Michael Dapaah for Rhythm and Vines

MC Big Shaq

BRITISH rapper, actor and comedian Michael Dapaah, best known for portraying fictional grime MC Big Shaq, has been announced among other top acts for the Rhythm and Vines festival lineup.

Grime is a music genre evolved from UK electronic music styles that include UK garage and jungle, and draws influence from dance hall, reggae and hip hop.

Within three weeks of its release online, Big Shaq’s debut single Man’s Not Hot clocked up 60 million views worldwide.

Canadian producer Tiga, Client Liaison, Australian producer Willaris K and Javi Bora also feature in the lineup.

Melbourne duo Client Liaison will bring 1980s-infused indie house music to the music festival while Javi Bora headlines stages on New Year’s Eve.

These acts join the already-announced first line-up that includes Schoolboy Q, Mura Masa, Baauer and Giggs.

P-Money, and David Dallas have been confirmed to play the coveted New Year’s Eve slot with Savage.

This year will be P-Money’s ninth performance at the festival, a title he shares with Dick Johnson, who will play the festival with his partner Anna Coddington under their alias Clicks.

Homegrown favourites SWIDT (who took out the best group award at the New Zealand Music Awards), L.A.B, Theia and PNC will bring kiwi flavours to the international lineup.

The Garden Stage will be a new feature at the festival and will house the Giggle and Vines comedy segment headlined by Heath Franklin’s Chopper.

An alternative and indie line-up that focuses on up-and-coming acts that include High Hoops, Soaked Oats, Balu Brigada and Yukon Era will also perform on the Garden Stage.

Three-day passes, and all on-site camping options, sold out well ahead of this second line-up announcement. A limited number of single-day tickets are on sale now but are expected to sell out soon.

To mark the 15th year of the festival, a NZ on Air feature documentary has been commissioned to document the festival’s history.

The documentary will include never-seen-before archival footage and interviews with the festival’s key players.

This documentary ill be released in March.