MANU CROOKS DROPS SINGLE + VIDEO 'BASTARDS' MFII EP OUT THIS YEAR
(Photo credit: Max Doyle)
‘Set for Global Domination’ - HIGH SNOBIETY
‘Widely tipped to be Australia’s great hip-hop saviour’ - JUNKEE
‘A prominent player in the Australian rap and hip-hop scene’ - COVETEUR
'...every bar Manu spits is an arrow hitting the bullseye.' - ACCLAIM MAGAZINE
‘Among the leading artists in a Western Sydney takeover of Australian hip-hop’
- SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
One of the most forward-thinking rap and hip-hop artists to come out of Australia, and a decisively prominent player in the scene, Ghanaian-Australian artist Manu Crooks today drops his brand new single ‘Bastards’ - listen here.
With music production by French female producer Sweely, ‘Bastards’ is the first taste from Manu’s immensely anticipated new instalment of music entitled MFII - an 8 x track EP to be released this year.
The music video premiered on Acclaim Magazine and was shot in Western Sydney, Australia in abandoned buildings and junk yards during the COVID lockdown once restrictions loosened. Manu worked with Jaen Collective, Aaron Bull, and VisualsByRazak to bring the video to life and had cameos done by Cult Shotta, Lil Golo, and OME.
The year was 2017 when Manu Crooks dropped his inaugural mood forever project which shone a light on a new wave of international-sounding hip hop coming out of Australia. The hype surrounding this release coupled with a high-energy live show launched Manu into the international spotlight with tours in Europe and North America in 2018. Co-signs from Zane Lowe (Beats One), Ebro (Hot 97), Stormzy, ASAP Ferg, and every major publication around the world soon followed as Manu was quickly donned the king of Down Under.
While releasing a string of singles over the years, Manu has accrued 100,000 subscribers on YouTube and over 40 million streams on Spotify alone, making his mark across the entire globe very present. This ascent has forged working relationships with established brands such as Adidas and Red Bull while also landing him on the continent’s largest festivals (Splendour in the Grass, Listen Out, Falls Festival) - not to mention being one of the first Australian acts to perform at the Rolling Loud Festival in the US.
With the onset of a global pandemic giving the world its gloomiest outlook, there is no better time for Manu Crooks to unleash his signature mood-driven sound with his follow-up project Mood Forever II - set to release later this year. With this immense anticipation and the weight of a continent on his back, the Sydney native continues to break down boundaries with his eyes firmly set on international stardom.