Dawn Raid Entertainment is a record label based in Papatoetoe, South Auckland, New Zealand. It has signed many New Zealand hip hop and R&B artists such as Savage, Adeaze, Aaradhna, The Deceptikonz, Devolo and Ill Semantics. The founders of Dawn Raid Entertainment announced the closure of the recording label on 19 April 2007 due to liquidation. [1]
By June 2007, due to new owners, the label started operating again. [2] [3] Artists represented include Savage, Mareko, The Deceptikonz, Horsemen Family, Sweet & Irie.
At its peak, Dawn Raid Entertainment was home to many gold and platinum-selling New Zealand hip hop and R&B artists.
School friends Danny "Brotha D" Leaosavai'i and Andy Murnane founded Dawn Raid Entertainment in 1999. The label's name was a reference to the dawn raids of the 1970s and 1980s that disproportionately targeted members of the Pasifika community in New Zealand. [4] They started selling T-shirts at a market in Ōtara to raise capital. In 2007, the label went into liquidation for a few months. [5]
In 2020, Oscar Kightley directed the documentary Dawn Raid, to be distributed by Universal and released in New Zealand cinemas on 21 January 2021. [6]
In May 2004, Dawn Raid became a sponsor for the Telecom subsidiary company Boost Mobile and released a single Hook Up featuring both the prominent and the unknown talent of Dawn Raid Entertainment. Currently, Hook Up is still the theme for Boost Mobile with some of their signed musicians doing voiceovers for the ads.
The following is a list of albums and singles released under the Dawn Raid label. The first album released under Dawn Raid was a compilation titled Southside Story which was released in April 2000 and featured undiscovered artists such as Ill Semantics, 4 Corners, Native Sons, K.A.O.S., Adeaze, Live Live and the co-founder of Dawn Raid, Brotha D.
Date of Release | Title | Artist | Charted | Country | Certification | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albums | ||||||
April 2000 | Southside Story | Various Artists | - | - | ||
May 2001 | Southside Story 2: International | Various Artists | - | - | ||
March 2002 | Elimination | Deceptikonz | # 2 | - | ||
November 2002 | Theory of Meaning | Ill Semantics | # 38 | - | ||
July 2003 | White Sunday | Mareko | # 4 | - | Gold | |
May 2004 | Always and For Real | Adeaze | # 1 | - | 2 X Platinum | |
October 2004 | Red Eye Society (also under Clientele Records) | R.E.S. | - | - | ||
October 2004 | The Best Kept Secret (also under Clientele Records) | Alphrisk | - | - | ||
April 2005 | Moonshine | Savage | # 2 | - | Platinum | |
January 2006 | Street Dreams | DJ Peter Gunz & Tikelz | # 10 | - | ||
March 2006 | Sione's Wedding OST | Various | # 14 | - | Gold | |
May 2006 | I Love You | Aaradhna | # 13 | - | ||
2 October 2006 | Good Musik | Ill Semantics | - | - | ||
October 2006 | Heavy Rotation | Deceptikonz | - | - | ||
October 2007 | Brotha D & The Dawn Raid Family - Element of Surprise | Various Artists | - | - | ||
January 2008 | Horsemen Family - My Shout: The Album | Various Artists | - | - | ||
February 2008 | Sweet Soul Music | Aaradhna | - | - | ||
April 2008 | White Sunday 2: The Book of Mark | Mareko | - | - | ||
November 2008 | Heaven & Hell | Devolo | - | - | ||
December 2008 | Savage Island | Savage | # 10 | - | ||
July 2009 | Localize It | Sweet & Irie | # 10 | - | ||
March 2010 | Brotha D & The Dawn Raid Family - Volume 2 | Various Artists | - | - | ||
March 2010 | Pasifika: The Collection | Various Artists | # 1 | - | ||
July 2010 | Evolution: Past, Present, Beyond | Deceptikonz | # 26 | - | ||
October 2010 | Pacific Coast Highway | MONSTA | - | - | ||
