These African and Middle Eastern Rappers Are Bringing Fresh Perspectives to New Zealand Hip-Hop

Times x Two

Hip-hop in New Zealand is known for its Pacific roots. From Upper Hutt Posse, Moana and the Moa Hunters and Urban Distance in the 80s and 90s to King Kapisi, Savage and Che Fu in the 2000s, the scene has been built by artists with Maori and Polynesian backgrounds.

But as immigration to New Zealand has diversified, so has the country’s music, with a new wave of artists who have migrated from Africa and the Middle East. The result is an influx of sophisticated songs that are elevating New Zealand hip-hop and expanding its reach. These artists are gaining attention online, where they regularly rack up tens of thousands (sometimes hundreds of thousands) of plays on Soundcloud.

Raiza Biza

Raiza Biza, a rapper from Rwanda who moved to Hamilton as a child, has amassed a dedicated following for his laid-back rhymes since introducing himself as “another scarred young man outta Africa” back in 2012. Now four albums deep, he’s one of the more established artists in this thriving hip-hop scene.

He thinks the experiences that he and other artists have had in moving to New Zealand at a young age “add another layer to the music”, and that this makes them unique in the New Zealand scene.

Raiza’s own style, while imbued with the chill vibes of New Zealand’s hip-hop history, takes influence from 90s luminaries Nas and Talib Kweli to give a glimpse into his journey. His lyrics, delivered over smooth, soulful jazz-infused instrumentals, often reflect on his Rwandan background, even though he tells me the last time he was in the country he was in his mother’s womb. On “Nada” he raps: “I just wanna send a little money to my mom’s mom / in the Congo, where it’s war-torn.” He says this history “plays on my mind, and naturally emerges in my music.”

This unfiltered honesty makes his raps riveting, but Raiza’s success also comes from being part of a strong community, having teamed up with the prolific Young, Gifted and Broke crew three years ago. He also formed his own squad called AmmoNation, which includes producer Crime Heat, who he regularly collaborates with; Jane Deezy, whose sparkling, sharp-tongued R&B-inflected hip hop is instantly catchy; and Blaze the Emperor, who has a woozy flow that floats breezily atop any beat.

Theirs isn’t the only contingent of hip-hop transplants to come out of Hamilton, either. There’s also the Stay Savage Crew, which includes Bobby, a mysterious young rapper who delivers slick Drake-like rhymes over spare trap beats, and KVKA who, at only 17, has amazed hundreds of thousands of plays on Soundcloud for his gruff delivery.

It’s all gravy now, but before building his crew, Raiza says he struggled to find his place as “one of the only rappers on the scene of African descent, or from anywhere else that far abroad”. “Not knowing anyone on the scene was hard,” he admitted.

The best friends and rappers who make up Times x Two felt the same when they entered the scene with their energetic hip-hop in 2011. Both emigrated to New Zealand young (Cader from Zimbabwe when he was eight, Zee from Iraq when he was two) and felt alienated. But later they realised their differences made them dynamic, when they combined their Arab and African cultures with American influences. Cader says, “When I was growing up, I was heavily influenced by hip hop music, but was also listening to a lot of music from Zimbabwe, which was very melody driven, and had a lot of percussion. I definitely use that as inspiration when I’m producing music.” Indeed, their sound, which swerves between dirty trap, pop and R&B, is an invigorating mix—the result of upbringings spent navigating cultural differences. Zee says, “Being from a foreign country, it was quite hard for me to fit in with the other kids. At home I was around my family who were all living life according to Arabic people’s values and morals, but then when I went to school it was completely different.” He thinks this is why he and Cader bonded when they met in primary school, “and why we both get along so easily with other musicians in New Zealand who weren’t born here.”

With lines like “Ask anybody in the New Zealand scene / they’ll tell you Times x Two the most dedicated motherfuckers”, they share a bold perspective with contemporaries like Raiza—Cader thinks it’s “because we’re all from different backgrounds and had to settle and adapt to the New Zealand lifestyle.” Regardless, it’s seeing them flourish. Since a slew of successful sets opening for T-Pain, Kid Ink and Salt-n-Pepa (and with Cader having freestyled onstage to an enraptured A$AP Rocky), Times x Two are now firmly part of a world-class scene that is starting to get noticed globally.

Young Tapz

Young Tapz is perhaps the brightest star of the bunch right now. The 20-year-old rapper moved to Wellington from Zimbabwe 12 years ago, and in the last six months has found his career taking off.

It started when he appeared on Australian EDM act Hermitude’s breakout single "The Buzz", which soundtracked a Samsung commercial and shoved him into the spotlight. He then performed at the ARIA Awards in Sydney in November, and released his own single "Killa", which peaked at number two on Spotify’s US Viral Charts and number three worldwide. Since then he has gained an international management team and opened for Chicago-based rapper Jeremih on his recent Australian tour.

When I interviewed Young Tapz he was in Los Angeles recording his debut album. But while he was far from his friends, it was clear he hadn’t forgotten about them. The community of artists he’s surrounded himself with in New Zealand have played as much a part in shaping him and his music as his Zimbabwean heritage has. He told me he reflects on his background “to connect, to add value. So you know I feel you, you’re not alone and shit.” But it’s collaborations that have kick-started his career. While starting out as a rapper in Wellington, he would regularly reach out to Auckland-based rapper and producer Mzwètwo. They went on to join forces often, despite the distance between them.

Mzwètwo. Image: Dextar Murray

Like Young Tapz, 21-year-old Mzwètwo also raps about his past, which involved moving to New Zealand from Zimbabwe when he was six. He tells me, “In the context of my life’s journey, living in New Zealand is like living in luxury. That’s why I work so hard—I know what I come from.”

Mzwètwo has been building a name for himself by producing his and others’ songs (including Young Tapz’s "Killa") and self-releasing three EPs over the last three years. He’s unashamedly bold in his global ambitions, telling The Red Bulletin he wants to make “the best hip hop songs that have ever been made”. It’s something you hear often from rappers but not necessarily in New Zealand, where modesty is the favoured route. But Mzwètwo seems gloriously unaffected by it. “I’m too passionate to care about that!” he says. “I’ve got a vision and it will come to pass.”

This vision is a melding of genres and personal history, and is perfectly articulated in his recent song ‘God Said’, an aggressive grime-inflected hip-hop romp with shredding guitars, cut from his upcoming EP. Spitting lines like “It’s me versus me, not you” and “Mama raised me on her own / that’s amazing grace / came here as a refugee / that’s amazing race”, he addresses his African heritage alongside his desire to only compete with himself.

In telling these unique experiences he’s sharing an authentic voice, which is proving popular. Mzwètwo counts A$AP Ferg among his fans—the Harlem rapper listened to a few of Mzwètwo’s songs at Red Bull Studios in Auckland last year and said they “totally blew me away.”

Mzwètwo has also formed a community around him with shared values and perspectives, who subscribe to an idea called Gallantino. It means “Gallant In The Name Of”, and he and Young Tapz sporadically throw the word into our interviews. Mzwètwo explains, “Gallantino is a word I made up to describe an idea. It’s the idea that all art that we put out is going to progress and add to culture. So we’re being brave by being new—bravery in the name of art.”

Perhaps the next thing to go global from New Zealand could be Gallantino, because if there’s one thing all of these artists share, it’s that brave and enduring spirit.

Follow Sarah @sarahgooding