Just as you can’t judge a book by its cover you can’t judge a rapper by his name. The moniker Tenda McFly is a bit naff, but the Brisbane based rapper behind it is one of the most accessible and inventive I’ve heard in some time.
The use of indie pop tunes in his latest release TheStoryOfMyLife makes the music particularly different, whether he’s taking a small sample or remixing an entire song as with Regina Spektor’s “Fidelity” or “Popular” from the musical Wicked. I’d never have imagined a rapper would turn to Broadway for inspiration, but I’m thrilled that he did. It’s very cool. But Tenda McFly doesn’t have to look to the work of others to impress. His tune “Welcome” is a real standout, summery and playful.
It’ll probably take a few listens before I catch all the rapid-fire lyrics, but I have a feeling it’ll be worth the effort. Some of the sexual references get a bit tiresome, sounding almost like the diary entries of a hormonal teenage boy, but there’s enough other, more interesting content to divert our attentions.
Tenda McFly calls TheStoryOfMyLife a mixtape, which is perhaps a more fitting title than an album. Just like any good mixtape it reveals much about the creator and his place in the world, whether he’s buying fake Raybans from eBay or scouting for girls. So often rap music spends so much time commentating about the world around that it forgets the person in the center of it. There’s an intimacy here that I really warm to, and which makes TheStoryOfMyLife worth a few listens. It’s available for free download through Tenda McFly’s Bandcamp page.