Some of our strongest solo hip hop acts have formed a supergroup: BLKCITY. Jonique Purcell talks to its five members about changing the landscape. Within recent years the names Raiza Biza, JessB, Abdul Kay, Blaze The Emperor and Mo Muse have become synonymous with Aotearoa’s simmering hip hop scene. Last year, after recording Raiza Biza’s … Read more
Auckland rapper JessB has just released a new EP and wraps up a national mini-tour tonight in her home town. Jogai Bhatt talked to her about her world travels, performing at Ihumātao, and how her community and her music intersect. It’s only been two years since JessB entered the public radar as the first woman … Read more
For the first and last time, Henry Oliver gives his definitive account of The Spinoff’s best New Zealand music of 2018. Read it and get angry. Here it is, my ten best albums and ten best songs, all from Aoteroa, all released in 2018. The one rule: appearance on one list disqualifies that artist from … Read more
Meer has been known for her punchy, slick rapping since her duo Cool Tan (then called Heavy) dropped their first EP in 2014. Last year, she kicked off her own solo career and here she talks to Gareth Shute about her new single ‘1953’. There are many reasons why Meer (real name Reem) holds a … Read more
Reilly Hodson looks at the best music videos of the year so far and how they’re commenting on these messed up times. In a world where music consumption seems to occur mostly with headphones plugged into a phone in one’s pocket, it’s easy to overlook the art of the music video. What was once one … Read more
The day after the end of New Zealand Music Month, Max Tetlow rounds-up of some of the best things to happen in New Zealand music in May. Villette’s VR video for ‘Money’ Villette’s Drip Crimson project proved she wasn’t here for just a few hits – her stellar lyrics and self-production across the album put … Read more
Everyone loves a cameo, and JessB has them all for you in her new music video for ‘Set It Off’. Has there ever been a bad cameo? Cameo creme – good. Cameo necklace – a classic. Cameo, singers of hit song ‘Word Up’ – a treasure. Even Anchorman 2, a hugely disappointing movie, had satisfying … Read more
On the first day of New Zealand Music Month, Max Tetlow introduces a new monthly round-up of some of the best things to happen in New Zealand music in the previous month. Unknown Mortal Orchestra drop Sex & Food ahead of a world tour This album made headlines for two reasons. First, it’s very good. Second, during … Read more
Miriama Aoake on JessB’s Block Party, an event which celebrated both the release of JessB’s debut EP and women of colour in New Zealand hip-hop. Last Friday, Galatos played host to a sundry of performances curated by JessB, coinciding with the release of her debut EP, Bloom. The night served to both celebrate and exhibit the potency … Read more
Henry Oliver talks to JessB about her first EP and how her professional netball career is helping her in the music industry. JessB is a force of focus and energy, the kind of person that seems to, at all times, be moving toward some kind of achievement. A bit over a week ago, Jess (birth … Read more