Wednesday, September 22, 2010
FREE DOWNLOAD! Mareko - Eat Your Heart Out
Ahoy There! Peep the Sound cloud link to listen and download another track off the "My Dad Can Beat Up Your Dad Raps" mixtape. Its called "Eat Your Heart Out". My mixtapes can beat up your albums.
Mareko - Eat Your Heart Out by marekothehorse
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Bro D wins Sky City Celebrity Invitational 2 years in a row
Congrats to Brotha D for taking out the celebrity invitational poker tournament two years in a row and Savage for coming second. Top 3 get entry into Sky Citys $3250 main event buyin @ the festival of poker among other prizes.
"Last night saw New Zealand media and celebrities taking part in the 2010 SKYCITY Celebrity Invitational poker tournament as part of the SKYCITY Festival of Poker. SKYCITY Auckland would like to congratulate the winner for the second year running - Brotha D from Dawn Ra...id Entertainment! Congratulations to Savage who came second and Jarm Joseph who placed third." - Sky City
R.A all daaay!! aaaaaayaaaaa
FREE DOWNLOAD - Book The Limousine - feat. Pieter T
Jake Heke! we cant make bloody ends meet as it is!
Heres another track from my "My Dad Can Beat Up Your Dad Raps" mixtape. Produced by the bro DJ Montana and features Pieter T, Beth Heke & Jake The Muss. Peep the soundcloud link for listen & download. I make beautiful music.
Mareko - Book The Limousine feat. Pieter T by marekothehorse
Thursday, September 9, 2010
FREE DOWNLOAD "Mareko - This Is It"
Have no fear, its only me. Peep the Soundcloud link to download "This Is It" off the "My Dad Can Beat Up Your Dad Raps" mixtape which will be ready for consumption soon. Produced by yours truly also! I know, im a bad mama jama! .... now GET!
Mareko - this is it by marekothehorse
Mareko - this is it by marekothehorse
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Triple OG Status
None other than Felise Mikaele. Samoas very own Che Fu. I Think the video was directed by Samoas very own Chris Graham!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
FREE DOWNLOAD! "Bear Grylls" off "MDCBUYD" Mixtape
Ahoy There! Click here to download "Bear Grylls" off the "My Dad Can Beat Up Your Dad Raps" mixtape which will be ready for consumption in the next coming weeks. The shits produced by yours truly also. Im a bad mama jama.
Mareko - Bear Grylls by marekothehorse
Deceptikonz chat with Radio NZ - Sam Wicks
Peep the soundcloud link for our discussion with Sam Wicks about global warming, the stock market and indian porn. Sam Wicks has the most intense questions. Talking to Sam Wicks is like being on Campbell Live. You never know if youre going to walk away laughing or crying.
The Music Mix - Deceptikonz by marekothehorse
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
"My Dad Can Beat Up Your Dad Raps" Artwork
Ahoy there! Peep the artwork for this new mixtape i got called "Mareko : My Dad Can Beat Up Your Dad Raps" Im recording this and my 3rd solo project, "R18" simultaneously. They both should be done in the next 2 weeks, and all i gotta say is, I MAY just be the best rapper in the universe *cough cough*........ anyhoo, I told the bro Pauly Smallz to come up with some weird shit for the cover. He sent back this, i think he did it during his lunch break. lol. check it out.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Monsta Ganjah - Wesperados Trailer
Sup G. Check out the second video and first official single from MONSTA's debut album. Again directed and shot by Askewone. Track produced by Twice As Nice. Featuring Yukmouth & Ganxsta Ridd of Boo Yaa Tribe.
I remember me and Devolo did a tour of the North Island with Ganxta Ridd & Monsta Ganjah circa 2007. Anyhoo, I was sitting in the back seat of the Terago with Ganxta Ridd when Brotha D stars playing "Dont Front On Me" .. which has a line of mine that goes .... "I roll with a tribe bigger than Boo Yaa" ... i look at Ridd and i says to the chap .... "Soooo aaaah how bout those All Blacks?" *story end*
I remember me and Devolo did a tour of the North Island with Ganxta Ridd & Monsta Ganjah circa 2007. Anyhoo, I was sitting in the back seat of the Terago with Ganxta Ridd when Brotha D stars playing "Dont Front On Me" .. which has a line of mine that goes .... "I roll with a tribe bigger than Boo Yaa" ... i look at Ridd and i says to the chap .... "Soooo aaaah how bout those All Blacks?" *story end*
Savage @ Shooters Gold Coast
Horsemen Family / Alize Mixtape Vol. 3
Horsemen Family team up again with alcohol giant Alize for the third mixtape to be produced from the partnership. Click here for info on how to grab one. Peep below for a preview.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Dkonz & Nesian on Tagata Pasifika
Got Dayum! wotta weekend! Its Tuesday night and i just woke up! Shout outs to everybody in Paramatta that came to DJ Sirveres Major Flavours 5 tour at the Collectors Hotel on Fri & Sat and to everybody that came to the Savage show at Shooters Bar on the Gold Coast on Sunday. Awesome... anyhoo.
