Diaz Grimm, a pioneer of trap rap and EDM in Aotearoa brings statesmanship, righteous anger and vulnerability with his third album; Maui & The Sin, and the music is only part of the story.

A splash has been made by Grimm’s use of AOT (Album Ownership Tokens) as a funding method and his new look as an AI avatar, but what’s behind the hype?

I went into my first album listen blind, having intentionally avoided as much as context as possible and was immediately drawn into the soundscape intro of WWAD, before being gut punched by the bass drop, the opening motifs mixed into the first beat masterfully, sonically impactful, with obvious attention paid to the stereo mix. Lyrically it is a brief introduction and statement of self, and after 15+ listen throughs remains one of the standout tracks on the album, my favourite bar on this one has to go “all the Tea and Cappin' you look like mad hatters”

The second track; Land Bacc. Is poignant and timely, tapping into the righteous anger of a populace. The land back movement has been coming to the fore among Indigenous populations worldwide, and with this track Diaz and featured artist Fiveohfive lend their voice to the movement and do so with their whole damn chests. This track also speaks of individual desire for freedom within repressive systems, including the music industry itself, “my grandmother was whipped, but I'm just a slave to time, I still own my masters, why you think I never signed?”

Strangers is a whiplash switch in vibe, showing the range that Grimm has developed over his career, a club banger, with an infectious hook, I see remixes on the horizon for this track. This track also works particularly well with the visual accompaniment the blending faces adding perfectly to the ethereal and dreamlike feel of the track.

Stuck On The Benee at first glance is a jumpy electronic dance track, but if you scratch the surface and tune into the lyrics you will find a vulnerable, heartfelt poem about alienation and a loss of hope that anybody who has been trapped in a cycle of poverty will recognise. The choice to cover vulnerability with irony speaks to the way people, especially men, in this country often handle speaking about more difficult topics. Hearing “try so hard to hold on until my soul is saved, honestly I can't wait to leave my body babe” while the instrumental urges me to dance takes me back to so many deep, and deeply inebriated, conversations around that one glass topped outdoor table that everybody's parents seemed to own.

Poppies is a multi-beat cypher that puts some serious flows on display. Diaz Grim and OD both throw down on this track, showcasing skilled wordplay and delivery, but the standout to me is Te KuraHuia, I will, without a doubt be checking out more work from this Mana Wahine.

Pepeha is genius, and, in my opinion, the most likely track on this album to find mainstream commercial success. It says, as the name suggests, this is who I am, this is where I come from, this is what I do. There is not much left to be said, this track goes hard.

Gold is one of the heavier, trappier, tracks on the album, another cypher showcasing rhymes and flows, I can't pick a favourite artist on this one, KatanaMoney, ChaseMayne and Vile are all names to look out for, best enjoyed loud. This one has been added to my workout playlist.

WWTD is the introduction to the second disk of the album, the overdriven guitar with vocal percussion and understated but pitch perfect singing from HINA load the intro with suspense. The visuals for this track are well suited, the warriors marching into battle synchronise with the vocal percussion to drive the music in a march to war, the lyrics as well, are combative and upbeat and sign off with “bitch get in the car, a new future awaits” foreshadowing what remains to come on the album.

Whakama Hoha damn near my neck with whiplash, coming out of WWTD the last thing I was expecting was an excerpt from back to the future, followed by this bouncy tongue in cheek recollection of teenage mischief. This track once again shows off Grimms range, delving into old school storytelling telling hip hop. The hook is stupid catchy, and I can see this one having longevity as a fan favourite.

Same Old Thing is a feel good track, softer and sounding of summer, getting very close to ballad territory, this one would not seem out of place on mainstream radio.

Villain Origins' story bounces us back to what (in my opinion) Grimm does best. Hard beats, solid bars and aggressive delivery. One of my favourite instrumentals and hooks on the album.

Baby is obviously a very personal and vulnerable track, but still manages to be cheeky and a bit fun. Grimm showing his softer side? Its relatable and endearing.

Hikoi is a look behind the curtain, delving into spoken word, Diaz Grimm lays out his story so far and shouts out the people who he met along the way. This track gave me some clarity, as someone new to the genre, into what has gone into his career so far, and where this album comes from.

Huri Raraunga, the second discs closing track draws the listener in with a harmonic intro and soft beat that sounds like it could be coming from a Tokere (slit drum) then whips us into a frenetic rap section, this track is composed of four starkly contrasted sections, and gives the effect of scanning through radio stations, pausing on each long enough to settle in and want more before jumping to the next.

So, what is this album?

What it is not, is boring, each track stands on its own as the work of one of the best in the genre in Aotearoa.

It shows range, production value, passion, talent and relentless work ethic.

Will it succeed in his goal to “bring the Te Ao Maori world to non-Maori, and to people who aren’t familiar with the Maori world.” (https://waateanews.com/2024/06/13/maui-sci-fi-mix-up-in-grimms-maui-fable/)

Only time will tell.

The funding model of album ownership tokens the Grimm has engaged as a way to fund and distribute music does strike me as a light in darkness of the grifters and scammers that permeate through the crypto and NFT space, and so far is one of the best use cases I have seen for blockchain tokens. Especially with the element of streaming revenue being paid back to token holders, this can potentially lead to decentralised promotion of music, we may soon see AOT holders booking gigs and developing their own promotional material to drive engagement in music they have invested in, to raise the value of their investment. This could be a sea change towards democratisation of the music industry.

The use of AI visualisation to accompany tracks is ahead of its time, and I cannot confirm or deny whether that's a compliment. With AI video generation still in a stage of infancy, the results can be hit and miss however the concept itself should be applauded, getting experimental like this takes guts and vision, which Grimm has proven to have in spades.

The only criticism I have of this album has nothing to do with the quality of the music, but whether it achieves its artistic intent, Diaz Grimm has stated that each of the two discs are set in different times, the first in 1776 and the second in 2077, sonically I can see this to some extent. The first disc has more naturalistic tones and the second is more industrial, this however is not carried through in the lyrical themes of the songs, all of which seem distinctly of our current time. Maybe I just don't get it, that's okay, we as the audience will always ascribe our own meaning to art, and it's rare that it will be the same as that of the artist.

Our experiences in life shape what will resonate with us and in my humble opinion, Diaz Grimm should be immensely proud of what he has produced, a standout, multi genre, multidisciplinary work of art set breaks ground and pave the way into the future.

• 1
  Head Like A Hole
• 2
  Horror Story
• 3
  Fraser Ross
• 4
  Fur Patrol
• 5
  Michelle Rounds
• 6
  L.A.B.
• 7
  Devilskin
• 8
  Coridian
• 9
  The Boondocks
• 10
  Late to Chelsea

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  The Phoenix Foundation @ Meow Nui, Wellington - 14/12/2024

• 1
  APT.
  ROSÉ And Bruno Mars
• 2
  DIE WITH A SMILE
  Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars
• 3
  BIRDS OF A FEATHER
  Billie Eilish
• 4
  TASTE
  Sabrina Carpenter
• 5
  I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
  Gracie Abrams
• 6
  ESPRESSO
  Sabrina Carpenter
• 7
  SAILOR SONG
  Gigi Perez
• 8
  LOSE CONTROL
  Teddy Swims
• 9
  A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
  Shaboozey
• 10
  GOOD LUCK, BABE!
  Chappell Roan

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