T-shirt (Cocoland runnin tha game since '96)

This t-shirt is part of a collection of t-shirts which were displayed in the exhibition Respect - Hip Hop Aotearoa (2003) at TheNewDowse in the Hutt Valley, Wellington. It eventually toured for two years.

In collaboration with well-recognized hip hop artists, the show centred around first-person narratives from those within the hip hop community. Their artistry was explored through mural work, photography, graphic work, and digital media as a way of presenting their perspectives.

The hip hop community play an important role in our society, particularly amongst the youth. The t-shirt examples demystify terms such as 'bunga', applied to Pacific Island migrants, particularly during the 1970s 'dawn raids' era. Years later, Dawn Raid Entertainment, based in Manukau, is now one of many companies demystifying these stereotypes, as a way of re-asserting cultural identity.