October 2010 | Savage Presents The Tribal Council | Various Artists | - | - | ||
March 2011 | Pasifika: The Collection Volume 2 | Various Artists | # 1 | - | ||
EPs | ||||||
May 2003 | Mareko Is The Future - Dawn Raid Mix Tape | Mareko | - | - | ||
May 2003 | Blood on the BBQ Mixtape | Mareko & Savage | - | - | ||
December 2003 | Street Rap | Mareko featuring Inspectah Deck | - | - | ||
April 2006 | We Back Motherf***az | Deceptikonz | - | - | ||
March 2008 | Live at the Apollo Mixtape | Mareko | - | - | ||
May 2010 | Allow Me To Re-Introduce Myself | MONSTA | - | - |
Year | Artist | Single | Album | Charted | Certification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | Ill Semantics featuring Betty Anne | "Watching You/Highway" | Theory of Meaning | # 22 | - |
2003 | Mareko | "Mareko (Here To Stay)" | White Sunday | # 4 | Gold |
2003 | Adeaze | "A Life With You" | Always and For Real | # 3 | Platinum |
2003 | Mareko featuring the Deceptikonz | "Stop, Drop and Roll" | White Sunday | # 6 | Gold |
2004 | Adeaze | "How Deep Is Your Love" | Always and For Real | # 6 | Gold |
2004 | Dawn Raid All-Stars | "Hook Up" | - | #9 | - |
2004 | Adeaze featuring Aaradhna | "Getting Stronger" | Always and For Real | *#1 (NZ) | Gold |
2005 | Savage | "Swing" | Moonshine | *#1 (NZ) | Platinum |
2005 | Alphrisk | "Sunshine" | The Best Kept Secret | # 8 | - |
2005 | Savage | "Moonshine" | Moonshine | *#1 (NZ), #9 Aust | Platinum NZ |
2005 | Savage featuring Aaradhna | "They Don't Know" | Moonshine | # 3, #26 Aust | Gold NZ |
2006 | Aaradhna | "Down Time" | I Love You | # 3 | Gold |
2006 | Tha Feelstyle featuring Mareko, Flowz Manuel Bundy & Lapi Mariner | "I Do Believe" | Sione's Wedding OST | # 17 | - |
2006 | Aaradhna | "Shake" | I Love You | - | - |
2006 | Aaradhna | "I Love You Too" | I Love You | *#5 (NZ) | - |
2006 | Deceptikonz | "Don't Front On Me" | Heavy Rotation | - | - |
2006 | Ill Semantics | "On And On" (featuring Lemuel) | Good Musik | # 38 | - |
2007 | Brotha D feat Sweet & Irie | "Take It out South" | Brotha D & The Dawn Raid Family - Element of Surprise | # 8 | GOLD |
2007 | Horsemen Family | "Drink With Us" | My Shout: The Album | - | - |
2008 | Horsemen Family feat Sweet & Irie | "Feels Like Magic" | My Shout: The Album | # 8 | GOLD |
2008 | Mareko | "Gotta Go" | White Sunday 2: The Book of Mark | - | - |
2008 | Sweet & Irie | "Mama, Don't Cry" | Localize It | - | - |
2008 | Aaradhna | "Betcha By Golly Wow" | Sweet Soul Music | - | - |
2008 | Mareko | "Record of the Year" | White Sunday 2: The Book of Mark | - | - |
2008 | Devolo | "Somebody" | Heaven & Hell | - | - |
2008 | Beat Kamp | "Rap Game Remix" | Single | - | - |
2008 | Sweet & Irie | "My Girl" | Localize It | - | - |
2008' | Savage | " SWING " US REMIX feat Soulja Boy Tell'em | SAVAGE ISLAND | # 45 US | RIAA 2 X Platinum |
2008 | Devolo | " Too Shy" | Heaven & Hell | # 6 | - |
2008 | Mareko Feat. J.Williams | "Them Eyes" | White Sunday 2: The Book of Mark | - | - |
2009 | Savage Feat Angel & Baby Bash | "Wild Out (ChoooHooo)" | Savage Island | # 6 | GOLD |
2009 | Savage Feat Rock City | "Hot Like Fire" | Savage Island | # 26 | GOLD |
2009 | Sweet & Irie | "Sweet & Irie" | Localize It | - | - |
2009 | Savage Feat Rock City | "I Love The Islands" | Savage Island | - | - |
2009 | Sweet & Irie | "Jenny" | Localize It | - | - |
2009 | Frisko Feat. Aaradhna | "Music (Makes The World Go Around)" | Brotha D & The Dawn Raid Family Volume 2 | # 15 | - |
2010 | Devolo | "Rocker Girl" | Brotha D & The Dawn Raid Family Volume 2 | - | - |
2010 | Deceptikonz Feat. Adeaze | "Evolution" | Evolution: Past, Present, Beyond | - | - |
2010 | MONSTA | "Long Beach Raised Me" | Pacific Coast Highway | - | - |
