Scribe achieves rare Australian sales success

Rapper Scribe (right) with producer P-Money. Herald file picture

Rapper Scribe has become an export success story.

This week Scribe - who has topped the local singles and album charts, and last year won a swag of New Zealand Music Awards - reached platinum sales in Australia for his debut disc, The Crusader.

Platinum sales in Australia - 70,000-plus CDs - puts Scribe into rarefied company; only New Zealand artists of the calibre of Split Enz and Crowded House have found such favour with Aussie record buyers.

Scribe began his latest Australian tour last night with a concert in Melbourne. With his latest single with producer P-Money, Stop The Music, having returned to the Australian Top 10 this week, sitting at No.9, the tour should be a success - shows in Sydney and Byron Bay have already sold out.

Scribe's musical partner P-Money was ecstatic.

"I'm rapt that our single is back in the top 10," he said.

"I'm just happy that people are digging our music so much. It's a huge achievement for our label, Dirty Records, and for me and Scribe as songwriters and performing artists."

Mark Ashbridge, managing director of Festival Mushroom Records, which distributes Scribe's music, was equally ecstatic.

"Scribe truly deserves every single one of those hard-earned sales," Mr Ashbridge said.

"Over the last 12 months we have all poured so much time and energy into Australia that it is great to see the success finally happen."

Stop The Music, which is on P-Money's latest album Magic City and not on The Crusader, was a number one song in New Zealand late last year.

- NZPA