Found this lil vid in my email. Tagata Pasifika covering the Dkonz and Nesian splits. Quote of the clip goes to Devolo "If youre not willing to ride the wave of change, youre gonna find yourself beneath it!" auuuuuuuuu. malo malo!
Found this lil vid in my email. Tagata Pasifika covering the Dkonz and Nesian splits. Quote of the clip goes to Devolo "If youre not willing to ride the wave of change, youre gonna find yourself beneath it!" auuuuuuuuu. malo malo!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Diggin In The Tapes!
Salutations! Just got a mean link from the brother DJ Sirvere to this awesome youtube channel. How mean is it to see some history right here (shout out to baby Dei Hamo). I remember going to these free concerts at the back of Manukau City, before it moved to Hayman Park, and seeing Pacifikan Decendants (notably Johnny Sagala) tear the stage down, Mike Haru spinning and a gangster ass OMC (including Ermehn) coming out and inciting a riot. aaaaaaah dems the days!
Friday, August 13, 2010
"Fundamentalz - Just Listen EP" Download
Ahoy there! Click here to download the new Fundamentalz ten track ep. produced entirely by Ta-ku....now GET!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
"Fundamentalz - Do It For" feat. Mareko & DJ CXL download
Gday mates! Fundamentalz upcoming ep "Just Listen" has been recently completed and will be up for free consumption within the next week or so, AND its produced entirely by Taku. I jumped on this track with the bros which also features CXL on the cut. Peep the soundcloud link for the download. enjoy you filthy mc nasties!
FUNDAMENTALZ - I DO THIS FOR feat MAREKO & DJ CXL by marekothehorse isten
FUNDAMENTALZ - I DO THIS FOR feat MAREKO & DJ CXL by marekothehorse isten
Thursday, August 5, 2010
DKONZ Bootlegs & Bsides #7: "Concrete - Solid"
Some more free shit for you digital gangstas! This track was off the Horsemen family & Alize 2 mixtape dropped in 2008. Its actually not a Dkonz track, its by up & coming crew Concrete but is produced by yours truly and features yours truly on the hook. Im mixing Concretes street album at the moment so keep an ear to the ground like Holyfield for them. Peep the soundcloud link to download.
Concrete - Solid by marekothehorse
Melbourne Show
Monday, August 2, 2010
Savage Island Australia Tour!!
Ahoy there! Savage Island is being released through Universal Australia and in conjunction to this is the national tour. Peep the flyer for the dates! Also on tour is Frisko and Monsta Ganjah. Ill be joining them on the Queensland tour, where ill bring you videos of me taking all that Savage Island money in the hotel poker game!! stay tuned!!
MAJOR FLAVOURS TOUR VIDEO
Hey gday mates! Me and Sirvere did the second leg of the Major Favours tour in Taree and Sydney, funny thing is Sirvere couldnt make it out of NZ to Taree coz the airport closed due to fog. lucky im a versatile mo fuka!! i showed them my tap dance routine and told a few jokes. had them in stitches!! ill be doing the fourth leg in Paramatta in two weeks. ill show them the real Paramatta Eel! .... now GET!!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Major Flavors 5 Shows / Sydney
See told you i was the #1 MC!! ........... just look at the flyer!!! They just got it wrong, it should be Universe not New Zealand .... anyhoo. Ill be playing with the big homie DJ Sirvere in Sydney this weekend. Peep the dates:
Friday July 30
VENUE
Attic Nightclub
202 Victoria St, Taree
Saturday July 31
VENUE
Club 40/40 @ Brooklyn Hotel
George St, Sydney
Monday, July 26, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Frum Tha Stablez - Tales From The Barn Mixtape DOWNLOAD
Sup G. Check out the mixtape from fellow Horsemen Family members, Frum Tha Stablez. Mixed by DJ Shady1 & Montana and pretty much features the whole fams. The crew has been busier than Mel Gibsons publicist lately so expect some good music to come out of the camp soon. Click here to download! Keep the change you filthy animals!
