Lock in Saturday night to party with Hedlok

Che Fu performs on stage opening for Six60 at Western Springs Stadium. Photo / Dave Simpson

Get set to party Hawke's Bay, as Hedlok rocks into Bev Ridges on York in Napier on Saturday night.

The rap, R& B and reggae artists Che Fu and King Kapisi say concert-goers can expect "two of the best from the Pacific to rock it".

"Our job is to make sure everyone who comes along enjoys it," King Kapisi said.

"We want people to leave thinking 'those two left it all on stage'. Every time I touch a mic I rock as hard as I can. My greatest love is sharing our vibe with the crowd — when the crowd becomes one with the music it's just awesome."

Their music has taken them both around the world — together and individually.

"We have been around for a long time and performed all over the world."

Che Fu said he had been performing with King Kapisi as the duo act Hedlok for the years.

"We have played shows in NZ and Australia extensively, and have also toured the UK together.

King Kapisi.

"The good people of Hawke's Bay can expect to see us perform a mixture of new and old material delivered in a dynamic, energetic, hip-hop way. So be prepared to woop and holla.

"We both DJ, rap, and sing throughout the set, so it's an entertainment spectacle that people may not have seen before. No doubt we'll be performing our tunes that kiwis love, and we look forward to playing them.

"Individually King Kapisi and I have music careers that spans 25 plus years, so expectations are high, and we both plan on delivering the goods," Che Fu said.

For King Kapisi it all stated when he not only played a part in the movie Once Were Warriors but his rap music was played at the beginning of the film.

King Kapisi (Bill Urale) was the first hip-hop artist to receive the Silver Scroll at the APRA awards for songwriter of the year in 1999 for his hit Reverse Resistance.

He also has his own fashion label Overstayer.

"I got tired of trying to buy clothes in size 2XL or 3XL with a hip-hop urban street feel so i decided to design something I would like to wear. That was 18 years ago."

Today his Overstayer label is sold in Farmers.

He says he never imagined when he started out in music that he would be able to make a living from it.

"I work hard though. Getting yourself seen and heard is a lot easier these days with social media. It's a great way to promote yourself. Talk about kittens and post a pic and you might get 10 million likes," he said with a laugh.

"I approach social media as if it were a job. You get noticed by being active."

However it's not social media that has rocketed these two to fame. It's talent.

Che Fu (Che Ness) is a founding member of Supergroove and as a solo artist has sold thousands of albums worldwide and won numerous awards. In 2009 he was awarded a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit and more recently in 2014 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2014 Pacific Music Awards.

They are both multi talented musicians and performers. Saturday night promises to be one big party.

■Hedlok — Che Fu and King Kapisi, Saturday, Bev Ridges On York, Napier, doors open 8.30pm. Tickets from Hustle Surf & Moto, Hastings, Scott Drive 4 Square, Flaxmere, Bev Ridges on York, Napier, High Clothing Co., Napier and online www.ticketspace.nz