Aotearoa Hip Hop: The Music, The People, The History

Aotearoa Hip Hop: The Music, The People, The History

Author: rova | Original Language: English Episodes: 13
Phil Bell, better known as DJ Sir-Vere, has spent a lifetime within the beats and rhymes of the local scene. In this Aotearoa Hip Hop: The Music, The People, The History podcast, he turns that access into an intimate oral history, sitting down with the very community he came up with. These aren't distant academic recollections, but raw conversations with the artists, producers, and pioneers who shaped the sound from the ground up. You'll hear firsthand accounts of the early days, the breakthrough moments, and the personal stories behind the tracks that defined a generation. Each episode feels like pulling up a chair in the studio or the back of the venue, uncovering the threads that connect the past to the present. It's a chronological journey, meticulously pieced together to honour the full timeline of the culture. This series goes beyond just the music to capture the spirit and the people who built it, made possible with the support of NZ on Air. For anyone curious about the roots and evolution of this powerful cultural force, this podcast offers an authentic, insider's perspective you won't find anywhere else.
Episodes
EP11 - Dawn Raid, Savage, Smashproof [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:35:28
Savage and Dawn Raid head back into the charts with ‘Swing’. Move The Crowd Records introduces Tyree, Young Sid, Deach and their crew Smashproof to audiences on both sides of the Tasman. In Central Auckland, a new crew c…
EP12 - Savage & David Dallas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:54
‘Swing’s placement in the Knocked Up movie takes Savage all the way into the heartlands of America. David Dallas goes solo and makes the global hip-hop scene take notice. Smashproof drop the most significant single of th…
EP10 - Scribe & Dei Hamo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:35
In the wake of the release of ‘Stand Up’, ‘Not Many - The Remix’ and The Crusader, Scribe becomes the shining star of Aotearoa hip-hop. The scene goes on the road with the nationwide Boost Mobile Hookup tour. Dei Hamo dr…
EP9 - Che Fu,  Nesian Mystik & P-Money [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:33
Che Fu and Nesian Mystik take Aotearoa hip-hop to the mainstream with their Navigator and Polysaturated albums. P-Money drops Big Things. The Aotearoa Hip-Hop summit heads to Auckland, and Mareko and Scribe record their…
EP8- Deceptikonz [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:01
The legendary Deceptikonz come together in South Auckland and link up with a brand new record label, Dawn Raid. Hip-Hop in Aotearoa goes online, heralding the arrival of new crews like Breakin Wreckwordz and the next evo…
EP7 - DLT [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:29
DLT and Che Fu reset the benchmark for Aotearoa hip-hop with ‘Chains’, The True School, and 2b S.Pacific. Otara godfather Phil Fuemana launches his legendary Urban Pasifika Records, bringing Lost Tribe, Dei Hamo and Moiz…
Episode Six [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:46
It's the mid 90's OMC drop ‘How Bizarre’ and become a global sensation. Rolling Stone writes a full spread on the New Zealand sound. Three the Hard Way connects the dots between reggae and hip hop. DLT & Che Fu work on o…
Episode Five [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:50
Phil Fuemana and the Otara Music And Arts Centre give young South Aucklanders a place to grow their talent. The Proud Tour travels the country. The Christchurch scene struggles with racism and white supremacist skinheads…
Episode Four [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:40
It's the early 90's, DLT quits Upper Hutt Posse and helps form Dam Native, Mai FM hits the airwaves. DJ Sir-Vere & Slave start the World Famous True School Hip Hop Show. Jazz, Electronic & Rap collide at Cause Celebre, Z…
Episode Three [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:40
The Aotearoa hip hop scene explodes, Sani Sagala aka Dei Hamo gets his start at a Manukau rap battle alongside Slave & Otis. Double J & Twice the T tour NZ schools and inspire a 9 year old Scribe. New Zealand record comp…