Culture
20-year-old Shiraz is “the most underrated MC in the country”
Shiraz used to keep his rapping a secret. Now, he’s being called the most underrated rapper in New Zealand by one of his inspirations, Dirty. Shiraz…
Waguan raps about social justice while making you dance
“We out here talking about social justice and twerking.”
Making people dance while rapping about social justice can seem like an unlikely combo. But for Waguan, like…
Muslim rapper Abrzy travels to Bangladesh to make sense of his home in Aotearoa | The Outliers
Abid Rahman - stage name Abrzy - is a rapper living in Wellington. We travel with him to the city he was born in, Dhaka, Bangladesh,…
Comedian James Mustapic shows us how to make a gingerbread house | Comedians Cook
Comedian James Mustapic decides to use his oven for the first time ever, and shows us how to make a gingerbread house in this special Christmas…
TEEKS on being Māori in a mostly Pākehā music industry
TEEKS and Matariki Bennett have a beautiful kōrero at a beautiful location.
35 years of iconic NZ fashion house NOM*d
What’s kept NOM*d so relevant, aspirational and darkly cool for the last 35 years?
How the Kiwi accent evolved
Why exactly do we pronounce it like “fush and chups”?
K-pop helped me accept myself as non-binary
“I felt very alone, I felt very isolated. And then I discovered K-pop.”
Stan or Not Stan with Stan Walker
Stan Walker gives his verdict on legalising cannabis, mullets and Daddy Bloomfield.
Melodownz shows us how to make his banana pancakes | Party Trick
Hip hop artist and hot sauce maker Melodownz shows us his banana panikeke recipe.
Hokohoko Kākahu me Theia | Thrifting with Theia
Alt-pop artist and lifelong thrifter Theia shares her best advice for shopping second-hand.
Inside the programme helping teenagers cope through creating art
“When I’m shy, I start singing and I just feel it."
Watch out for NZ rap competition winner RAAJ
Meet RAAJ, an upcoming talent in our underground hip hop scene. The Red Bull Next winner joins Church and Smoke in the studio to cook up…
Pop duo Foley show us their hidden talent: ranking Birkenstocks
Auckland indie-pop duo Foley exercise their footwear critiquing skills, and review a handsome selection of Birkenstocks. Which Birk comes on top in Comfort, Utility and Fashion?
Many…
Finding freedom in Sweet Lolita fashion
"On days when I don't feel confident in myself... I can put on this piece of artwork. To me Lolita is a form of building up…
Covid closed Ōtāhuhu's only art gallery, but there's a novel way to keep it going
Vunilagi Vou provided a dedicated space for contemporary Pacific art, and was the only art gallery in Ōtāhuhu. The financial pressures of Covid made maintaining this…
Comedian David Correos teaches us his potato salad recipe, which is fancier than it sounds
Potato salads have been the butt of jokes about bland, Karen-esque food for a while now. But this is not your average potato salad. Comedian David…
Bailey Wiley on the power of your family calling you out for your bullsh*t
Last year, Bailey Wiley won the NZ Music Award for Best Soul/RnB Artist. At the time, her baby girl was five weeks old. We join Bailey…
Troy Kingi spent a year researching his Taite Award-winning album, then wrote it in two weeks
Troy Kingi has committed to writing ten albums in ten genres in ten years. Fresh off a Taite Music Prize win - one of the most…
Revealed: New Zealand's top five underground rappers, judged by Smoke and Church
Red Bull is searching for the next big thing in New Zealand hip hop. Here's an exclusive look at the five finalists chosen by Church (Church and…
When They Ask You: a new poem by Mohamed Hassan
Journalist and poet Mohamed Hassan performs his poem 'When They Ask You' in this bonus video from Third Culture Minds.
Third Culture Minds is a mental health…
The 'Bob Ross' of Māori carving has become an overnight streaming sensation
Twitch streamer Broxh loves his culture and his art form, and he wants to share it with the world. During lockdown, he started streaming his whakairo…
How to make a beat with SWIDT producer Smokeygotbeatz
Whether it's some snare drums or a packet of Yum Yum noodles, SWIDT producer Smokeygotbeatz knows how to use sounds to create a bouncy, catchy beat.…
Sound Check: HIGH HØØPS on how NZ music can emerge stronger from Covid
The music industry is suffering, but it might emerge from this pandemic stronger than before.
Sound Check: Randa rejects the productivity myth
And they talk gender identity, and dealing with OCD before and during Covid.
Sound Check: Folk singer Holly Arrowsmith is rebuilding a housebus and her dreams
All of Holly's shows for the year are cancelled, so now she's turning an old bus into a house.
Live music's fight to survive Covid-19
It's estimated the NZ live music industry has lost $68 million due to Covid-19. Musicians, venue owners and all those who love music are rallying us…
Sound Check: Indie-pop duo Imugi 이무기
Yery and Carl tell us how they're looking after themselves as the music industry slows down.
Melodownz turned self-affirmations into a catchy hook
During a rough time in his life, Melodownz repeated positive affirmations to himself in the mirror. Then he realised the mantras made a pretty sweet hook.…
Sound Check: Merk carries on
We check in with artists who were on the verge of breakthroughs - before a global pandemic happened.