Peep the soundcloud player for a track off the mixtape featuring Rayze and yours truly.
Rayze & Mareko Freestyle by marekothehorse
Peep the soundcloud player for a track off the mixtape featuring Rayze and yours truly.
Rayze & Mareko Freestyle by marekothehorse
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The Bassment Performance @ Gold Coast
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
DJ REMINISCE EARLY 90s MIX!
Salutations!! check out the muscliest DJ on the planets latest mix. Hes the one in the picture above on the right! The man has been killing it with the mixtapes for years. Im posting this one up coz the tracklist is the shiet!! Click here to download before it expires..... now GET!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
In Studio Performance
Konichiwa! Now that the Dkonz album is instores, im currently in the studio recording my third solo with the working title "R18" Im working close with P Money on this (hip hop P Money, not techno P Money) and it should be ready to eat in a couple months. Peep the little demo. Big ups to Fortafy from the Fundamentalz crew for the session.
Monsta - Long Beach Raised Me Download
Sup G. Check out the homie Monsta's new track "Long Beach Raised Me" from upcoming album. Shits so exclusive the album doesnt even have a name yet! Anyways, its dope and is produced by part time super models Twice As Nice. Click here to download.
Monsta - Long Beach Raised Me by marekothehorse
Monday, July 19, 2010
Evolution Release Party Vids
Ahoy there! Check out these videos of our "Evolution" release party last week. Once again, thanks for everybody for rolling through and making it an awesome night.
Remember "Evolution" album instores now! Pick it up now from your favourite record stores, The Warehouse or online at iTunes // digiRAMA // MightyApe
Remember "Evolution" album instores now! Pick it up now from your favourite record stores, The Warehouse or online at iTunes // digiRAMA // MightyApe
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Tyson Tyler - Paper Chase Mixtape
Yeah Gday mates. Tyson Tylers been doing his job as of late! Ive been seeing his music all over the place! Click here to download his new offering "Paper Chase" mixed by DJ SMV which makes sense because SMVs been popping up everywhere lately recently also. Good work boys! 2 bebo hearts each.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Ayebro Legacy Comp Winner
Congrats to Melz from Hawkes Bay for taking out the comp. I swear i didnt give her the win after seeing her pic, but after seeing it, you also get an Oscar! hurr hurr. anyhoo, the participation was surprising and Ayebro got alot of dope entrants, so dope that i had to give an honourable second place to Seka from Christchurch.
Ill be jumping on one of their tracks for placing, also Melz gets the entire Deceptikonz catalogue. Congrats!
Shout outs to Harris and Mas at Ayebro for the comp. Geeeeewwd!
Legacy comp demo-Melz by ayebronz
Ill be jumping on one of their tracks for placing, also Melz gets the entire Deceptikonz catalogue. Congrats!
Shout outs to Harris and Mas at Ayebro for the comp. Geeeeewwd!
Legacy comp demo-Melz by ayebronz
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Evolution Release Party Pics
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
DECEPTIKONZ - EVOLUTION instores now!
Salutations my digital gangsters! what a week , Deceptikonz third and final LP "Evolution" got released last monday and a brotha has been deprived his blogging opportunities due to album promo ..... But im back bitches! The buzz surrounding the album has been positive and the feedback weve been getting from the heads has been O for awesome. Even more positive is its first week charting position debuting at #26 on Rianz Album Charts.
Shout outs to everybody that was apart of the album and to everybody that supported it. Much kudos. See you guys next year for the reunion album!! lol
Pick it up now from your favourite record stores, The Warehouse or online at iTunes // digiRAMA // MightyApe
Shout outs to everybody that was apart of the album and to everybody that supported it. Much kudos. See you guys next year for the reunion album!! lol
Pick it up now from your favourite record stores, The Warehouse or online at iTunes // digiRAMA // MightyApe
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
"All i listen to is hard core rap and Mary J Blige records ......"
P!
