Kete Aronui - Dean Hapeta

Kiwi hip hop pioneer, poet and videographer Dean Hapeta (aka Te Kupu) delves into his Hutt Valley childhood and his deep connection with Māori self-determination in this Kete Aronui excerpt. Hapeta says he was "colour conscious" from a young age, and while violin lessons and an "embarrassing" stint as a choir boy didn't stick, he was always drawn to making music. Hapeta and Upper Hutt Posse exploded onto the Kiwi music scene in 1988 with the punchy E Tu, a single and a music video that was proudly political and marked the birth of Aotearoa hip hop. 

Overnight, everyone knew us. I got these white shades on, which I now see kids wearing on music videos...

– Dean Hapeta talks about the moment Upper Hutt Posse hit it big

Key Cast & Crew

Tessa Tylee

Director

Chelsea Winstanley

Producer

Ngatapa Black

Narrator

Chris Pryor

Camera

Jane Reeves

Research

Kelly Kahukiwa

Composer