Vajra God - EP Review: Linkages
16 Jul 2020 // review by jck2
Vajra God as far as I can make out is the alter ego and sexual side of David Patterson aka Esoligh. This EP is about sex and the songs are sexually explicit.
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The Robba - Album Review: Rob Arthur
06 Feb 2020 // review by jck2
Rob Arthur by The Robba is an 11-track album of synth heavy rap songs dripping in The Robba’s very unique sound and style. The Robba is infinitely talented, taking credits for beats, guitar, rapping, singing, mixing, mastering and even making the music videos.
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Rei - Album Review: The Bridge
06 Aug 2019 // review by jck2
With a music career on a continued upward trajectory, 25 year old musician Rei is reaping the rewards of his hard work and dedication to his craft with his third and latest album The Bridge going to number 1 on the iTunes Hip Hop charts.
Self-belief, positivity and connection to his Maori roots is how I would sum up what Rei is all about.
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Devaur - Album Review: Product Of A Vision
23 Feb 2019 // review by jck2
Devaur is a West Auckland Producer and MC who has been dedicated to his craft for over 10 years. Producing numerous projects, music videos and mix tapes including albums for Synteck and Manix not to mention his numerous features and collaborations.
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Factor - EP Review: Champions of the Digital World
30 Jan 2019 // review by jck2
The west side of Auckland is back in full effect with Factor's latest release Champions of the Digital World, which features many of west Auckland's finest MC’s including heavy hitters Pakkz Tha General, Alpha, Dlar, {K.A.
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Gig Reivew: Wu Tang Clan @ The Trusts Arena, Auckland - 14/12/2018
16 Dec 2018 // review by jck2
The most iconic and arguably the best Hip-Hop group of all time graced West Auckland's Trust Arena on Friday night to celebrate 25 years of the Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) album, which they performed in its entirety.
The night started with DJ Sir-Vere and MC JB the War Villain followed by local Hip Hop group SWIDT who dropped tracks from their debut album including Ric Flair and No Emotion In The Wild.
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Zams Feat Zed Koen - Single/Video Review: New Money
05 Dec 2018 // review by jck2
New Money is the hot new music video from Zaman Lewis AKA Zams, featuring rapper Zed Koen New Money brings the new school rules to the ring with their contemporary trap styles. Vibrant cinematography makes this video pop with colour and movement.
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SWIDT - EP Review: The Most Electrifying
15 Aug 2018 // review by jck2
Onehunga's own SWIDT have released their 6-song EP The Most Electrifying.
SWIDT's style is in the same contemporary direction as American Superstars J Cole and Migos, but with SWIDT’s exceptional talent of translating their big personalities, humour, wit and vibe to their records.
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Icepro - Single Review: Last Breath
24 Jul 2018 // review by jck2
Icepro’s new single Last Breath, featuring Piri Mac, is a tribute to West Coast 90’s Gangster rap with a nod to the hook from the 1997 hit Going Back To Cali by Notorious B.I.
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JCK - Album Review: Glass
12 Feb 2018 // review by jck2
Beautiful rendition of Bowie's classic Ashes to Ashes exactly note for note to my ear. Can't believe he played every instrument himself!
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Interview with Die Gruwel
29 Jan 2018 // interview by jck2
Die Gruwel are a newly formed Horror/Slasher punk band from Auckland. I’ve been thrashing their first release called Creep In A Jeep so I thought I’d talk to the lads and find out what makes them tick.
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Needless Cane - Album review: Sick World
13 Nov 2017 // review by jck2
Needles Cane is a name that I’ve heard crop up quite a few times on posters and gig invitations on Facebook and amongst friends in the Auckland Goth scene. Although the most I knew about them before I listened to their album Sick World was that they were gothic rock.
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SWIDT - Album Review: Stoneyhunga
06 Aug 2017 // review by jck2
SWIDT, which stands for "See what I did there?", broke onto the music scene with their independently produced single & video No More Parties In Onehunga in early 2016.
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Rei - Interview: Rei
10 Jul 2017 // interview by jck2
What drives you to keep on going in the music industry?
The number one drive for me is the fact that I enjoy making music.
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Logic Defies Logic - Album Review: Magic And Science
03 Apr 2017 // review by jck2
Logic Defies Logic's Magic And Science is the 6 track album I’ve been listening to in my car for the last couple of weeks. From the cover to the inlay to the pull out insert to the music itself, the Album screams mastery, perfectionism and quality and has definitely made a fan out of me.