"Grown man rap, get my son to fuck one of you young rappers up.... fuk outta heea!"
only dude i really listen to. ziiiiiiiiiiiiip! lol
"Grown man rap, get my son to fuck one of you young rappers up.... fuk outta heea!"
only dude i really listen to. ziiiiiiiiiiiiip! lol
DKONZ Bootlegs & Bsides #6 Just Chillin
Ahoy there! this is one of those tracks i liked but for some reason only got played at our drink ups....... anyhoo. Click here to download "Just Chillin" featuring the bro Axeman off the Siones Wedding soundtrack which dropped in 2006. This was originally a demo we did over Ahmads - Back In The Day remix ironically, back in the day! we gave it to Chong Nee and he replayed it in like 3 minutes.... what a guy!
Deceptikonz feat Axe - Just Chillin by marekothehorse
Deceptikonz feat Axe - Just Chillin by marekothehorse
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Deceptikonz - Evolution vid
Check out our first official vid from the Evolution album. Directed by Askew and produced by Twice As Nice. shot to everyone involved.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Ayebro Legacy Comp
Salutations! The awesome people at Ayebro.co.nz are running a comp to win the entire Dawn Raid Catalogue including the new Dkonz album. Just rip the instrumental here and do your thing thing. It can be a 16, a 32, a 145 or whatever. It will be judged by myself, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul and cut off is at July 4th midnight so get!!!
send all tracks to harris@ms-ayebro.co.nz
Legacy produced by super producer Chong Nee
send all tracks to harris@ms-ayebro.co.nz
Legacy produced by super producer Chong Nee
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
DKONZ Bootlegs & Bsides #5: Who Shot Ya!
Salutations. Check out this track i did for the Live At The Apollo 2 Mixtape dropped in 2008, Over the classic David Porter - Im Afraid The Masquerade is Over break. Sampled a million times but none more famous than Primo's take of the track for Biggies - Who Shot Ya?. P Money flipped the track awesomely too for PNCs Misfits of Science diss ( I Think It Was Called "Its Over") Anyhoo, stay tuned for more rare and unreleased Dkonz shit.
Click here to download!
Mareko - Who Shot Ya by marekothehorse
Click here to download!
Mareko - Who Shot Ya by marekothehorse
Friday, June 18, 2010
DKONZ Bootlegs & Bsides #4: "Crunch!"
Morning sportsfans. Up for grabs today is "Deceptikonz - Crunch" Which was off the Mareko White Sunday Repackage dropped in good ole 2004. The repackage was a double cd which came with an instrumental cd of White Sunday and 2 bonus tracks. This was one of them and is produced by yours truly! This is one of my favourite Dkonz tracks, grimy and awesome to perform live. Click here to download.
enjoy you filthy mcnasties!
Deceptikonz - Crunch! by marekothehorse
Don't forget people - "EVOLUTION: Past, Present, Beyond" - Brand new Deceptikonz album + Greatest Hits CD double package in stores & online Monday July 5th!
enjoy you filthy mcnasties!
Deceptikonz - Crunch! by marekothehorse
Don't forget people - "EVOLUTION: Past, Present, Beyond" - Brand new Deceptikonz album + Greatest Hits CD double package in stores & online Monday July 5th!
Horsey Rhyming
Check out this video i found on TMZ website. Damn paparazzi! now i know what Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie feel like.................. anyhoo. This was just before the Ching-eats show on the Coast after a bit too many cans of XXXX beer. JR's from the crew Beat Kamp and is one of the dopest ive heard off the top. check our celebrity!
also another dope vid of JR rhyming with scribbles earlier this year. this vid cracks me up how theyre zoning out. Its the shit. First they start nice, then theyre standing up, then the flow changes, I was waiting for the camera to swing back to JR with the dude standing there with no shirt and Ultimate Warrior face paint on! . check it out
also another dope vid of JR rhyming with scribbles earlier this year. this vid cracks me up how theyre zoning out. Its the shit. First they start nice, then theyre standing up, then the flow changes, I was waiting for the camera to swing back to JR with the dude standing there with no shirt and Ultimate Warrior face paint on! . check it out
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Top of the world 'Ma!!
Told my mum id make into the NZ Herald for something positive. she didnt believe me. Shaaaaaame........... anyhoo, click here to read me talking trash in our beloved countrys esteemed national paper about the meaning of life, the Bush administration, Quantum physics and various bullshit of that nature.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
DKONZ Bootlegs & Bsides #3 "Front to Back Freestyle"
Sup G. Check out this freestyle we did for the "We Back Motha F@%kaz" mixtape dropped in the ugly year that was 2006! On this track you can hear us at our ugliest. Click here to download. Enjoy mates!
