A matter of life and death: Top Kiwi DJ speaks out

Revered Kiwi deejay, DJ Sir Vere tells FELETI STRICKSON-PUA how his 10 year old son inspired him to invite an all-star ensemble of the nation's top hip-hop artists to record the chart rising single Think Twice in an exclusive interview with SPASIFIKmag.com

A hip hop track with a socially conscious message is rising up the New Zealand music charts and currently sits in the Top 20, thanks to some big name artists who flocked to the call of well known Kiwi deejay, DJ Sir Vere (real name Phil Bell). Of Maori descent (Ngati Tuwhare Toa), Sir Vere speaks to SPASIFIKmag.com music reviewer Feleti Strickson-Pua about making Think Twice and how he got some of the best known Maori and Polynesian artists such as Scribe, Che Fu, PNC, P-Money, Mareko and Savage to support his call to end the violence on our streets by urging youth to step back and think about the consequences of their actions.

Q&A with DJ Sir Vere:

What inspired you put together the Aotearoa All Stars for 'Think Twice'?
Around the time my son turned 10, a 15 year old boy was murdered. I thought five years to go and my son’s in the same age group as that kid. It freaked me out. I’ll be honest with you. It really hit home with me and I thought we definitely would need to do something. I also felt we, the hip hop community, have to date not really done a hell of a lot. I had this epiphany on a Sunday afternoon when I was just hanging out with my girl and I said to her I need to do something and I need to do something now. The first person I called was Scribe because I knew if we were going to have any traction of any great reach we would need to get him involved. Then I pretty much rang the others bros, everyone was into it but not everyone could make it because of timing and stuff. A lot of people were saying stuff to me about drugs and about gangs and I thought, nah man we've got to do something that’s from a father’s perspective; I’m in that position now where I’m maturing. I mean I came from the same hood in Papakura, it’s the same environment my kids are going to grow up in and I didn’t want that. So simply it’s about whanau.

Speaking of Papakura, do you think things have changed much within the area or do you think there’s just more media coverage?
We were overrun with gangs back when I was a kid in Papakura, but people weren’t dying on a regular basis. Things have definitely changed bro; back in the day we use to brawl, I mean everybody did it at some point in their life. We used to get into fights but no one would get into fights just to kill them. I think that’s what’s missing at the moment in the next generation - humanity seems to have gone from some people. They will literally fight until they die. The crime rate’s definitely up - that’s a fact. Yes there is also more media coverage and everyone likes to sensationalise it but I know for a fact those people don’t stop to think twice about what they’re doing hence the track.

What do you think has brought about that change?
I’m not too sure to be honest and it just freaks me out that I don’t know. My inability to answer that question is kind of a big part of what spurred me on to do this project.

What was the hardest part about putting the project together?
Just getting everyone together to record, that’s why there’s a few people missing that I would have liked to have had on it. Che was hard because he was flying everywhere on his Supergroove tour but everyone still came through.

Did it surprise you how the artists interpreted your initial message with their own opinions?
It was cool because people had their different take on things; some people on the song are ex-convicts so their side of the story is real and honest. The artists really poured their hearts out.

What do you want the track to accomplish?
I want one kid at one point in their life to have the ability to think twice about their choices that’s what I used to do. We used to get in to real bad fights but there’s a point where I had to make a decision to continue or live. People will go so far so I’m just saying stop and take a second to think. If we help them to get across that bridge that’s simply what we’re after.

Doesn't it seem ironic that you're trying to push your message through a musical genre that is known to glamorise and encourage the very behaviour you want to stop? Were you worried how the media would interpret the project?
I know that the general media don’t have a clue about it so I’m no too worried what they think. For instance someone quite well known in the mainstream media said to me the other day it’s great you guys are getting involved in this considering what hip hop’s about. And I was left thinking, sorry could you remind me what hip hop is about again? People that don’t know will never know and will never see the bigger issue at hand.

Why did you pick the charity youth line to receive the money raised from the song?
Basically I wanted a nationwide organisation that could help kids throughout the country and also to recognise that the issue is not a regional issue. This track is as much for a kid in Clendon as it is for a kid in Invercargill. It was important I felt to recognise that there are kids throughout the country from different areas going through the same struggles.

What’s your take on the current mood of NZ hip hop?
Right now it’s weird. I feel it’s strange because it’s going through a rebirth of sorts which it needed to. But I also think there are a lot of people in denial that think they're doing a whole lot when really they are not doing a hell of a lot. It’s almost like if you tell a lie and then you start to believe it, next thing you know it’s the gospel. Well that’s how I feel right now. I think that some sections in our own community have started to believe their own hype which is started to really freak me out. I also think there are some really good things happening.

What have you got planned for the rest of the year?
I’m going to be focusing on Aussie. I’ve got the major flavours 3 coming out over there and also a 5 month long tour so just trying to keep focused on that.

Is the mass proliferation of hip hop music to blame for the surge in youth gang violence in New Zealand?

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