2010 | MONSTA Feat. Yukmouth & Ganxsta Ridd | "Wesperados" | Pacific Coast Highway | - | - |
2010 | MONSTA Feat. J-Boog | "This Is Love" | Evolution: Past, Present, Beyond | # 22 | GOLD |
2010 | MONSTA Feat. Aaradhna | "Like You" | Pacific Coast Highway | - | - |
Demetrius C. Savelio, better known by his stage name Savage, is a New Zealand rapper and a former member of hip hop group the Deceptikonz. Savage was the first New Zealand hip hop artist to have a commercial single achieve platinum certification status in the United States. The "International Breakthrough" accolade of the Pacific Music Awards was created in his honour. Savage also has applied his recognisable voice in the electronic dance music space with 5× platinum hit ''Freaks'' with Timmy Trumpet, and 4 times platinum hit ''Swing'' with Joel Fletcher.
Urban Pasifika is a New Zealand subgenre of hip hop, that developed primarily among Pasifika New Zealanders in South Auckland. Drawn from alternative hip hop and R&B influences, it was quickly blended with Pacific Island or Māori instrumentation and traditional songwriting and singing and rapping in a variety of Polynesian languages, such as Māori, Samoan, Niuean and Tongan. The genre's genesis in the 1980s blossomed into a unique, globally enrapturing cultural scene in its homeland of Auckland, especially in the next decade. Urban Pasifika is one of the most popular music genres to arise from New Zealand, and helped cement Auckland's reputation on the world stage as a major cultural centre, and the most ethnically Polynesian city in the world.
"Swing" is the lead single from New Zealand hip hop artist Savage's debut solo album, Moonshine. It was released in January 2005, and reached number one on the New Zealand singles chart. In 2008, it was released in the United States with a remix featuring American rapper Soulja Boy, which reached number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100. The remix featured on Savage's second studio album and US debut, Savage Island, alongside a second remix featuring American rapper Pitbull. The song was also covered by metalcore bands Miss May I and Drop Dead, Gorgeous.
"Moonshine" is a song by New Zealand rapper Savage featuring Senegalese-American singer Akon, released in March 2005 as the second single from Savage's debut studio album, Moonshine (2005). It was also included on Savage's 2008 album, Savage Island. The song spent seven weeks atop of the New Zealand Singles Chart and placed third overall on New Zealand's year-end chart for 2005. In Australia, the song was released in November 2005 and reached number nine on the ARIA Singles Chart.
"They Don't Know" is a song by New Zealand musicians Savage and Aaradhna, released on 17 October 2005 as the third and final single from Savage's debut solo album, Moonshine (2005). The single peaked at number three in New Zealand and number 26 in Australia. It was New Zealand's 48th-most-successful single on 2005.
Oscar Vai To'elau Kightley is a Samoan-New Zealander actor, television presenter, writer, journalist, director, and comedian. He acted in and co-wrote the successful 2006 film Sione's Wedding.
Aaradhna Jayantilal Patel, better known by the mononym Aaradhna, is a New Zealand singer, songwriter, and musical recording artist. She made her musical debut in 2004 featuring on the single "Getting Stronger" with the group Adeaze which peaked at number one on the official New Zealand Singles Chart.
The Best Kept Secret is the debut solo album of New Zealand hip-hop artist, Alphrisk, of the Deceptikonz released in 2004. It contained the single Sunshine, which peaked in the New Zealand Singles Chart at number 8.