07 Deceptikonz - Back To Front (Freestyle) by marekothehorse
07 Deceptikonz - Back To Front (Freestyle) by marekothehorse
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
DECEPTIKONZ PROJECT by Askew One
gday mates. found this awesome write up of the homie Askews role in the whole coming
together of our "Evolution" album at his page. You also see a copy of the artwork and print you receive at the release. Im seeing this for the first time too and it loooks goooOOOOd! Shot Askeezy, you the man bro! shot for the help......... zzzzzziiiiiiiiiiiip!
check it out:
I’ve been missing in action the last couple of months, it has certainly been a really busy time for me but as I will explain there has been ample on my plate. About 2 months ago I agreed to take on a project for Dawn raid Entertainment art directing the (potentially) final release from Auckland Mainstays The Deceptikonz. It has been demanding and seen me don a couple of well-worn hats as well as one fresh from the shelf – namely trying my hand at directing some music videos.
I shouldn’t have to explain why Dkonz are so iconic and remain one of my favourite local hip hop acts but there are plenty out there ready to detract and perhaps they are only seeing a very small part of the decade long legacy – and it is a legacy. In my opinion there are only a very small handful of local Hip Hop artists who’s influence has transcended as far as Mareko’s. Personally I feel that Danny Haimona aka Hyper D from Dam Native and Johnny Sagala respectively hold the title for having an unparalleled impact on our local Hip Hop sound and subsequently empowering Maori and Samoan MC’s to believe in their ‘own’ voice. I can’t tell you how many people rapped like Danny throughout New Zealand after Kaupapa Driven Rhymes Uplifted dropped but I can tell you, no one spawned as many imitators until Mareko. I sincerely believe in the timeline of New Zealand Hip Hop there is before Mareko and after Mareko – he is that significant in my eyes. Albeit he may not have pioneered certain ‘isms’ when considered in the international sense, there was his use of the battle attitude and clever punch line driven raps that were not commonplace prior to his emergence.
TMD member and Mareko’s older brother Rimoni and I reminisced recently about JC’s first Battle For Supremacy at Factory in 2000 when Mareko stepped onto stage as a completely unknown MC – No one would have considered him in contention for taking the title let alone flipping the entire scene on it’s head. I remember looking at this big, quiet looking- very low-key dressed Samoan in a (now trademark) bucket hat and rugged skate shoes step on stage. At first he looked shy, sifting side to side a bit and looking at the floor – just for a second though before he went into battle mode. Prior to this NZ battles consisted of people that just looked stoked with them selves that they could freestyle consistently (often about nothing and also with a habit of inventing fictional words) once Mareko launched into battle, with razor sharp punch lines that made clear reference to his opponent, the game was changed. I just remember my sides hurting as he just came line after line making a mockery of MC’s – often the crowd response was so loud he had to pause between punch lines to allow for them to calm down again. It was like improvised stand up but didn’t fall short there – it was clever, he had great word play and most important he had flow.
Mareko went on to win 3 consecutive titles yet unlike a lot of renown freestyle MC’s – he could also deliver a great song and this was proven with the Deceptikonz first album ‘Elimination’. The reason I love this album is that it’s grass roots garage feeling Hip Hop – the majority of the beats were produced by Mareko on a demo version of Sound Forge which only allowed a dozen saves before you had to uninstall and reinstall the software. He used a home PC that by today’s standards would likely be reserved for using word or playing solitaire but most importantly this album introduced us to his crew, Savage, Devolo and Alphrisk. Dkonz have all the bases covered with this line up – Savage’s eventual success in the US was really not that surprising to me especially after his appearance in the Scribe “Not Many Remix” video directed by Chris Graham. At this point we see the emergence of another calibre of Hip Hop artist – the type rarely seen here. He’s the guy that can just growl out a hook and make it an anthem and quite frankly look so fucking cool doing it. Honestly I think you are lying if you say your hair didn’t stand up on end when you first heard his part at the start of ‘Not Many Remix’ – I know mine did.