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Interview with Alpha
09 Mar 2017 // interview by jck2
Alpha AKA Angus Grace is a Hip-Hop artist I've known from the Auckland Hip-Hop scene for a few years now.
He's the kinda artist that works hard and takes every opportunity to perform and spread that goodness.
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Earth Tiger - Album Review: Holiday
04 Dec 2016 // review by jck2
Earth Tiger creates songs that swirl together the electrifying textures of hip-hop, big pop, rock and electro dance music into a brand-new sound. Masterminded by artists Cruz Mathews and Tom Taylor, the group spins out clever lyrics, infectious hooks and energetic, inventive grooves that intertwine with bold bass and playful synth layers.
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The Solomon Cole Band - Album Review: Bruises
30 Oct 2016 // review by jck2
The Solomon Cole Band is a four piece band hailing from Waiheke Island. Their album Bruises is 10 tracks of Classic Rock reminiscent of bands like Lynard Skynard, Fleetwood Mac, The Doobie Brothers, ZZ Top and The Eagles and other such classic rock from that era.
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Dilz - Album Reviews: Three And A Half Seas and Reconstruction
29 Jun 2016 // review by jck2
Dilz is a rapper from New Zealand with a fresh voice on hip-hop. Working endlessly on collaborations and mixtapes from the start of his career as an amateur rapper, Dilz has grown into a professional ready to break his way into the forefront of underground hip-hop.
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Dilz - Album Review: Scrapbook
05 Jun 2016 // review by jck2
Dillon Lamb aka Dilz is a young rapper from Foxton who has released a new mixtape called Scrapbook. This isn't Dilz first mixtape, his Bandcamp discography shows several mixtapes dating back to 2013.
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The Doqument - Album Review: 509
01 May 2016 // review by jck2
509 is the new album from Auckland Hip-Hop crew The Doqument. Consisting of $ikeOne (MC), IMAG€ (MC), and Shaqles (Producer/MC), the three-part team have been turning heads for both their solo and group outputs, and between them have performed alongside Bone Thugs n Harmony, KRS One and Mobb Deep, jointly collaborated with bona fide rappers such as David Dallas and PNC and already released two albums: The Rookie Album and Blank Canvas: Wall & Piece.
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Louie Knuxx - Album Review: Tiny Warm Hearts
20 Mar 2016 // review by jck2
With a husky rapping voice reminiscent of 'The God Father' Louie Knuxx' latest offering Tiny Warm Hearts is a collection of introspective and mellow songs mainly about relationships. I could describe them as love songs but I think that would be a stretch.
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B2KDA - Album Review: Rising
17 Oct 2015 // review by jck2
Rising is the latest full length album from B2KDA (Formerly known as Batucada Sound Machine). In a career spanning 12 years this interesting group of dedicated musicians from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities have travelled the world playing their brand of high energy fusion music.
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Interview with Bobby
16 Jul 2015 // interview by jck2
Who is Bobby as a Hip-hop artist?
As a Hip-Hop artist I am someone with a different outlook on music.
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Psyrok - Single Review: Only Yesterday
29 Jun 2015 // review by jck2
Psyrok & Li'l Sister Jen aka (LSJ) have put out a new single titled Only Yesterday. Psyrok is a Trip Hop producer from Wellington and Little Sister Jen aka (LSJ) is a vocalist from Sweden.
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The Pacific Music Awards 2015
21 Jun 2015 // review by jck2
The 2015 Vodafone Pacific Music Awards was held at
the Vodafone Events Centre on Saturday the 13th of June. The event was a well
produced and slick celebration of Pacific Music.
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Tihei - EP Review: For The Fans
09 Jun 2015 // review by jck2
I caught up with Tihei Harawira on the PTG Code radio show on Rep FM where we both were guests. He had a CD he was selling for $10, so I asked him If I could have one to review.
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Interview with XCeeD
02 Jun 2015 // interview by jck2
Today on ‘The Rap It Up’ blog I interview Rahul Mukund one of New Zealand’s most notorious battle MC’s. Rahul aka XCeeD is a kind of "super villain", if you will, of the 1 outs battle league.
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Interview with Ryan HC
25 May 2015 // interview by jck2
I've been following Ryan Boot aka Ryan HC for a couple of years now and have heard his songs and videos go from strength to strength. So I hit him up for an interview to share him with the world.
