Rap
Vince Staples: 'I care about schools, people going hungry, mental health'
Vince Staples talks with Leilani Momoisea about those annoying requests to do 'funny' videos, writing the perfect clickbait headline, and wanting everyone to just say his name. Video, Audio
The Mixtape: Tourettes
Poet, rapper, writer and youth mentor Dominic Hoey picks some verbose and subversive music for the RNZ Music Mixtape. Video, Audio
Under the Influence: Run-D.M.C.
On Tuesday 15 November 1988, Run-D.M.C. played The Powerstation in Auckland. This is the story of how that show altered the course of Aotearoa hip hop. Audio, Gallery
Tongan MC keeps the language alive
Celebrating Tongan Language Week, Kiwi-Tongan MC Rizván Tu’itahi introduces his track 'Phoenix'. Video, Audio
Arrested Development: Free Speech
Speech, the mouthpiece of alt-hip hop collective Arrested Development, talks to Trevor Reekie about social activism and moving forward. Audio
Third3ye in Session
West Auckland hip hop outfit Third3ye perform cuts from their 3P EP. Video, Audio
Akala: Shall I compare thee to Eminem?
Poet, writer, historian and activist Akala started the Hip Hop Shakespeare company in 2009 as a way to bring the work of Shakespeare to younger audiences, and to highlight the linguistic parallels… Audio
PNC: Still Jonah 95
PNC talks to Sam Wicks about taking inspiration from NZ sporting legends on The Luke Vailima EP. Audio
Tom Francis, the Hawke's Bay hip-hop artist on the rise
The 21-year-old Hawke's Bay musician has only been rapping for a year and he's already topping the iTunes charts. Audio
Theatre Critic - Patrick Davies
Patrick Davies reviews "The White Guitar", the stunning new play that in which hip-hop star Scribe features with his father John and brother Matthias, it tells the true family story of the Luafutus. Audio
Louie Knuxx transformed
Louie Knuxx, rapper, podcaster and youth worker, talks with Sam Wicks about his new album Tiny Warm Hearts. Audio
King Kapisi
Australian slam poet champ Omar Musa will face off with one of our best, Hip Hop hero King Kapisi. They'll meet in an a capella match up, trading rhymes for an hour in front of a live audience. Video, Audio
Average Rap Band
Average Rap Band's Tom Scott talks with Sam Wicks about the group's synth-y, sunshine-drenched album debut, El Sol. Audio
Wu-Tang Clan's Masta Killa on their forthcoming NZ show
Wu-Tang Clan's Masta Killa talks to RNZ Music's Sam Wicks about the workings of his unpredictable rap collective. Audio
A$AP Rocky
Named for the great Rakim Allah of Eric. B & Rakim fame, Rakim Mayers aka A$AP Rocky sets the tone sonically and visually for his style-conscious Harlem collective, A$AP Mob. Sam Wicks talks to him… Audio