Devolo is a really unique MC, he’s always had an almost rigid and mechanical delivery and seemingly simple lyrics but he is one of my favourites. At the heart of why he is so good you might have to be an Aucklander or at least have grown up around Islanders but there is such an inexplicable swagger that he has that is ‘so Tongan’ – just the way he phrases things, the nuances in his pronunciation, it’s so dope. I never knew quite what it was but David Dallas was at my house speaking about it when he had just recorded the demo version of ‘Indulge Me’ and was planning to get him to sing the bridge part. Saves also said the same thing the other day. Devolo is time and time again one of the local MC’s who will leave me reflecting on a line for ages because maybe they aren’t really that ‘simplistic’ at all in fact sometimes they are really complex. I rate an MC that can do that – It’s an art. Devolo also has the X-factor on camera, working with him is a breeze and now after editing his performances on 4 videos I really appreciate that!
Alphrisk is really the most understated member of Dkonz but someone I believe has been so consistent and now really emerged so strongly on this new album. I had seen Dkonz play a few times before I actually met Alphrisk and just assumed he was the same age as the other guys. I was at Dawn Raid in 2002 working on the Disruptiv Logo with Tim Checkly and Alprhisk walked past in a school uniform! I turned to Tim and said “What the?!” and he was like “yeah, he’s still at school!”. It spun me right out at the time but also makes me appreciate where he was at lyrically even more. Alphrisks ‘Best Kept Secret’ street album still remains a favourite of mine and truly stands the test of time. His verses on Evolution are killer and I believe this guy has a long career ahead of him.
So now you understand, I’m a big fan of these guys and a friend and over the years have really followed them. When Andy Murnane asked me to art direct the entire Dkonz project there was no hesitation. In my typical form it required me to leap into the deep end a bit and hone my video and editing skills to bring 4 internet videos to fruition. This was done on a shoestring budget and in a rapid time frame all while on deadline at my regular job laying out Rip It Up.
The videos were shot in 3 days with my Panasonic HDC-SD1 video camera equipped with a very basic DOF (Depth Of Field) adapter and a collection of Nikon lenses I gathered from markets, garage sales, second hand stores and on Trade Me. A fact a lot of people don’t know is these videos along with Urban Development videos I made were all shot upside down and flipped in Post. This is because I couldn’t afford a vibrating DOF adapter so everything is captured this way. It was disorientating at first but I’ve mastered the art and retrained my eyes! Assisting, lighting and general sharing of knowledge and opinion was handled by my good friends Rimoni and Lucko Prawito, make up by Alphrisks wife Vanu Maoate and everything else from scheduling to hitting the playback was handled by Safia Sayid. It’s a small but great team and the shoots were heaps of fun – I learned a lot during the process too, it was like a crash course!
The other part of the project was the general art direction and illustration which I did with some last minute help from Elliot Francis Stewart aka Deus. The first thong was the reworking of the brand, primarily via my reinterpretation of the Dkonz logo into a ‘NETCH’ treatment. There is a limited edition hand signed print of this available with a copy of the album when you buy a ticket to the farewell concert on July 10th!
Then there is the cover art – The front is featured at the start of the post but here is the full fold out poster, which also includes a looming ‘Pyramid Dude’. Deus helped out with the Church and the bats!
And lastly I got to shoot the video for the first official single and title track ‘Evolution’. This was shot on a Canon 5D Mk II and if you get a chance to check out the photos over at Rimoni’s and Mareko’s blogs. It was a historic night with a lot of NZ Hip Hop royalty in the building.
So people, there you have it. Check out the videos, if you like the tracks- buy the album and if you are in Auckland July 10th then see you at the concert. It’s my birthday that night so I’ll be in high spirits and most likely in the front row singing along to my favourite Dkonz songs. Let’s party like it’s 2012!!!!
here here brother!
together of our "Evolution" album at his page. You also see a copy of the artwork and print you receive at the release. Im seeing this for the first time too and it loooks goooOOOOd! Shot Askeezy, you the man bro! shot for the help......... zzzzzziiiiiiiiiiiip!
check it out:
I’ve been missing in action the last couple of months, it has certainly been a really busy time for me but as I will explain there has been ample on my plate. About 2 months ago I agreed to take on a project for Dawn raid Entertainment art directing the (potentially) final release from Auckland Mainstays The Deceptikonz. It has been demanding and seen me don a couple of well-worn hats as well as one fresh from the shelf – namely trying my hand at directing some music videos.
