22 Apr 2017 // A review by Corinne Rutherford
I had no idea what to expect with this song, I knew it was Hip-Hop from a band in Wellington. Boy was I wrong, it was so much more than that, it had depth and layers galore. Raw Collective are not just a Hip-Hop band, they are are a "nine piece big band performing funk infused hip-hop", and they sound epic! I went and tracked down all previous releases and inhaled the lot. I will leave that there, because this is about the group's last single release before they unleash their album onto the world, Smash The Grips.

This is a complex arrangement of bass and big band sound complimenting raw yet polished lyrics. Nine musicians infusing their own style to create a tight, sexy sounding banger, which is going to have massive appeal to the groups large and steadily growing fan base.

This track is catchy, head nodding stuff, and like I previously mentioned a "banger" but with depth and a story line. I am sad I missed these guys when they played at the Mount, I bet they are something else to watch live. Their growing popularity on the NZ music festival scene indicates they are a band to keep an eye on.

I really look forward to the release of Raw Collective's album, I think I may be addicted and as they say "we all gotta get that rush".

Smash The Grips griped me, and I will go as far as to say, this is New Zealand's Hip-Hop at its finest.  

Appearing on the scene with their first music video Coins (Memories) which won single of the year on Radioactive.fm and support from independent radio stations across the country, Raw Collective set themselves on a path to make inspiring original music and back it up with an energetic live show.

Since then, the crew have released their debut full album gaining critical acclaim, write ups and radio play around the world.

The last two years have seen the band hit the road with two NZ tours and a successful 5-show Australian tour in March 2019.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Raw Collective

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