Dubious Brothers were a hip-hop duo based in Hamilton, New Zealand, formed in 2000. Members were Chris Macro (born Christopher Shaw, beatmaker/engineer/producer) and Tyna Keelan (guitars/bass/emcee). While New Zealand/Aotearoa hip-hop at the time (led by Che Fu and King Kapisi) was tending to contain a South Pacific influence, Dubious Brothers produced a more international style. This was largely due to the time Keelan had spent as a musician in Europe and Asia. [1]
Dubious Brothers' one album, Trade Secrets, was released on Shock Records in June 2002. It spent three weeks in the RIANZ Top 50 Album chart, reaching 24. [2] It was described as "an accomplished hip-hop album which manages to be as lyrically distinctive as it is often wondrously funky" and "a great debut" in a four-star New Zealand Herald review. [3] A number of New Zealand hip-hop identities featured on Trade Secrets, including DJ Sirvere, Mareko (of Deceptakonz), Marcus (Native Sons) and 4Corners.
At the year's end, Trade Secrets placed 8th on the New Zealand Herald's top albums of 2002. [4]
The album's lead single, The Future, tells a futuristic story set in the year 2012. Hip-hop has been outlawed and the protagonists smuggle mix tapes across borders like drugs.
Despite industry and media support, Trade Secrets was not a good seller (even when released with bonus material including a remix disc), and Dubious Brothers soon faded into a rapidly expanding local hip-hop scene.
The music of New Zealand has been influenced by a number of traditions, including Māori music, the music introduced by European settlers during the nineteenth century, and a variety of styles imported during the twentieth century, including blues, jazz, country, rock and roll, reggae, and hip hop, with many of these genres given a unique New Zealand interpretation.
Malo Ioane Luafutu, also called Jeshua Ioane Luafutu, and better known by his stage name Scribe, is a New Zealand rapper of Samoan descent. He achieved two solo number ones on the singles chart from his debut album, The Crusader, which was released in 2003 in New Zealand and later certified four times platinum. He also reached number one as a featured artist on P-Money's 2004 song "Stop the Music", and in 2010 on R&B singer J.Williams' single "You Got Me".
8701 is the third studio album by American singer Usher, released in the United Kingdom on July 9, 2001, and in the United States on August 7, 2001, by Arista Records. Recording was handled by several producers including The Neptunes, Jermaine Dupri, Babyface, Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, Mike City, Bryan Michael Cox, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Although intended for an October 31, 2000, release under the title All About U, the album was delayed numerous times, following the leak of several tracks onto the online music store Napster. Usher subsequently recorded new tracks and released the album under the new title, 8701, which is derived from Usher singing for the first time in his local church in 1987 and the album's US release date of August 7, 2001. The single "Can U Help Me" was supplied with Windows XP Service Pack 2 and later Windows versions to showcase Windows Media Player 11 and higher WMP versions.
Peter Wadams, better known by his stage name P-Money, is a New Zealand DJ and producer.
Recorded Music NZ is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Music NZ is open to any owner of recorded music rights operating in New Zealand, inclusive of major labels, independent labels and self-released artists. Recorded Music NZ has over 2000 rights-holders.
The discography of Irish singer-songwriter Enya consists of eight studio albums, two compilation albums, twenty-one singles as lead artist and a number of other appearances. Enya achieved a breakthrough in her career in 1988 with the album Watermark, containing the big hit song "Orinoco Flow" which topped the UK Singles Chart and the European Hot 100 Singles.
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Nesian Mystik was a New Zealand hip-hop/R&B group which formed in 1999. The cultural backgrounds of its members united a remarkable diversity of Polynesia by bringing together Cook Island, Tongan, Samoan and Maori ancestry. As well as producing a record number of Top 10 New Zealand singles, Nesian Mystik supported international acts such as Robbie Williams, Missy Elliott, Shaggy and The Black Eyed Peas. The group officially disbanded in 2011 after a successful music career that included four commercially successful albums and numerous New Zealand Music Award nominations.
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"Brother" is a single by New Zealand hip hop group Smashproof, released in early 2009. The song features Gin Wigmore. It was made as a metaphor to life in South Auckland. The song debuted in New Zealand at number twenty-three on 26 January 2009, rising to number one in its fifth week. It stayed firmly at the top of the chart for eleven consecutive weeks. It also had minor notoriety in Germany, reaching number eighty-one on their national chart.
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From the Inside Out is the second studio album by Australian-New Zealand recording artist Stan Walker, released on 20 August 2010 through Sony Music Australia. Walker worked with several record producers and songwriters for the album, including Audius Mtawarira, Israel Cruz, Ryan Tedder, Phil Tan and Stuart Crichton, among others. Musically, the album incorporates synthpop, rock, soul and R&B genres.
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