28 September 2018 - 0 Comments
The streets always speak first. They acknowledge the hustle, the grind and the determination of a new artist before the mainstream grasp what’s happening.
Poetik knows this first hand, winning the 2018 Philip Fuemana Most Promising Pacific Artist Award in May, an honour that made Hip Hop fans and media take notice.
“That moment right there, was a moment of clarity, It made me know I had to deliver a new project this year and it had to be a project of substance, something for the people, befitting of the pioneering Fuemana Music family – and so Hamofied was born” he affirms. “My Mission from day one was to grow from my street albums, and release a project worthy of the ‘Hamofied title.”
“Hamo is street slang for a Samoan person, ‘Hamo-fied’ is like saying you’re extra Samoan, representing your culture all the way, it’s a term from the youth that we use in my village ‘FUGALEI’ in APIA. “Hamofied is a state of Mind, it’s a state of Living! ” say POETIK.
Born in New Zealand, but raised in Apia Samoa, the world got its first taste of Poetik on his three independently released street albums The Ambassador, For The Ville, and Poetikly Done, the latter of which also debuted at #1 on iTunes New Zealand Hip Hop chart in 2017.
Known for his outspoken opinions on racism, Polynesian culture, mainstream media and for putting Samoan Hip Hop on the map, fans have called him the ‘Poly Pac’ (a reference to the late great controversial MC Tupac who was known for controversial topics and his grass roots support of his community) and local radio are now dubbing Poetik, “one of the most disruptive voices in local music.”
Hamofied includes all new music recorded after winning the 2018 Most Promising Pacific Artist Award, and features the RIANZ #15 Top 40 NZ single Lets Kick It featuring Melodownz, his highest charting single to date. Lets Kick It is also now over 100k combined streams on Spotify and Youtube, and his independently released videos numbering over 20, have over 1 Million combined views.
“Hamofied is an offering of what’s to come from me, a stepping stone, on my journey to recording my debut album, which in time I hope will be a master piece”
POETIK – HAMOFIED EP - out today iTUNES | Spotify
Watch Poetik: Lets Kick It feat Melodownz | For My City
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