VICE Spotlight: INQ.

Western Sydney-based duo INQ. – short for “Inquisitive Minds” – make the kind of music you listen to with a spliff in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

They make music your cool older cousin listens to. They make buttery flows, smooth bars and not–too-complex jazz harmonies that make you sink into any surface you’re placed on. 

INQ. bring silky rhymes and undeniable funk to a delicate discography of jazz rap and hip-hop that tells a uniquely Western Sydney story. 

From first listen, you’re taken to sonic regions where artists like Andre 3000 and A Tribe Called Quest reside. But from a second listen, you’re eagerly reminded that INQ. exists in a lane of their own. 

While they wear their influences on their sleeve, they know the intricacies of their personal sound and are using it to make their brand known in the Western Sydney rap scene.

If they weren’t on your radar before, you’ll definitely be thankful they are now.

Cousins Justin Nacua and Anthony Bobadilla grew up consumed by music. Through a natural merging of households and upbringings, they were exposed to the Bee Gees, Marvin Gaye and the Isley Brothers from a young age. But it’s the sounds that would soundtrack lazy Sundays and their parents’ daily chores that created a core musical memory.

“Our earliest memory would have to be waking up to our parents dancing while cleaning the house to Sade. Seeing the joy in our parents getting lost in music was such a cool connection,” they told VICE.

Their Uncle Paul introduced the pair to many of the artists who’ve influenced their music. He passed down necessary knowledge of the neo-soul maestros of the 90s and the greats of the early 2000s underground hip-hop scene, who became teachers and mentors throughout INQ.’s journey.

“[He introduced] us to D’Angelo, Erykah Badu and Dwele as well as Dilla and the soulful side of hip-hop like SV and Blackstar,” they said.

“This sound has always felt like home for us – that heavy low end that hits the soul. This cloth of soul, jazz and hip-hop we came from sparked our love for music for sure.”

Anthony, 27, started rapping at 15 under the guidance of fellow rapper, Ello. C. Seeing – another Western Sydney Filipino rapper who sparked an even greater drive for Anthony to commit to music in a way he hadn’t experienced before.

“Ello was the first Filipino rapper from the west I’d ever seen,” he said.

“Looking back now, seeing this representation at an early age was so important for me to see that it was possible…I’ll never forget the feeling of sharing my first verse with him. When he lost it, I got hooked on getting better and getting a bigger reaction from my homies.”

During this time, Justin cheered Anthony on from the sidelines and became one of his biggest fans. Soon after, Justin showed his own verse to Anthony. The rest was history.

“When Justin came to me with a verse one time in 2016, and it was all over. I’d been waiting for it to happen. It made sense seeing as our chemistry and taste for music was always so aligned,” Anthony said.

“Justin's unique tone and wild expression balanced out my style so well… the shared intention to emit love and self-awareness solidified it for us.”

INQ. call on artists like Black Star, Slum Village, Outkast and Kendrick Lamar to stimulate the depths of their raps; from delivery to lyrics to pacing. Artists like Liv.e, Children of Zeus and Sa-ra inspire the duo melodically. A fusion of all of these influences is laid out on their collaborative EP with artist Rob Feher, “2 Step”.

Just like the project's title suggests, this EP jolts you to your feet. It sees INQ. flex their slower-paced neo-soul, jazz and hip-hop roots, but also dip into fast-paced drum patterns, sharper rhymes and electronic synths to elevate their sound. This pivot – while left-of-field in comparison to the rest of their music – still feels authentic to the duo. It shows that they refuse to bind themselves to one style of music. Connection is all that matters to them.

“[Our writing is] honest, vulnerable and an offering of our perspective – it’s really our experiences documented in the hopes of connecting,” they said.

“Connecting on a human level with our fellow artists and learning/creating out of that love and chemistry…and the feeling of exchanging energy with a crowd is freeing and priceless.”

Having worked with local artists like Gabby Nacua and MO AUNG, as well as Hungary’s Jazzbois, France’s Marc Bianco and even opening for UK’s Children Of Zeus on their Sydney leg earlier this year, INQ. are eager to keep the ball rolling by any means necessary. 

Entering a stage in their lives where full-time work requires their utmost attention, the duo stays grounded knowing the support system that they have. INQ. will never stray too far away from the music.

“The process of creating this music with homies is really everything we could ask for – to do this without having to juggle work as much would be amazing,” they said.

“By the time we’re 60 or 70, hopefully we’ve picked up an instrument or 2 and are still able to produce and play shows.”

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Adele is the Junior Writer & Producer for VICE AU/NZ. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter here.

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