Raiza Biza is set to play an early evening set at Porridge Watson on April 11. Photo / Tom Grut
Raiza Biza is set to play an early evening set at Porridge Watson on April 11. Photo / Tom Grut
Rwandan-Kiwi rapper Raiza Biza will be performing in Whanganui this weekend, in support of his latest album, A Summer in Retrograde.
It's his first full length since last year's Grand Opening, Grand Closing, and features collaborations with Hollie Smith, Christoph El Truento, Beau Monga, NXVA and more.
Biza saidthe new, eight-track release was a reflection of the "weird summer" people around the world experienced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that ensued.
"Summer really wasn't the way it normally is, and we didn't have that many chances to go outside and enjoy it.
"It's taking the obscurity of our circumstance and painting it with a summer tinge.
"I also have a few female friends who always talk about Mercury Retrograde and stuff like that, so, basically, I put all those ideas together to express how strange that period of time was."
Despite those strange times, Biza said lockdown restrictions had little impact on his productivity.
"I make music all the time, and I don't go to big studios to do it. If anything, I was more productive, because I couldn't go anywhere and I couldn't get distracted.
"There were definitely times where I was like 'damn, I just wanna go out and party', but my creative process doesn't really depend on my ability to leave home."
His process has produced a steady stream of releases over the past decade, along with the founding of AmmoNation, a collective that brings together "musicians, producers and creative minds".
Aside from his work as a solo artist, Biza also formed BLKCTY, a group featuring fellow African-New Zealand rappers JessB, Abdul Kay, Blaze The Emperor, and Mo Muse.
They recently headlined at Splore Festival in Gisborne, and Blaze and Mo both feature on A Summer Retrograde.
"There was a track on my Bygones album [2015] called Funds, which originally just featured Blaze The Emperor," Biza said.
Raiza Biza (far right) with fellow BLKCITY members Abdul Kay, JessB, Mo Muse, and Blaze the Emperor. Photo / Connor Pritchard
"I wanted to do one of those old school party remixes with a whole bunch of rappers, and it just so happened that those were the people that featured on it.
"When I started in the music industry over here, I was the only person of African descent, as far as I could tell. I didn't really have anyone I could look to as an example of what to do.
"A lot of the motivation behind it [BLKCTY] was creating something that younger people in the African community who are into music can look at and say 'look, here are five people doing it at a high level'.
There was the possibility of BLKCTY releasing a full album in the future, Biza said, and the album format was something he still held in high regard.
"I'm from an era that was just before streaming and singles, so I really respect the process of an artist creating a whole piece.
"It's like a film in a sense, as opposed to one episode of a TV series.
"It's a lot easier to make a good song than it is to make an album that flows and has layers and nuances. There's definitely an art to it, and the artists I listen to are still making albums."
He is already working on the follow-up to A Summer Retrograde.
"There was a time where I might have been worried about putting something out that would confuse my audience, but at this point now versatility and eclecticism are things I look at as a positive.
"There's a song on my Grand Openings record called Save Me, which is almost like folk-rock. Back in the day I would never think of doing something like that, but now, if I can't paint the picture on hip hop drums or on a rap track, I'll find another genre to paint it on."
Biza last played in Whanganui in 2018.
"I've always been a touring artist, and I like to hit all the smaller places. I don't really care whether we get 10 people, 50 people, or 200 people.
"We just keep it rolling."
• Raiza Biza, Nat Lover, and SKINNI, play at Porridge Watson on Sunday, April 11. Doors open at 5pm, and the show starts at 6pm. Tickets are $20.
