It's currently going through some renovation - in the mean time I suggest getting out there and enjoying the Summer and if in Auckland then I recommend checking out the hiphop acts both local and overseas heading this way.
izzat so? and you have heard this album yes?
I doubt it and that would be because it doesn't exist. As far as being released as a pacific performer goes what does that mean? He's Samoan and that something that won't change in a hurry, you were expecting ukalele strummings and a floral shirt maybe from him?
Mareko is performing tonight with Scram Jones in NY's Soho village in conjunction with the release of his US 12" vinyl.
DJ Sirvere is also in New York and will be filming the event for the Holla Hour.
Following the event Mareko & YDNA will be up in the VIP at Missy Elliot's album release party at club NV on the same night!!!
Loon & P.Diddy also have an album release party that night so there should be some good photo's coming.
Check back on Thursday for photo's once the boys get home!!!
Mareko 12" "Street Rap " Feat: Inspectah Deck B/w "Don't need Protection" Feat : Scram Jones & Roc Raida ships to stores in US Dec 1st, it will be available at Fatbeats (NY & LA), Beatstreet, Earwax Stores, hiphopsite.com, sandboxautomatic.com, undergroundhiphop.com and where all good Hip Hop is sold.
taken from www.hiphopnz.com
I hope tyna doesn't mind that I have taken this from another thread to reply.
"i know there is americanisms in the way i rhyme but i feel there is just as much kiwi in my flow as anything else......it just gives me different ways of pronouncing words sometimes they'll sound kiwi sometimes a kind of american and hori hybrid but however i do it ...it's done on a sub-conciouss level....nuthin is pre-meditated ...however a certain sentence feels is how its gonna come out.....
its the same when i sing....i find it natural too sing in the black RnB style...if i try and sing in a pure kiwi accent im fucked ....
Same goes for playin an instrument.....when playing guitar i tend too play from a modal point of view using a lot arpeggios / octaves and inverted chordal scales because im influenced by that type of playing eg Wes Montgomery and George Benson...but ask me to play you any thing the kiwi way and im fucked.....
Mareko is someone who really emphasizes syllables and vowels..and for this gets accused of tryna sound too american ...yet if you really listen hard enough he rhymes with a kiwi cadence using our prounciation of words like halfback and laughed at etc
if anything Mareko rhymes Marekoneeze(u know what i mean)..... his flow is just that original that people think hmmm American.....yet i think next to the American mcee's on White Sunday(whom he slaps silly no less) Mareko sounz kiwi as....
anyway same with jared and dave....i dont think we are really tryna sound like anything.............
i dont think its so much an american accent ...but more a nz/american hybrid accent created by our upbringing / influences / environment etc etc
more importantly.....its about CONTENT..............as long as u rhyme about what u know and experience and your flow is your flow............................
Your a Top Bloke"
tyna
con psy
mareko
cyphanetik
3 out of those 4 emcees have held various NZ MC Battle titles and all 4 of them have the skill to bring it both on stage and in the studio. I'll pass on your sentiments.
//The Crusader album is that it doesn't go on for-fucking-ever HELLO WHITE SUNDAY//
16 tracks don't make something bloated - if you want to bring something up don't make a fool of yourself by looking just as cynical as the critic in question.
//Blindspott are gay//
referring to that comment - so keen to play the race card
there were mixtapes from 4 Corners, a relatively new crew called Neighbourhood Watch and TAAZ had some stuff to sell as well - mixtape styles is catching on no doubt
Taken from the NZ herald..
//Saturday Nite Summit Jam at the Auckland Town Hall
13.10.2003 - By FEDERICO MONSALVE
Although the Roots was a tough act to follow, as some in the crowd pointed out, the trousers were still "low-ridin' and flowing to the fat beats". The hand signals flashed from every direction, and the crews on stage pumped a mixture of verbal mastery and turntablist know-how that ghetto-blasted the Town Hall in a way that it hasn't seen in a while.
Despite an aggressive security staff, this all-ages show for the Aotearoa Hip-Hop Summit was a civilised example that the hip-hop culture's bad rap isn't deserved, or as tough as it makes out.
The impressive line-up included the A-list of Aotearoa's hip-hop underground: DJ Shan, Dei Hamo, R. E. S, Ill Semantics, Deceptikonz, Nesian Mystik, Scribe, and American pop hip-hop legend, DJ Jazzy Jeff.
The overall effect of the night was a jam session that went from the eclectic Pacifica rhythms and lyrics of Dei Hamo, rising slowly to the more hardcore bad-boy attitude of the Dawn Raid Showcase, and bringing the crowd down slowly through Nesian Mystic and the more poppy dessert of the evening, DJ Jazzy Jeff and his charismatic MC, Paulie.
