It’s taken a while, but hip-hop in Wellington is finally getting the recognition it deserves.

ONE two three…it’s Jean Grae and Talib Kweli.
One of the most critically successful hip-hop artists of our time is coming to the capital, and bringing with him the lady he considers “one of the last true MCs left”.
New Yorker Kweli, whose name means “truth seeker”, is arriving on Kiwi shores next week to play two shows in New Zealand.
Here with Kweli will be South African-born, New York-based Grae, the daughter of jazz musicians, and a highly skilled artist herself.
A number of hip-hop artists have visited Wellington in the past few months.
The trend kicked off with American duo Blackalicious, was followed by hip-hop poet Beans, and then Wu-Tang Clan members RZA and Raekwon, who came separately.
This influx of hip-hoppers may have something to do with a group of Wellingtonians who wanted to revive the genre in New Zealand.
Denny Fackney, aka DJ Bucks A Pop, has loved for hip-hop since he was 10.
“I grew up in a household with a lot of blues and 70s music, which led into listening to hip-hop,” he says. “At first, I listened to West Coast hip-hop like Dr. Dre. It wasn’t until later that I got into the East Coast sound, and started listening to artists like the Wu-Tang Clan.”
West Coasters are “more laid back” and incorporate electronic sounds, East Coasters sample jazz and use punchier drum beats (known as boom bap). Fackney prefers the latter.
Now 25, he says hip-hop wasn’t particularly popular as a kid when bands like the Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana were everywhere.
“It took a long time for New Zealand artists to put hip-hop on the map. It was a subculture, and almost outcast in the 80s like punk was. New Zealand has always been heavily influenced by American hip-hop culture.”
Fackney adds, however, that Kiwi culture and particularly Maori and Polynesian culture already embraced the “four elements of hip-hop” – graffiti, MCing, break dancing and DJing.
He credits New Zealand artist David Dallas of crew Frontline for being one of the top lyricists who will help hip-hop here.
“It’s an art form, just like going to see an amazing painting in a gallery. It puts you somewhere else. Hip-hop incorporates so many musical styles and I find it fascinating artists use them to create something new, and paint a picture on top of that.”
Fackney fondly remembers writing his own lyrics and trying them out at parties as a teenager. Nowadays he sticks to DJing.
His prominence took off late last year, when he came up with a logo (pictured on the t-shirt) to revitalise hip-hop in Wellington. What started in stealth soon turned into a popular movement.
“The logo is based on the “I heart New York” logo, where the hip hop I love comes from. I wanted it to be identified with hip-hop in the letter style, but also be able to be read,” Fackney says.
He created a series of posters boasting the logo, and plastered them around the city.
“At first the posters had no information other than the logo just to see what people would do. After that we put some details up about a Facebook site and started to build up a community. We had 700 fans in a week,” he says.
Fackney then organised an “I heart Hip Hop” event with the help of Good Luck bar and San Francisco Bathhouse owner Tim Ward.
“The first show (at Good Luck) was me (as DJ Bucks A Pop), Buff Marvin and a guy named B Rok. It was a success, and we had a real mix of people who came down – from the diehard fans to those who just wanted to hear something different,” Fackney says.
The next gig was even bigger and hosted one of the most promising hip-hop acts to come out of Australia, KillaQueenz.
“Now most people know about I heart Hip Hop, especially because (the Wu-Tangs) Raekwon was supported by Radio Active, and us” says Fackney.
Tim Ward is stoked San Francisco Bathhouse has been able to host the series of international hip-hop artists.
“By chance, I stumbled on a promoter who was prepared to help me bring Raekwon here, and one show has flowed from another” he says.
After giving a Wellington audience the chance to get up-close with Kweli and Grae, Ward’s aim is to bring over the man hailed as an architect of East Coast hip-hop – DJ Premier, “hopefully in June”.
Fackney is excited. “Artists from the US and the UK are realising there is a real culture of hip-hop [and] they have a huge fan base here.”
Talib Kweli and Jean Grae with support from Taay Ninh, Mara TK, Omega B, MC Koma and DJ Marek, San Francisco Bathhouse, April 7.