In a world where music serves as both a reflection of personal identity and a platform for social change, “DOBBY” stands as a powerful testament to the strength of love for his culture and people.
He believes that music is one of the last things that we have that speaks the truth and uses it as a way to empower other people.
Rhyan Clapham, known as “DOBBY,” is a 30-year-old musician, hip-hop artist, drummer, and producer. Born in Wollongong, a coastal city south of Sydney.
DOBBY was raised straddling two worlds. His Indigenous father is from Brewarrina in Ngemba land and from the Murrawarri Republic in Weilmoringle, and his mother arrived in Australia in 1985 from Tacloban, in the Philippines.
“I had a different identity; it applied to me being a Filipino—it applied to me being Aboriginal,” Dobby stated.
As he was sorting how those different puzzle pieces sort, eventually for him it became hip-hop. It became the unconditional home of expression for him.
DOBBY’s Filipino Roots
Being raised in two different worlds and cultures has its own struggle. Dobby, being a person of Aboriginal culture, believes that it is an important obligation to know your culture and story. And for him it’s important to understand both of the cultures he came from.
Being born to a Filipino mother, he fully grasps the love for Filipino culture; he is currently at a point where he wants to explore his Filipino roots.
“I’m talking to my Mom a lot about bringing Tagalog into my raps—I get it wrong a lot, and I had to work on my pronunciation,” Dobby stated.
DOBBY’s Winning Moment
Dobby studied Bachelor of Music; he is also a teacher and a private tutor. He believes that all of these are what a jazz musician does. And eventually he uses these skills to write something that talks about indigenous rappers.
He found solace in music, using it as an outlet to express himself in ways words alone couldn’t capture. But through hip-hop, he began to channel that feeling of being ‘in-between’ into something creative and powerful.
He was drawn to the rhythms, poetry, and stories embedded within. His love for those things and putting together raps make him one of the best in his craft.
But success doesn’t come at night—it took him almost 20 years to achieve one of his biggest awards—but still he succeeded in taking home the 2024 ARIA Award for the Best Music Album, an honor that acknowledged his unique voice and the power of his music.
The recognition was a pivotal moment in his career, but it wasn’t just about the award—it was about breaking barriers and pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a Filipino-Murrawarri artist in the music industry.
Dobby’s story is one of resilience, cultural pride, and the transformative power of music. From a person navigating the complexities of two cultures to an award-winning artist, he continues to use his platform to amplify voices and create space for new narratives in the music world.
As his career unfolds, there’s no doubt that DOBBY will continue to break barriers, redefine the boundaries of hip-hop, and inspire generations to come.