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HEAVY - Album Review: Lock In
28 Apr 2015 // review by jck2
Reem Nabhani & Liam Dargaville are rap duo HEAVY. Having only been together for a short time Heavy are blazing an impressive trail, playing 2015’s Chronophonium, Laneway & Splore Festivals.
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Dfekt Interview
07 Apr 2015 // interview by jck2
Who and what is DFEKT? My name is Brodie Giller, 'DFEKT' is like my alter ego, my alias.
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Rei - Single Review: Peace Pipes
01 Mar 2015 // review by jck2
Rei is a 21 year old Hip-Hop artist hailing from Wellington. I was first introduced to Rei through Kid n Rei and their music video for their song Bloody Sick Kids.
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Lucid Hiest - Album Review: Absence In Motion
07 Dec 2014 // review by jck2
Lucid Hiest aka Isiah Ngawaka is a singer/rapper and producer from Hawkes Bay New Zealand who has released his debut album Absence In Motion.
I would describe Lucid Hiest’s sound as drum n bass/hip-hop fusion similar in style to Salmonella Dub and Tiki Taane with a dash of Timbaland for good measure.
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The Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards 2014 Review
02 Dec 2014 // review by jck2
Walking in to the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards I was excited to see a long row of limousines, young woman dressed to the 9’s tottering around on heels like baby Giraffes, photographers cameras flashing away, reporters and TV presenters with microphones interviewing the NZ music stars.
I managed to score my wife and my sister tickets, they watched from the GA seats and I watched it on the telly in the media room where we were well fed and watered.
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At Peace - The @Peace And The Plutonian Noise Symphony Tour Review 25/10/14
08 Nov 2014 // review by jck2
Four lunatic space dorks and their anti authority band of banshees, one beat making rapscalion, and a tattooed terrorist aka hip hop group @peace and supporting act Louie Knuxx recently finished a nationwide tour to celebrate the deluxe double vinyl release of their highly-acclaimed debut album @Peace And The Plutonian Noise Symphony released March this year.
The nine-date escapade spanned the North and South Island and saw the group joined on the road by special guest Louie Knuxx, who recently released his own sophomore album PGT/GRR after an eight-year wait.
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Blatant Honesty by L.A.Z
27 Oct 2014 // review by jck2
Larry Fyntz aka LAZ, real name Laz Karaka is a NZ Hip Hop artist that stands out from the crowd for his share talent and originality. Every time I’ve seen L.
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House of Gold Interview
17 Sep 2014 // interview by jck2
Tauranga Hip-Hop crew House Of Gold is Mr Ridl, Quizzy, Havok, Merlin and VSOP1 They recently opened for international superstar Lloyd at Taurangas La Casa. I caught up with Axel Rose aka Mr Ridl to find out more about them.
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SKC Dose 'N' Deps Interview
04 Sep 2014 // interview by jck2
If you're a Hip-Hop head from New Zealand the chances are you've come across SKC Dose 'n' Deps.
Strictly underground and non commercial, SKC Dose 'n' Deps keep their lyrical themes dark and grizzly and their image is both creative and captivating.
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Twobarshort Interview
11 Aug 2014 // interview by jck2
Click here to go to TWOBARSHORT VOL TWO by TWOBARSSHORT on Bandcamp.
King Kai, NPC, Eyez and Micsure are a Dunedin/Christchurch based Hip-Hop crew called Twobarshort.
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Pakkz - Pakkz Tha General Interview
30 Jul 2014 // interview by jck2
If you’ve never heard of Pakkz Tha General and you’re a fan of Hip-Hop then you need to know.
Now I thought I’d seen some hard grinding rappers but Pakkz Tha General is on a whole nother level.
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JCK - Your Love
27 Jun 2007 // review by jck2
Not sureOk, but the rappin' is a little too whispery for me. I like the mood of it and the girl sounds hot as hell, and the beat's piano is SICK.
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JCK - Like A Virus
27 Jun 2007 // review by jck2
nice bass This seems like the type of song you would have on your car too show off your bass system, I don't know if that's good or bad, the song is alright same with the mood and the performance. - josht_canada from Canada on 5Oct2006 a twist a new twist on the game I like it its pretty good yea id buy it - dice_84 from Escanaba, Michigan on 16Sep2006 Boring The beat is terribly lacking.
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JCK - Long White Cloud
27 Jun 2007 // review by jck2
your flow sounds real dated, the lyrics are ok, you need to work on your syllables, you're stretching to hit the beat. has frat boy rap written all over it.
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