Moonshine is the debut solo album by New Zealand hip hop artist Savage, released in 2005. The album includes a bonus track, "Locked Up Remix", by Senegalese singer Akon featuring Savage. In 2005, it reached number two in the New Zealand charts.
Sione's Wedding is the soundtrack to the New Zealand film, Sione's Wedding. It was released alongside the film in 2006 by Dawn Raid Entertainment.
Southside Story 2: International is a New Zealand compilation album released by Dawn Raid Entertainment in 2001.
The first annual Urban Music Awards were presented by Jazzy Jeff and Kurtis Blow Sydney's Homebush State Sports Centre on Friday 21 July 2007. Big winners of the night included Savage and Jade McRae.
Mark Sagapolutele, best known by his stage name Mareko, is a New Zealand rapper and hip hop artist of Samoan descent from South Auckland.
David Puniani is a New Zealand hip-hop performer of Tongan descent from South Auckland, best known as a member of the hip hop group Deceptikonz. He is signed to the Dawn Raid Entertainment music label and in 2009 he was "Best Pacific Male Artist" at the Pacific Music Awards.
Sione's 2: Unfinished Business is a 2012 New Zealand comedy film and the sequel to the hugely successful 2006 film Sione's Wedding. It was produced by John Barnett and Paul Davis, directed by Simon Bennett, co-produced by South Pacific Pictures and New Zealand Film Commission with music by Don McGlashan and written by Oscar Kightley and James Griffin. The film stars Oscar Kightley, Shimpal Lelisi, Robbie Magasiva, Iaheto Ah Hi, Dave Fane, Teuila Blakely, Madeleine Sami, Pua Magasiva, Mario Gaoa, Nathaniel Lees, David Van Horn, Ayşe Tezel, Dimitri Baveas, Kirk Torrance and Te Kohe Tuhaka. Sione's 2: Unfinished Business was filmed at Auckland, New Zealand. The film was theatrically released on 19 January 2012, by Sony Pictures and was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 13 June 2012, by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The film has received mixed reviews from critics and has grossed $723,000 in New Zealand. This was Pua Magasiva's final film appearance seven years before his death on 11 May 2019.
Treble & Reverb is the third studio album by New Zealand recording artist Aaradhna, released on 9 November 2012. A deluxe edition was released on 22 October 2013 with an extra disc of songs.
Mayhem & Miracles is the third studio album by New Zealand recording artist Savage.
Gratitude is the fourth studio album by New Zealand record producer P-Money. It was released on 17 May 2013 through Dawn Raid Entertainment, Dirty Records and Duck Down Music. It features guest appearances from Nicole Wray, Aaradhna, At Peace, Blaison Maven, Buckshot, Buff1, Fashawn, Freddie Gibbs, Havoc, Like, MiBBs, Monsta G, M.O.P., Roc Marciano, Skyzoo, STS and Talib Kweli.
Pacific Underground is a New Zealand performing arts collective, founded in 1993 in Christchurch, New Zealand, to produce contemporary performing art that reflects the group's Pacific Island heritage. In 2016 they received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Pacific Music Awards. They are the longest running Pacific contemporary performing arts organisation in New Zealand.
The dawn raids were crackdowns in New Zealand from 1973 to 1979 and then sporadically afterward on alleged illegal overstayers from the Pacific Islands. The raids were first introduced in 1973 by Prime Minister Norman Kirk's Labour government, who discontinued them in April 1974. However, they were later reintroduced and intensified by Rob Muldoon's Third National government. These operations involved special police squads conducting often aggressive raids on the homes and workplaces of overstayers throughout New Zealand, usually at dawn and almost exclusively directed at Pasifika New Zealanders, regardless of their citizenship status. Overstayers and their families were often prosecuted and then deported back to their countries.
DAWN RAID ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED
DR MUSIC LIMITED
In June the company went into liquidation but was bought by South Pacific Pictures chief executive John Barnett and Vector Energy chairman Michael Stiassny.
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View 12 May 2008 ... UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC RECORDS SIGNS MULTIPLATINUM ... Dawn Raid and Savage have entered into a deal for Universal Republic to helm the project ... www.dawnraid.co.nz/SavagePressUniversal.pdf - Similar