Ribby Just Assembled the Avengers for “DEZI FREEMAN”
Ribby just assembled the AusUDG avengers brought together four of the Australian underground’s most distinctive voices, DON!, Isaac Puerile, Villyszn, and 4orttune, for “DEZI FREEMAN,” the latest release in his 247DEGREES album rollout. The track pairs a deliberately provocative subject with a production and vocal structure that points toward a real sonic shift across the local scene.
The Reference That Grounds the Track
“DEZI FREEMAN” references Desmond Freeman, the modern day bushranger whose shooting death at the hands of police recently became a point of cultural friction. It is a distinctly Australian concept, drawing from an older tradition of outlaw storytelling while pushing it into a modern context. The track does not avoid the weight of that reference. It leans into it, using the name as both narrative anchor and cultural statement.
A Shift in Structure and Sound
The vocal arrangement is where the collaboration fully lands. Puerile anchors the hook with the kind of understated authority that has kept him relevant across different phases of the scene. Ribby’s first verse moves away from direct references, leaning into looser, more coded bars. It is an “if you know, you know” approach that suggests confidence in his position rather than a need to over explain. It reads as a clear step forward.
Villyszn, continuing his rise within the UDG circle as it’s most promising rookie, delivers one of his most complete performances to date. His verse leans melodic at first, acting as a bridge before he shifts into a tighter pocket and redirects the track’s energy. The contrast works. It creates space within an otherwise dense record. His inclusion here feels like a shift in profile.
4orttune follows with a more direct and grounded verse, bringing the tone back to something sharper before Puerile returns to close the hook. The sequencing holds together. Each section serves a purpose without breaking the flow.
Production from DON! frames “DEZI FREEMAN” with his usual density. The track opens with a news clip referencing Freeman, before synthetic textures ease in and give way to heavy bass built around a Jersey club cadence. The structure shifts in stages. Early momentum gives way to a more stripped, trap driven second section where triplet hi hats and distorted 808s take over. The change in energy mirrors the subject matter, building and releasing pressure across the runtime.
The accompanying visual, directed by ELIJAH FILMS, pushes that same idea further. A cold blue grade runs through most of the video, broken up by harsher night vision sequences. Lens flares, motion blur and fast masking effects create a sense of overload that matches the density of the production. It stands as one of Elijah’s most developed pieces to date, and it feels like a partnership that will continue across the 247DEGREES run.
Reconnecting Threads Across the Scene
The 247DEGREES rollout has already reset expectations around how an Australian hip hop campaign can be built. “DEZI FREEMAN” reinforces that the direction Ribby introduced earlier in the year was not a one off. The record is already moving beyond its core audience, suggesting this sound is starting to reach listeners outside the usual underground base.
“DEZI FREEMAN” brings several threads together. It reunites Ribby and 4orttune for the first time since “HEAPS MORE” and “CHARLIE SHEEN.” It places Isaac Puerile back into a conversation where his name had started to drift. It gives Villyszn a feature that can shift how he is viewed moving forward. And it continues to define what the 247DEGREES sound actually is. More refined, more detailed, and more willing to engage directly with Australian references instead of defaulting elsewhere.
For a scene that still looks outward for validation, that shift matters. “DEZI FREEMAN” and the wider 247DEGREES rollout are starting to prove there is another way to build.
