Teenagers Brenda Pua and Hassanah Iroegbu began their music careers after winning a grant from Manukau City Council. They were introduced to music producer Alan Jansson who helped them create their enduring 1994 hit ‘In the Neighbourhood’. Two teenagers from Ōtara, Brenda and Hassanah, were the voices behind the 1994 song, In the Neighbourhood. Released under the name ‘Sisters Underground’ their song made the NZ Top 10 on release, hit the charts in Australia, and went on to become an iconic part of New Zealand music history. And yet, the song’s success came as something of a surprise to the duo who, years later, are still coming to terms with the resounding impact ‘In the Neighbourhood’ had on Aotearoa. “When that came out, it was a very proud moment,” Upper Hutt Posse member Teremoana Rapley says. “It felt like I wasn’t alone, because up to that point, there were no sisters to the left or to the right of me.” Sarah Tamaira AKA Voodoo Child shared a similar experience: “You know, when you’re a young girl those kinds of things mean everything to you, seeing brown faces on the TV.” The song carries with it a strong sense of identity. It was funded by a Manukau City Council grant, and the music video was filmed in various locations throughout Ōtara, including their own homes, friends and families. Thinking upon her lyrics, Hassanah explains: “I was really trying to connect the hip hop that I admired to what we would do every day. I wanted it to reflect social inequalities… the true enemy in my mind at that time was, you know, the system.”

Unearthing the stories behind some of the most influential tracks in Aotearoa hip hop.