New Zealand hip hop

New Zealand hip hop derives from the wider hip hop cultural movement originating amongst African Americans in the United States. Like the parent movement, New Zealand hip hop consists of four parts: rapping, DJing, graffiti art and breakdancing. The first element of hip hop to reach New Zealand was breakdancing, which gained notoriety after the release of the 1979 movie The Warriors. The first hip hop hit single, "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang, became a hit in New Zealand when it was released there in 1980, a year after it was released in the United States. By the middle of the 1980s, breakdancing and graffiti art were established in urban areas like Wellington and Christchurch. By the early 1990s hip hop became a part of mainstream New Zealand culture.

Some of the first hip hop musicians to achieve recognition combined American styles with Māori language and traditional songs. Dalvanius Prime's 1984 "Poi E" incorporated hip hop dance elements into its music video and was the first time New Zealanders viewed hip hop culture in association with a local recording. The song, which was entirely in Māori, became a hit in New Zealand. Upper Hutt Posse likewise combined hip hop and Māori culture in their 1988 single "E Tu", which is recognised as New Zealand's first pure hip hop single. A bootleg recording of their song "Hardcore Hiphop" reached number one on Christchurch student radio in February 1988. Some rappers, such as the members of Upper Hutt Posse, became known for politicised lyrics in support of tino rangatiratanga (Māori sovereignty).

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