I shouldn’t have to explain why Dkonz are so iconic and remain one of my favourite local hip hop acts but there are plenty out there ready to detract and perhaps they are only seeing a very small part of the decade long legacy – and it is a legacy. In my opinion there are only a very small handful of local Hip Hop artists who’s influence has transcended as far as Mareko’s. Personally I feel that Danny Haimona aka Hyper D from Dam Native and Johnny Sagala respectively hold the title for having an unparalleled impact on our local Hip Hop sound and subsequently empowering Maori and Samoan MC’s to believe in their ‘own’ voice. I can’t tell you how many people rapped like Danny throughout New Zealand after Kaupapa Driven Rhymes Uplifted dropped but I can tell you, no one spawned as many imitators until Mareko. I sincerely believe in the timeline of New Zealand Hip Hop there is before Mareko and after Mareko – he is that significant in my eyes. Albeit he may not have pioneered certain ‘isms’ when considered in the international sense, there was his use of the battle attitude and clever punch line driven raps that were not commonplace prior to his emergence.
TMD member and Mareko’s older brother Rimoni and I reminisced recently about JC’s first Battle For Supremacy at Factory in 2000 when Mareko stepped onto stage as a completely unknown MC – No one would have considered him in contention for taking the title let alone flipping the entire scene on it’s head. I remember looking at this big, quiet looking- very low-key dressed Samoan in a (now trademark) bucket hat and rugged skate shoes step on stage. At first he looked shy, sifting side to side a bit and looking at the floor – just for a second though before he went into battle mode. Prior to this NZ battles consisted of people that just looked stoked with them selves that they could freestyle consistently (often about nothing and also with a habit of inventing fictional words) once Mareko launched into battle, with razor sharp punch lines that made clear reference to his opponent, the game was changed. I just remember my sides hurting as he just came line after line making a mockery of MC’s – often the crowd response was so loud he had to pause between punch lines to allow for them to calm down again. It was like improvised stand up but didn’t fall short there – it was clever, he had great word play and most important he had flow.
Mareko went on to win 3 consecutive titles yet unlike a lot of renown freestyle MC’s – he could also deliver a great song and this was proven with the Deceptikonz first album ‘Elimination’. The reason I love this album is that it’s grass roots garage feeling Hip Hop – the majority of the beats were produced by Mareko on a demo version of Sound Forge which only allowed a dozen saves before you had to uninstall and reinstall the software. He used a home PC that by today’s standards would likely be reserved for using word or playing solitaire but most importantly this album introduced us to his crew, Savage, Devolo and Alphrisk. Dkonz have all the bases covered with this line up – Savage’s eventual success in the US was really not that surprising to me especially after his appearance in the Scribe “Not Many Remix” video directed by Chris Graham. At this point we see the emergence of another calibre of Hip Hop artist – the type rarely seen here. He’s the guy that can just growl out a hook and make it an anthem and quite frankly look so fucking cool doing it. Honestly I think you are lying if you say your hair didn’t stand up on end when you first heard his part at the start of ‘Not Many Remix’ – I know mine did.
Devolo is a really unique MC, he’s always had an almost rigid and mechanical delivery and seemingly simple lyrics but he is one of my favourites. At the heart of why he is so good you might have to be an Aucklander or at least have grown up around Islanders but there is such an inexplicable swagger that he has that is ‘so Tongan’ – just the way he phrases things, the nuances in his pronunciation, it’s so dope. I never knew quite what it was but David Dallas was at my house speaking about it when he had just recorded the demo version of ‘Indulge Me’ and was planning to get him to sing the bridge part. Saves also said the same thing the other day. Devolo is time and time again one of the local MC’s who will leave me reflecting on a line for ages because maybe they aren’t really that ‘simplistic’ at all in fact sometimes they are really complex. I rate an MC that can do that – It’s an art. Devolo also has the X-factor on camera, working with him is a breeze and now after editing his performances on 4 videos I really appreciate that!
Alphrisk is really the most understated member of Dkonz but someone I believe has been so consistent and now really emerged so strongly on this new album. I had seen Dkonz play a few times before I actually met Alphrisk and just assumed he was the same age as the other guys. I was at Dawn Raid in 2002 working on the Disruptiv Logo with Tim Checkly and Alprhisk walked past in a school uniform! I turned to Tim and said “What the?!” and he was like “yeah, he’s still at school!”. It spun me right out at the time but also makes me appreciate where he was at lyrically even more. Alphrisks ‘Best Kept Secret’ street album still remains a favourite of mine and truly stands the test of time. His verses on Evolution are killer and I believe this guy has a long career ahead of him.
