peermusic Australia Signs Ziggy Ramo to Worldwide Publishing Deal

Peermusic Australia has signed artist Ziggy Ramo (Ziggy Ramo Burrmuruk Fatnowna) to a worldwide publishing deal, as announced today by Ralph W. Peer, Managing Director, peermusic Australia. The deal marks the first time Ziggy Ramo has signed to a music publisher, and it encompasses his entire back catalog and future works.

Known for his thought-provoking lyrics and powerful social commentary, the Australian rapper and activist first gained recognition with his debut album Black Thoughts, which tackled themes of systemic racism, colonialism and intergenerational trauma. A proud Wik and Australian South Sea Solomon Islander, Ramo completed recording the album in 2015 but was concerned that his non-Indigenous audience wasn’t ready to engage with his truth-telling. So, he decided to shelve the album. Instead, in 2016, Ramo released an EP of the same name which included tracks “Black Thoughts” and “Black Face.” Inspired by the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, Ramo felt the album’s messaging was still relevant and decided to independently release Black Thoughts, which includes the single “April 25.” On January 26, 2023 - also referred to as Australian Invasion Day – Ramo independently released his second studio album Sugar Coated Lies. The album highlights his evolution as an artist, blending soulful melodies with hard-hitting lyrics to explore themes of toxic masculinity, mental health and navigating complex trauma.

“Ziggy is an incredibly talented artist whose work ethic, fearlessness and evocative lyrics are constantly pushing boundaries. I am very excited to have an artist like Ziggy join our peermusic team,” said Ralph W. Peer. “We really tried to understand his artistry and I think he appreciated our approach. It was truly a meeting of minds and we’re honored he’s entrusting us with his catalog and thrilled that we were able to make this deal happen.”

“I have always had a clear purpose of why I am an artist, I want my community to see themselves reflected in my music. Through my storytelling I strive for change for my people, and due to this I have always been very selective, and intentional of the team I surround myself with,” said Ziggy Ramo. “I have wanted to protect my creative freedom and maintain the ability to always put the art first. Joining forces with the peermusic family has felt like the natural next step in my journey. This is due to Ralph and the entire team taking the time to understand who I am, and the path I want to take. I look forward to starting this next chapter together. I feel empowered to know I not only have a great company behind me, but also a great bunch of humans.”

Ramo’s poignant storytelling and infectious beats has earned him widespread acclaim and helped cement his reputation as a powerful voice for change. His contributions to Australian hip-hop have been recognized with several awards and nominations, including the Western Australian Music Industry Awards, National Indigenous Music Awards and the J Awards. Beyond music, Ramo made his acting debut in the television crime series Black Snow, for which he also produced all the music in collaboration with composer Jed Palmer. 

 Ramo is currently working on a memoir which he will release together with a new album in 2024. Most recently, Ramo and Christine Anu released a cover of “Doo Wop” recorded by Lauryn Hill which he did for Triple J’s “Like A Version.” Ramo also recently released a visualizer for his track “Better feat. Jantine” which was filmed at Hanging Rock– a culturally significant site to the Kulin aboriginal nation.

In 2022, peermusic appointed Ralph W. Peer as Managing Director of peermusic Australia, expanding his responsibilities within the company to oversee all creative and administrative operations in Australia, Fiji, New Guinea & New Zealand. The company quickly signed Sydney’s Triple One, certified Gold as the group sold out shows across Australia. Peermusic is also setting the standard for international publishing administration and represents many clients for sub-publishing in the region, including Hipgnosis Songs Fund Ltd; Sugar Music; Big Machine Music LLC (which yielded the global hit with GAYLE’s “abcdefu”); Soundgarden; Modern Works; and St. Nicolas Music with income collected across its sub-publishing clients growing 12% year-over-year. In addition to creative and administrative operations, peermusic Australia is working to expand peermusic’s Film/TV business in the region with a focus on offering music supervision/scoring packages to local production companies in Australia and New Zealand. Ralph W. Peer also continues directing peermusic initiatives as their Vice President of peermusic’s African and Middle East operations. 

Ziggy Ramo Social Links: 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ziggyramo/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ziggyramo/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/068h92tgvxKyexVLhE75Q7?si=Cm1hmyDDTYK3FJ7YaQnZkA&nd=1
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4GAbVWCaZlux3UhscTiX-A
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ziggyramo
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/au/artist/ziggy-ramo/1242623702