaign and that message, it kind of explains how I’m feeling right now. I’ve got songs ready to go. Like when you look at an artist like Kendrick Lamar, he took four or five years off, and then came back with one of the best albums I’ve ever heard you know. I’m not saying I’m Kendrick Lamar, [laughs]. But yeah—this ain’t my final form.
You gave us a couple of songs last year. Can you tell us a bit more about what’s coming music-wise?
To be honest, I’m still in the air with a lot of things. But the groundwork is already set—the songs are done. It’s just about figuring out when it’s appropriate to drop. This year, I’m trying my best to make that comeback. [Rap] is my bread and butter. I gotta feed my family.
With things having changed for you quite a bit in the last few years—especially being a family man now—what do you hope the future looks like for you?
I guess since I started my journey as a musician, I’ve always had tomorrow in the back of my head. I’m someone who’s always ready—if God takes my music career away tomorrow, I’ve got to stay ready for that. That’s something I learned from my old man. So with music, I’m just riding the wave as much as I can, and enjoying the journey while I can.
Follow Lisi here for more and shop JD Sports x Under Armour here.