NZ HIP HOP STAND UP - DAM NATIVE 'BEHOLD MY KOOL STYLE'

In 1996, Dam Native’s ‘Behold My Kool Style’ made waves in challenging the ongoing effects of Pākehā colonisation and racism against Māori and Pacific peoples in Aotearoa. “Robbed of our language, robbed of our land, robbed of our culture. This is why that song exists; to put Māori hip hop on the map,” says lead rapper Danny Haimona. Built on ‘groundbreaking lyricism’, ‘Behold My Kool Style’ was a track that explored what it meant to be Māori in a colonised state. The song’s lyrics referenced Maui and Papatūānuku, the experiences of tangata whenua as well as the Springbok Tour and ongoing colonisation in New Zealand. Even down to the group’s name, Dam Native’s focus was on drawing attention to the ongoing injustices towards Aotearoa’s indigenous peoples that were plain to see but sparingly discussed in the mainstream. “Watching television in the 70s, there was this phrase, ‘those damn natives!’”, DLT says. Alongside vocalist Danny Haimona, the group was a ‘collective of good friends’ who were ‘like minded’ about the need for more Māori hip hop. These included Bennett Pomana, Darryl Thomson (DLT), Teremoana Rapley, Hone Manukau and Bryson Campbell. Watch more of the NZ Hip Hop Stand Up episodes here - https://www.thecoconet.tv/coco-docos/...