Nesian Mystik unfortunately lacked the energy of some of the acts around them but got the crowd lip-syncing to Nesian Style punctuated, of course, by long, loving sighs from many of the females in attendance.
Deceptikonz's antics, which included having a group of about 25 MCs on stage at one point, blasted the house with a combination of strong physical presence and the rhyming prowess of urban poets full of anger, passion and attitude.
The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly Scribe who more than proved true to his lyrics: "How many dudes you know who can rock a show like this? Not many, if any." His casual prancing around stage while hurling words like they were pebbles made the crowd bounce like hyper ants.
MC Paulie Yamz screamed, "Give us any song and we'll create a new one", as behind him, Jazzy Jeff's turntables re-created everything from Suzanne Vega and De La Soul all the way to Beyonce and Dr Dre.
The crowd bounced and rolled to snippets from American pop anthems (Crazy in Love and Tom's Diner) scratched, fast-forwarded and played backwards and re-worked with the virtuosity of someone who has been in the business for more than 14 years.
Scribe and the Dawn Raid showcase (including Ill Semantics and Deceptikonz) proved that they know where it's at when it comes to pleasing the all-ages Auckland crowd and left the international act a few kumara short of a hangi. //
The Friday night was also amazing for the performances by local DJ's including CXL, Manchoo, Mouli and others in the fight to see who would represent NZ at the World ITF finals in Germany - all the best Manchoo.
The bboys taking each other down to show who was the best one on one, shot Shortewok.
Highlight for Friday - Mareko and the deceptikonz pulling off one of their best performances ever.
That wasn't called for, if you want to make stupid comments then that's your perogative but spare the rest of us your ignorance.
Nice performance last night - looking forward to this years summit and seeing more of the same. Might even hear some of the stuff you do kittenthyler, will you be on space,squeeze, touring around New Zealand including the smaller towns, the hiphop summit or maybe even the Big Day Out?
If you get the chance listen to City Line, or alternatively try Stress Relief from Major Flavors 3.5 - no chorus's and both rely on the lyrics to carry the song.
That's quite amusing, Dawnraid sent some friends Mareko and he got a US distribution deal (something no-one in the local hip-hop scene has managed to crack ) as well as some very powerful friends - all based on what they saw in the studio. He also manages to stay close firends with some of the local guys you all seem so determined to pit against each other.
Are you reading what you are writing? - Hip Hop is the product of change, no-one said it couldn't change and the wealth of international hip hop artists validate that fact.
Emcees generally do not do this for the money, there is no money to be made in NZ as an emcee. Emcees hone their skills with practise and by learning from those that are up there and currently there are few that I would rate as competant enough to go toe to toe with Americas finest. The whole accent debate is sad and quite frankly appalling if used to bring someone down because they are not being true to themselves phonically - Scribe and Mareko both write tunes from experience and if you listened to ALL of their material you might figure that out.
Frauds are usually figured out when they can't put their money where their mouth is - Scribe has an album out soon and has been schooled by some of NZ finest in the NZ Hip Hop scene, Mareko has an American distribution deal and is off to release 12" singles in NY next month - from that alone I'd say history has been made.
1200 techniques get hated on by their own scene as their lack of an Ozzie accent is an issue. The whole idea of emcees slf promoting is not a new thing and is part and parcel of MC Battles. It's only really an issue if the bravado goes beyond the stage.
Hip Hop is as a American as Coca Cola and any argument to say otherwise is ignorant. If you want to rewrite it's origins then feel free but you have got 25-30 years of unravelling and a hell of a lot more people to convince.
The accent of the artist shouldn't matter - an old argument could come to play here, are you going to tell NZ reggae artists they should not sound Jamaican when singing ska or flowing raggamuffin? The content of the song should hold more weight than the accent - shutting off because they don't appeal to your sensibillities as a fervant patriot to the kiwi accent is again, ignorant.
Who are you to automatically dismiss someone as a fraud? if History teaches us anything it's that HipHop is here to stay - I wonder how many people who dismissed rapping as a fad feel 25 years on?
This is definately a solid hiphop album, awesome tracks and production from some of New Zealand and New Yorks finest.
I'll remember that next time I listen to Salmonella Dub, Black Seeds or Katchafire.
Formed in 1997. Two albums down and two more on the way as well as concert work and studio time with artists they grew up listening to including American MC's such as Coolio, Beatnuts, Inspectah Deck, Celph Titled, Bone Thugs and Harmony, the Licks, Scram Jones, 50 Cent & G Unit not to mention locals like Blindspott, Scribe, FrontLine, Footsouljahs, King Kapisi and P-Money as well as tours all over New Zealand and a recent tour of Australia and time in New York. Only gets better from here.
[ http://www.hiphopnz.com ]