Māori-Samoan hip-hop artist Juwan describes himself as a “rapper’s rapper”.
“I just love pushing myself. You can put me on a siren beat and I’m gonna try something.’’
Raised between the Auckland suburb of Beach Haven and the Gold Coast city of Logan, Juwan (aka Juwan Nathan-Tupu) is now based on the Gold Coast.
The 23-year-old tells The TAHI that when he started making music at 12, he rapped with an American accent and then “bounced through accents” for a while.
In recent years, instead of trying to sound American and inspired by Australian rap group Onefour and Māori-Cook Island rapper Sid Diamond (previously Young Sid), Juwan has been rapping with his own hybrid Aussie-Kiwi accent.
“[Considering] how big America is [compared] to down here and how many rappers there are in America, you’re in a lot of competition using an American accent… They can do it better so why not stick to your own accent where the competition isn’t as vast and be yourself?”
From a young age, Juwan says he wasn’t interested in presenting himself as a gangster or a hustler.
“Everyone around me that wanted to rap wanted to rap gangster stuff and I wasn’t like that as a person.
“I can’t do that, I’m not that type of person. I’m the type that tells the boys maybe we shouldn’t do that.”
Meeting Australian hip-hop producer Hau Latukefu and getting signed to his label Forever Ever Records has given Juwan confidence he’s on the right track.
“He’s like a big brother ... he’s next-level. I always trust in his vision… When he suggests something I disagree with I’ll still try it ‘cause I respect him so much.”
Growing up in Australia, Juwan says he and other Pasifika there were inspired more by New Zealand rappers such as Meolodownz and Tom Scott than local artists.
There is “so much more love for hip-hop culture” in Aotearoa, he says, while many Australian rappers seem to still be finding their voices: “a lot of it is more copying sort of styles”.
With the emergence of Onefour, though, Juwan thinks Australasia is producing some of the best rappers in the world.
He still feels equally connected to both cultures.
“As much as I love New Zealand there’s still a big part of me that’s Australian.”