1. King Kapisi was the first hip hop artist in New Zealand to receive the Silver Scroll Award at the APRA Awards for Songwriter of the Year for his single Reverse Resistance in 1999.
16 Facts About King Kapisi
1. 2.
King Kapisi signed as an artist with Festival Mushroom Records.
3.
King Kapisi achieved gold with his single U Can't Resist Us, featuring New Zealand hip hop icon Che Fu in 2003.
4.
King Kapisi has performed alongside Afrika Bambaata, Janet Jackson, Moby, The Black Eyed Peas, Beastie Boys, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Red Hot Chili Peppers and many more.
5.
King Kapisi has performed at almost every major music festival and event in New Zealand as well as tours to Australia, Japan, Fiji, Hawaii, Tonga, New York City, London, Toronto, Germany, Ireland, France and Norway.
6.
In 2003, King Kapisi represented New Zealand at the Central Park birthday celebrations in New York City where he was invited to play at the first old school hip hop reunion in Crotona Park, South Bronx.
7.
King Kapisi played alongside legends such as The Furious Five, Cold Crush Brothers, Jazzy Jay and The Rocksteady Crew.
8.
King Kapisi was given the opportunity to record a track with the legendary Kay Gee from the Cold Crush Brothers.
9.
In 2004, Kapisi was invited by the German government as part of its new initiative scheme to promote cultural exchanges between New Zealand and Germany.
10.
King Kapisi had the opportunity to record two tracks with German music producers Trickski and Slope from the Sonar Kollectiv record company.
11.
King Kapisi produced tracks for various local hip hop artists in Berlin, Amsterdam, Dublin, Toronto and Sydney.
12.
King Kapisi believes his music to be deeply connected to the culture of the Pacific people.
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King Kapisi is a prime example of how New Zealand MC's are able to rap about their Diasporic identity in the text of their rap lyrics.
14.
King Kapisi is reaching out to the bigger global market.
15.
King Kapisi's extended family is from the island of Savaii.
16.
In 2003 and 2004, King Kapisi was awarded the Westfield Style Pasifika Designer Award giving the hip hop artist the opportunity to showcase his street label in the coveted international annual Air New Zealand Fashion Week in 2003.