Some people say she’s inappropriate. Some TV channels have tried to cancel her. But music lovers know better.
Miss Kaninna is one of the First Nations rappers experiencing a meteoric rise — not only in her own country, but also overseas.
And what a treat it was to verify it by seeing her perform live in London!
PART 275 OF “AM I EVER GONNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN?” A RANDOM COLLECTION OF UNKNOWINGLY OBVIOUS FACTS ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE
Miss Kaninna (real name Kaninna Langford) isn’t here to politely ask for space in Australian music — she’s here to reclaim it.
A proud Yorta Yorta, Yirendali and Kalkadoon woman who grew up on the shores of Bruny Island off the coast of Tassie, she has been commanding stages from a young age. She started showcasing her talent in musical theatre and was even accepted into the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), which she briefly attended.
In 2021, the First Nations powerhouse began singing backing vocals in community bands and collaborating with local producers. Her provocative lyricism and bold songwriting took shape in these sessions. This compelling live solo project captivated audiences when she debuted new music with her band at 2022’s Dark Mofo festival. (She’s returned to perform a sold-out show at the festival this year.)
Despite the modern vibes in her music, she carries forward the powerful storytelling of her ancestors and fearlessly brings it into the present. Hailing from a family of strong women advocates (her grandmother played an important role in founding the Aboriginal Information Service in the 1970s, and her mother is the founder of Nayri Niara, an Aboriginal social enterprise that works to uplift local communities), she takes a stand through her music.
Wider audiences took notice when the catchy debut single, “Blak Britney”, dropped in May 2023. To date, that tongue-in-cheek song has garnered millions of streams and a dedicated fanbase worldwide.
Her fairly short (but very sweet) career in music has resulted in numerous projects, collaborations and accolades. She was cast as Cynthia in the 2022 national theatre tour of The Sapphires. She’s hung out backstage with Greta Thunberg who, apparently, is a huge fan of her song, “HANDOUT”. And in January 2026, she was chosen as Amazon Music’s featured “Artist to Watch” on a Times Square billboard.
Now Melbourne-based, Miss Kaninna isn’t slowing down. She keeps pushing creative boundaries, using her music as an unapologetic vehicle for advocacy, identity, and raw narrative storytelling, which she frequently takes overseas.
The gig at The Social in London on August 13th was her third and surely the rowdiest show in the UK’s capital. Here’s a quick breakdown of what went down:
🎊 THE VIBE: She admitted to feeling nervous beforehand. But between shouting the Belfast-bred activists, Kneecap (“I’m not into white boys but these ones can hang”), proper twerking (“In school, I was told if I didn’t twerk I wasn’t fully Blak”), and performing “Dawg In Me” — a jab at the ABC for trying to cancel her, the crowd was sweaty, loud and completely locked in from the second she walked out on stage.
🎤 THE SET: Razor-sharp rap verses, soaring vocal hooks, and high-octane energy. From her first banger “Blak Britney” to the current single “HANDOUT” and a yet-unreleased collab with Kobie Dee “LOOK AT ME NOW”, punters were shouting the lyrics back all the way through.
💬 CROWD INTERACTION: She kept it completely real between tracks — addressing Indigenous deaths in custody, stolen wages (the song with that title will be the next single), and the reality of “being Blak always, not just when it’s trendy.” She also proudly stated: “We are the f*cking blueprint. This is my land.”
⚡STANDOUT MOMENT: While bluntly expressing disappointment with Rihanna’s current creative focus (“I’m pissed she doesn’t do music anymore”), she delivered a crushing rendition of the Barbados star’s “Kiss It Better”, proving she’s a talented singer with incredible vocals.
🍬 BONUS: She brought Aussie rapper Nerve as her DJ and “made him” do his cover of Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack”. I know because I spoke to him after the gig and he claimed, “It was all her idea.” (A pretty good idea, I might add, as his rendition has racked up thousands of streams after its triple J “Like A Version” premiere.)
📢 THE VERDICT: Unfiltered, unapologetic Blak excellence. Miss Kaninna is completely shattering stereotypes. Growing up on an island in a school of 30 kids, she never thought this would be her life, she stated. Yet she commanded the London crowd like she was born for it.
She is dropping her highly anticipated BLACKPRINT EP on Friday, August 21st before launching a massive Aussie tour. Unsurprisingly, half of the dates are already sold out. She’s already had to upgrade venues in several cities, too.
So before she blows up completely, this is your chance to jump on the bandwagon. Miss Kaninna is clear proof that First Nations culture isn’t just surviving — it’s the blueprint, thriving and here to stay.
Learn about more First Nations artists and projects in Australia:
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