That's a rap

Savage puts his best arm forward to help rappers of the future. Photo / Supplied

Local hip-hop star Savage is going into high schools around New Zealand to mentor rap stars of the future for a new primetime TV show.

In the tradition of Gene Simmons' Rock School, Hip Hop High sees the chart-topping rapper work with groups of kids to make music.

The show marks South Auckland company Dawn Raid Entertainment's first foray into television after making its name as a record label releasing albums by Savage, his crew the Deceptikonz, and many others.

TimeOut contacted Dawn Raid boss Andy Murnane this week while they were filming for the show in Oamaru but he wouldn't comment because it is not screening until later this year.

The show, made up of six half-hour episodes, is being made with $500,000 in funding from NZ On Air and will show during primetime on TV2.

NZ On Air chief executive Jane Wrightson says it jumped at this "fish out of water" idea because it's a rarity for both music and cross-cultural content to make it as primetime viewing on free-to-air television.

"We don't get too many ideas that feature cross-cultural stuff, or Maori stuff that can work on a mainstream network in primetime and this one seemed like it might very well manage to do that," she says.

Dawn Raid's TV move comes after a tough few years for the company which went into liquidation in 2007 and was given a financial lifeline last year by Auckland businessmen Michael Stiassny and John Barnett, the boss of South Pacific Pictures.

However, SPP has nothing to do with Hip Hop High which is being made by Black Inc Communications, and production company Eyeworks, run by reality TV queen Julie Christie.

New Zealand Musician Magazine also reported two more TV shows (Brown Brothers and Southside) are likely out of the Dawn Raid stable.