JK-47 has taken to the Like A Version studio to cover ‘Changes’ by 2Pac this morning (February 12). The appearance was the rapper’s first on the long-running segment.
2Pac’s ‘Changes’ was originally released posthumously in 1998.
For his rendition, JK-47 enlisted the help of Bronte Eve, and reshaped the original’s lyrics to haunting effect. Notably, JK-47’s version of the track features material sung in a traditional language spoken by Indigenous peoples of the Bundjalung nation.
Watch his version below:
“That song is just, like, so much bigger than music,” JK-47 — real name Jacob Paulson — said of ‘Changes’ in a post-performance interview.
“2Pac was just on that thug tip, so whenever he did something real, like ‘Brenda’s Got A Baby’ or ‘Keep Your Head Up’, it was just iconic because he was talking about something real and that’s what I wanted to do.
“I had to keep it real and tell it how it is in Australia and how it is as an Indigenous person.”
Paulson also explained that the refrain sung at the beginning of his cover translates as “When the sun’s going down/ It’s time to go back to the fire/ And it’s time to go back and contribute”.
As is customary, JK-47 performed an original in the Like A Version studio as well. The rapper tore through ‘The Recipe’, which he released as a single from his 2020 debut album ‘Made For This’. Watch his ‘Like A Version’ performance of the track below.
Last night (February 11), JK-47 performed at Sunset Piazza, Sydney’s newest pop-up venue. Next month, he will appear as part of the Adelaide Festival’s ‘Hip Hop Finale’ show, alongside Ziggy Ramo, J-Milla and Jimblah.
Yesterday (February 11), JK-47 was announced as part of the lineup for Fresh Produce’s Toowoomba event, set to take place on the first weekend of September.