Upper Hutt Posse

Upper Hutt Posse set out to fight racial injustice through music. The group is led by Dean Hapeta (aka Te Kupu and D-Word), a poet and orator influenced by black American thinkers like Malcolm X. Bilingual single ‘E Tu’ (1988) became Aotearoa’s first rap release. Acclaimed debut album Against the Flow hit in 1989, followed by another six albums to date. Describing their sound as "rap reggae funk fusion", Hapeta says the posse aim to challenge the status quo in English and te reo. Since 1985 the posse's many members have included Darryl (DLT) Thompson, Teremoana Rapley, Emma Paki and longtime bassist Matthew Hapeta (aka MC Wiya).