Urban Pasifika
Encyclopedia
Urban Pacifika Records is a sub-genre of hip hop
which combines American
style hip hop or R&B rhyming and beats with Pacific Island or Māori instrumentation (such as ukulele
samples) and Pacific Island or Māori language
singing
/rapping
.
It originated in Auckland
, New Zealand
in around 1993 with the release of the album Urban Pacifika Records - Pioneers of a Pacifikan Frontier on an Auckland based record label
started by Phillip Fuemana called Urban Pasifika Records. This record label
is widely credited with creating the genre.Urban Pacifika Records was the first record label owned by a pacific islander and was created to produce and release NZ pacific music to a wider audience.
Phillip Fuemana's influence on NZ music was significant, he started a music movement that continues today, he worked and produced over 40 albums and singles and directed a number ofmusic videos. He was also influential in the development of Dawn Raid entertainmentthe most successful independent NZ record label ever.
Phillip was also the driving force behind NZ's biggest selling single "How Bizzare" with the band OMC. Phil started OMC as an outlet for his instrumentals but passed it on to his younger brother Pauly Fuemana who fronted the band. OMC went on the to sell over 3 million albums.
Urban Pacifika Records continues today under Tony Fuemana who has produced over 10 Albums and directed 8 documentaries and 1 feature movie.
Main artists active in this sub-genre include:
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
which combines American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
style hip hop or R&B rhyming and beats with Pacific Island or Māori instrumentation (such as ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
samples) and Pacific Island or Māori language
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
/rapping
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
.
It originated in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in around 1993 with the release of the album Urban Pacifika Records - Pioneers of a Pacifikan Frontier on an Auckland based record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
started by Phillip Fuemana called Urban Pasifika Records. This record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
is widely credited with creating the genre.Urban Pacifika Records was the first record label owned by a pacific islander and was created to produce and release NZ pacific music to a wider audience.
Phillip Fuemana's influence on NZ music was significant, he started a music movement that continues today, he worked and produced over 40 albums and singles and directed a number ofmusic videos. He was also influential in the development of Dawn Raid entertainmentthe most successful independent NZ record label ever.
Phillip was also the driving force behind NZ's biggest selling single "How Bizzare" with the band OMC. Phil started OMC as an outlet for his instrumentals but passed it on to his younger brother Pauly Fuemana who fronted the band. OMC went on the to sell over 3 million albums.
Urban Pacifika Records continues today under Tony Fuemana who has produced over 10 Albums and directed 8 documentaries and 1 feature movie.
Main artists active in this sub-genre include:
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- Dei HamoDei Hamo- Albums :- Singles :- External links :***- See also :*New Zealand hip hop...
- AdeazeAdeaze- Studio albums :-Singles:-References:*Jewell, Stephen. . New Zealand Musician Magazine. Retrieved October 20, 2006.-External links:**...
- Savage (rapper)Savage (rapper)- Studio albums :-Singles:-Featured singles:- External links :*****...
- DeceptikonzDeceptikonzThe Deceptikonz is a New Zealand Hip hop group formed in the South Auckland suburb of Manurewa in 1996 and consists of Savage, Devolo, Alphrisk and Mareko. Their debut album was Elimination released in 2002.- History :...
- Nesian MystikNesian MystikNesian Mystik was a New Zealand Hip-Hop/R&B group formed in 1999. Their cultural backgrounds unite a remarkable diversity of Polynesia by bringing together Cook Island, Tongan, Samoan and Maori ancestry...
- Kaka Man Jim