Brutha Rodz

singer/songwriter, many musical influences. Firstly, Mum brought me up on blues, motown, old school, rnb, pop and a little bitof Reggae.. BB King, Fats Domino, Manhattan's, Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Eric Clapton, Aaron Neville, Boyz 2 Men, Hi Mark's, Drifters, Bonnie Rait, Phoebe Snow, Ray Charles, MJ, Whitney, Mariah, Uncle Bob, Third World, Steel Pulse, UB40, Maxi Priest, Alpha Blondie, and much more.. Then towards my teens I developed a strong connection and relationship with hip hop and rap and broadened my musical influences to artists like Bone Thugs, Tupac, Dre, Eminem, 50, Snoop, Xzibit, Warren G, Nate, Biggie, Cube, TI... Heading into my teens I fell in love with our own music! Aotearoa music. Our style is unique and world renowned and I became heavily influenced my NZers such as Nesian Mystic, Che Fu, Herbs, Mana, Ranea and Ruia, Ardijah, Adeaze, Steady Beat Rockers, South Gate Entertainment, etc. Katchafire dropped their first big single Giddy Up around this time and I was captured by NZ Reggae! Then House of Shem followed up and I found a huge love for reggae. Especially NZ Reggae. HoS were and remain a HUGE inspiration and influence to me. I too grew up in Raetihi and spent small parts of my childhood with HoS and the Whanau and to see them burst on the Aotearoa Music scene like they did and maintain their legacy, all the way from little old Raetihi just like little old Me inspired the HECK outta this Maori boy! 1814, 3HD, Foundation, SoZ, TP, Chad, Wiz..