So now you understand, I’m a big fan of these guys and a friend and over the years have really followed them. When Andy Murnane asked me to art direct the entire Dkonz project there was no hesitation. In my typical form it required me to leap into the deep end a bit and hone my video and editing skills to bring 4 internet videos to fruition. This was done on a shoestring budget and in a rapid time frame all while on deadline at my regular job laying out Rip It Up.
The videos were shot in 3 days with my Panasonic HDC-SD1 video camera equipped with a very basic DOF (Depth Of Field) adapter and a collection of Nikon lenses I gathered from markets, garage sales, second hand stores and on Trade Me. A fact a lot of people don’t know is these videos along with Urban Development videos I made were all shot upside down and flipped in Post. This is because I couldn’t afford a vibrating DOF adapter so everything is captured this way. It was disorientating at first but I’ve mastered the art and retrained my eyes! Assisting, lighting and general sharing of knowledge and opinion was handled by my good friends Rimoni and Lucko Prawito, make up by Alphrisks wife Vanu Maoate and everything else from scheduling to hitting the playback was handled by Safia Sayid. It’s a small but great team and the shoots were heaps of fun – I learned a lot during the process too, it was like a crash course!
The other part of the project was the general art direction and illustration which I did with some last minute help from Elliot Francis Stewart aka Deus. The first thong was the reworking of the brand, primarily via my reinterpretation of the Dkonz logo into a ‘NETCH’ treatment. There is a limited edition hand signed print of this available with a copy of the album when you buy a ticket to the farewell concert on July 10th!
Then there is the cover art – The front is featured at the start of the post but here is the full fold out poster, which also includes a looming ‘Pyramid Dude’. Deus helped out with the Church and the bats!
And lastly I got to shoot the video for the first official single and title track ‘Evolution’. This was shot on a Canon 5D Mk II and if you get a chance to check out the photos over at Rimoni’s and Mareko’s blogs. It was a historic night with a lot of NZ Hip Hop royalty in the building.
So people, there you have it. Check out the videos, if you like the tracks- buy the album and if you are in Auckland July 10th then see you at the concert. It’s my birthday that night so I’ll be in high spirits and most likely in the front row singing along to my favourite Dkonz songs. Let’s party like it’s 2012!!!!
here here brother!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Deceptikonz - 2012 video
Bula Bula! check out the video for "2012" off our third and final Deceptikonz LP. Produced by part time super modles Twice As Nice and directed by full time nice guy Askew. Dkonz Album instores July 10 ....................... now get!
DKONZ Bootlegs & Bsides #2: "Cross The Line"
ahoy there mateys! put on your best pirating clothes and click here
to download "Dkonz - Cross The Line" off the Horsemen Family - My Shout album dropped in 2008.................noooooooow start!
Deceptikonz - Cross The Line by marekothehorse
to download "Dkonz - Cross The Line" off the Horsemen Family - My Shout album dropped in 2008.................noooooooow start!
Deceptikonz - Cross The Line by marekothehorse
Friday, June 11, 2010
DKONZ Bootlegs & Bsides #1: "Pork Buns (Coconut Deriere)"
ok, since Dawn Raid wanna take a trip down Dkonz memory lane with their Dkonz Throwback Thursdays i gotta couple of unreleased tracks, mixtape rarities and various shit of that nature of my own to put up. (crack up photos / cool idea btw) Might aswell right?
Click here to download "Pork Buns" a track i did for the Live At The Apollo 2 mixtape.
stay tuned for some more gems mate. enjoy you digital gangsters you!
Mareko - Pork Buns (Coconut Deriere) by marekothehorse
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Chingy Gold Coast Show
Ahoy there! Just did finished the Chingy show with the big homie Sav in the weekend !at Shooters Bar in Gold Coast. Went off haaaaaaaard. Only on the Coast can you get a thousand plus people in the club on a Sunday. But I dont know what makes these internationals with dying careers act like cocks, but damn Chingy was an eeeeeeeeeats. mud stage show, eat ass towards everybody. Golly it was embarrassing! kudos to Queensland Red rugby player Ezra Taylor for giving Chingy and his security the fingers from point blank range at end of night. goooooooooood!
Friday, June 4, 2010
"Evolution" Video Shoot Pics
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