He moved to Northland to create a better life for his family, now he’s on a mission to change the face of local hip-hop.
Tre Poutama is a radio DJ for Whangarei-based Beagle FM. Every Saturday from 2-4pm, he presents hiphop and RnB show The Dope Spot from their volunteer-run studio at One One Six Bank Street.
Featuring only Northland artists, Tre says he has to choose carefully about who he puts in the spotlight.
“What is very important to me when I write my own music is that I don't cuss or swear. Because I believe that if you're smart enough, you don't have to,” he says. “[I want to defy] what people perceive a Hip-hop group to be, so have to be quite picky.”
Tre says his goal is to create a show suitable for people of all ages.
“You hear all the kids making music these days and it's like mumbling. I hear this music and I look at my son and I think 'man you're going to be exposed to this shit. It's gonna make you stupid!' They’re just making noises! So, I guess I'm doing my part by playing local, conscious Northland hip hop.”
The father of one says he would like people to see hip hop as more than a macho, negative culture.
“We get all the negative stereotypes, the gang-affiliated image and degrading lyrics to women- all that kind of stuff. But that’s not what hip hop is about. Hip hop is a culture with a deep history.”
Tre says he was born into a family of Hip hop lovers so didn’t have much of a choice but to love the genre. However, the turning point came when he moved to Kaikohe in 2013.
He got in contact with a local musician called Brent Pehi, and the pair banded together to form The Funky North.
Starting off busking on the streets, Tre says the experience was necessary to teach him about performing.
Four years and thousands of gigs later, the band is still gigging but are now based in Whangarei.
Tre says volunteering for Beagle FM is his way of giving back to the community.
“Northland has so many talented artists and if this show gives even just one of them the opportunity they need to make it, it’ll all be worth it.”
Check out Tre Poutama’s show on Beagle FM 88.1 from 2-4pm every Saturday. You can stream the show live on www.beagleradio.co.nz or download the podcast.
Check out Tre’s other ventures here:
The Funky North live https://youtu.be/HQHFMzk7BKw The Funky North website http://thefunkynorth.weebly.com/ BeagleRadio website www.beagleradio.co.nz theDOPE_SPOT fb page www.facebook.com/thedopespot116 MCXBLAKSAWD musician page www.facebook.com/mcblaksawd