Four to the Floor: Exploring the Bla(c)k roots of contemporary music is a podcast about Bla(c)k music, history and culture in Australia and beyond. In this episode Ayebatonye speaks with multi-dimensional being, artist and rapper POOKIE. Aćol Agaar Apollo, better known by the stage name POOKIE, is a South Sudanese rapper, songwriter, composer and producer born in Nairobi, Kenya. The primary origins of POOKIE’s love for music can be attributed to numerous nostalgic childhood anecdotes. Among these tales are flash backs of her older brother hurling stereo speakers in the middle of the family compound and blasting Chaka Damus and Pliers’ “Murder She Wrote” all day long. At age seven her family migrated to Australia where she was introduced to the works of Missy Elliot and the world of Hip-Hop music at large.
Growing up in Perth, Western Australia POOKIE also discovered a love for various forms of creative expression ranging from painting, sculpting, and sketching. POOKIE’s art is a dynamic display of her South Sudanese roots with many of her pieces particularly celebrating her Dinka culture and heritage.