1990s – 2020sPeak: 2000s
Aotearoa Hip-Hop
About Aotearoa Hip-Hop
New Zealand hip-hop took shape in the 1990s through Upper Hutt Posse and the Auckland-based Dawn Raid Entertainment, then went mainstream when Che Fu won the 2001 Apra Silver Scroll and Scribe topped the local charts with Stand Up in 2003. The scene has always carried Māori and Pasifika identity directly in the lyrics, from Che Fu's Niuean heritage to the Kings hit Don't Worry 'bout It.