Tasman Keith has made his debut on triple j‘s flagship segment Like A Version, covering Outkast‘s ‘B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)’. The Gumbaynggirr rapper was joined in the ABC Studios by his longtime musical director Nikos Haropoulos-Smallman, as well as a full live band and four backing vocalists – one of whom was his brother, Sammy Jarrett (AKA Kapital J). Keith, donning coloured contacts and with a black, yellow and red scarf wrapped around his mic stand, blended André 3000‘s original opening verse with his own lyrics during the cover, while keeping the song’s original chorus.
The performance also, notably, saw percussionist and fellow Gumbaynggirr man River Langford wearing a t-shirt expressing Indigenous solidarity with the people of Palestine. Earlier this week, former ABC journalist Antoinette Latouf won her unfair dismissal case against the broadcaster, following her contract being terminated last year on account of supporting Palestinian liberation.
“I grew up always loving this song,” said Keith in a post-performance interview. “It was always on the list for if I ever did Like A Version. For me, with a lot going on right now here and everywhere, it just felt like what I needed and what I wanted to say. Also, to be able to pen a verse after an Andre 3000 verse is a challenge, and so I wanted to take that on.” The cover can be viewed below.
Tasman Keith – ‘B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)’
Keith’s appearance on the segment comes ahead of this year’s NAIDOC Week, which commences on July 6th. 2025 sees the week-long celebration of Indigenous people within Australia celebrate its 50th anniversary. This year’s theme is “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision And Legacy”. More information on NAIDOC Week for 2025, including events and award finalists, can be found here. Previous performers for Like A Version around NAIDOC Week include Gumbaynggirr Bundjalung singer-songwriter Jem Cassar-Daley, who covered Gwen Stefani‘s ‘The Sweet Escape’, as well as the late Archie Roach, who performed a Bob Marley medley in one of his final performances.
In addition to performing the cover, Keith also performed his recently released single ’70 Somethin’. Released on Wednesday (June 25th), the introspective ballad sees Keith reflect on the lives of his uncle and father, and openly ponders whether he would have met a different fate were he born in the same generation as them. Keith’s stripped-back performance of the song can be viewed below.
Tasman Keith – ’70 Somethin’
‘B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)’ was originally released in September 2000, when Keith was four years old. It served as the lead single to the Atlanta duo’s fourth studio album Stankonia, which also featured the group’s mainstream breakthrough hit ‘Ms. Jackson’. Although the song was not a major commercial success upon its initial release, the ensuing 25 years have seen it develop a reputation as one of the era’s most culturally significant songs. Both Rolling Stone and Pitchfork featured the song in their respective lists of the best songs of the 2000s, with the latter ranking it number one.
Further Reading
Tasman Keith Releases New Single ‘LEFT RIGHT’ – “I Just Feel this Country is Ready to Hear It”
triple j Announces ‘Hottest 100 Of Australian Songs’ For 50th Anniversary
Watch The Amity Affliction Take On Turnstile For Their First Ever ‘Like A Version’
