The late Phil Fuemana - producer, mentor and prime mover behind urban Pacific music - once said, "Proud didn't make us, we made Proud," a terse assertion about the 1994 album of South Auckland music, Proud: An Urban-Pacific Streetsoul Compilation.
The album launched the short career of Sisters Underground with their hit In the Neighbourhood and shone the spotlight on MC Slam (Charlie Brown), Semi MCs, Pacifican Descendants and others, notably the sardonically named Õtara Millionaires Club with We R the OMC.
That group was a launchpad for Fuemana's younger brother Pauly, who, as OMC, would take How Bizarre to the world the following year. Ermehn (Herman Loto) and Dei Hamo (Sani Sagala) also emerged from Proud.
This story is from the May 27 - June 2 2023 edition of New Zealand Listener.
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This story is from the May 27 - June 2 2023 edition of New Zealand Listener.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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