Dam Native

Their website lists them as the "pioneers of horrified hip hop" — and trailblazers they were when they released their first album under the name Native Bass in 1992. At the time, hip hop was practically unheard of in Aotearoa. Later renamed as Dam Native, Danny Haimona and Bennett Pomana were credited with raising awareness of Māori issues through their music. The duo's first album, Kaupapa Driven Rhymes Uplifted, has been acclaimed as the best hip hop album made on Kiwi soil.