About

Photo: Raphael Recht (2018)

Photo: Raphael Recht (2018)

 

Defron, birth name Kieron Byatt, is a rapper & writer from Melbourne, Australia. He is the 2009 Revolver MC Battle Champion and 2013 & 2017 state finalist in the Australian Poetry Slam.

Beginning his career as a renowned freestyle and battle emcee, from to 2009 to 2012 Defron faced off against international battle-rap veterans illmaculate, The Saurus, Real Deal and Madness as well as competing alongside Australian hip-hop royalty including Allday, Kerser, Manaz Ill and 360.

In 2015 Defron released his debut EP Invalid to glowing praise on Tone Deaf, The Music.com.au and Beat as well as radio-play on Triple J, Triple R, FBI, PBS, Kiss Fm and Syn FM.

The next year he released the warmly received promotional singles William Foster and Phantoms produced by close-collaborator Rahjconkas, who has laced beats for the likes of Nooky (Bad Apples Music), Urthboy (Elefant Traks) and Funkoars (Golden Era).

In 2018 Defron shared his personal experience with hearing impairment, cancer and mental illness in his TedX Talk ‘You are the hero & villain of your story’. Months later his promotional single Sacré-Cœur scored airplay on Triple J and received high praise from Dave Ruby-Howe, Zan Rowe and Declan Byrne.

His debut full-length project Maybe You’ll Be Famous When You’re Dead was released later in the year and received high acclaim from The Local Frequency, Beat, Stimulate Your Soul. The project’s second single Factotum received further Triple J attention with a glowing review from Gemma Pike and regular rotation on Triple J Unearthed.

A stalwart of his city’s music scene, Defron has performed in Melbourne’s most esteemed venues including Workers Club, The Espy, Laundry Bar, Evelyn Hotel, Penny Black, Max Watts and more. He has shared the stage alongside Odd Future, 360, Mantra, Illy, Seth Sentry, Akil (of Jurassic 5), Pez and has collaborated with Rahj Conkas (produced for Urthboy, Funkoars and Nooki), Kwasi (Extra Support Acts & WVS), Sinks (2017 Hilltop Hoods Initiative Winner) and 1/6 (2010 Hilltop Hoods Initiative Winner).

With an esteemed reputation for his freestyle rapping capabilities, Defron has hosted private & public events including RMIT’s Welcome Event Series (2018), UniLodge College Ball (2018), Australia’s National Youth Week launch day (2011) and Metro Public Transport’s Victorian Great Race competition for primary schools (2011).

As a writer his fiction & non-fiction has been published in DJ Booth, Going Down Swinging, Supanova, Verandah, Voiceworks, Overland, Tone Deaf, Kill Your Darlings. In 2011 Defron was shortlisted for the Judith Rodriguez Prize.

Rapping since adolescence, a music career was initially unlikely for Defron after he was diagnosed with hearing impairment at five years of age. Adversity reared its head once again when he was treated for testicular cancer fourteen years later.

Forced to mature at a young age through battling severe illness, Defron has a passion for empowering tomorrow’s leaders and at-risk-youth through hip-hop. Since 2009 he has been running his own independent lyric writing & rapping workshops with Freeza & The Push at rural and metropolitan youth services where he promotes overcoming hardship through creative expression and positive resolve. To date he has facilitated hip-hop lyricism and performance workshops with Song Room, Mirabel Foundation, Metropolitan Remand Centre, Multicultural Arts Victoria, Melbourne Recital Centre, City of Ballarat, Wellington Shire, Wyndham City Youth Services, Deakin University, Monash University, Royal Children’s Hospital (Melbourne), Humour Foundation Australia, Creative-Write It, Operation Newstart Torquay, Wild at Heart Community Arts and more.

Today Defron still independently delivers hip-hop/rap workshops & demonstrations at schools, youth-services and universities.