Entertainment

Local Hip-Hop Supergroup 0800 Collective On Keeping Things Fresh And The Power Of Collaboration

By Jaiden Bhaga
3rd Feb 2023

0800 Collective sitting in a living room.

If there's one thing hip-hop group, 0800 Collective is going to do—it's to keep things fresh. Since taking the local music scene by storm with the release of their track 'DONDE' the boys have gone from strength to strength, touring and playing at the likes of Rhythm & Vines. 

With the release of their EP on the horizon, we teamed up with V Refresh to sit down with the group's five members—Daniel, Josh, Johan, Matt and TINO—to chat about their creative process and the power of collaboration. 

Tell us about yourselves, how did your journey as a collective in music begin?

Daniel: We're an alternative hip-hop collective of artists and producers from Auckland. Our journey as a collective started very naturally. Josh, Tino and I were working together for a few years and then one night, we went into ZEAL Studios to make some music, and Josh invited some friends (Matt, Johann and Pierre). We wrote our debut single, 'DONDE' and had a lot of fun making it together. We had no intention of releasing the song and forming a collective until a few weeks passed, and we were still so excited about the music, we felt we couldn't keep it to ourselves.

Was there a moment you knew, yep, that's what we want to do? 

TINO: Other than our passion for music, a key moment was the support and turnout from our first few shows. It's one thing to see our streams and followers growing but to physically see a room full of people who love the music so much they are willing to give up their time to watch us perform is a whole other feeling.

Who or what inspires your work and creative direction? 

TINO: As a group, we all have unique styles and influences that we like to show in our own way. Whether in lyrics or fashion, we are influenced by various genres and styles, which contributes to our unique sound. We're also inspired by older hip-hop collectives like Wu-Tang, A$AP mob and Odd Future.

Can you give us a snapshot of what a typical day looks like for you? 

Matt: We usually finish work at around six and all head around to the flat where the boys stay, chat about plans for new releases, and where we're all at over a can of V Refresh. Then we all deep dive into creative work and it's always been like that with us. We always work in a group setting, whether it's music, video or merch. Movies or games after a session is always ideal too.

How has the local music culture influenced your style? 

Johan: I remember being younger, and a lot of local kids at school thought I had an American accent, probably because I watched too much US TV. I always thought it was cool to sound different. I was born in Takapuna and grew up in the early 2000s, and I noticed all the bands at the time were trying to sound American. It was when I heard Tom Scott rap with that West Auckland tone and delivery, I realised how unique our local sound is. There is a lot of high-quality music coming out of this country with various upbringings and cultural backgrounds.

How would you describe the NZ music scene? 

Johan: I hate copping out and saying it's very diverse, but it's definitely not traditional. There is so much diversity within the music scene. With so many genres and production styles, it's hard to put your finger on where it's going next. There are so many new artists popping up and carving lanes for themselves. For the most part, everyone we work with is very chill and humble. I think New Zealand is too small to act famous…we all shop at the same supermarkets.

What other local artists are you vibing at the moment? 

Josh: We've been listening to a lot of NZ music recently. There's so much good stuff coming out right now. Our friends Rhys Rich and Balu Brigada are dropping some numbers. We're really big on the new Who Shot Scott project. He's been putting out some catchy punk songs with big energy and strong underlying themes. We are also vibing with Aidan Fine, Church & AP, Wax Mustang and CHAII at the moment.

Can you give us a quick wrap of the overarching concept behind your latest work?

Josh: Our last single 'YOU SAID', is a story about conflicts within a relationship. When you're feeling like your bad mood is bringing the other person down and realise that dwelling on it is just pulling you out from being in the moment. Everyone has a different take on their verses. We tend to write based on one initial story or feeling, and the boys will write a verse through their own experiences.

Can you walk us through your creative process? What's your secret to keeping things fresh?

Daniel: We tend to thrive in scenarios where we have multiple sessions going on at the same time, often we have two setups and either Josh, Pierre or myself will be running them. This allows for the group to bounce between rooms and jump into whichever session is pulling them in. It's more productive but also allows the boys to choose which vibe they want to work with at that time. 

TINO: From an artist's POV it's all about the initial vibe we feel from the track that determines where it will go, usually based on the song's theme or chorus. Because there are so many of us in the group, it can be a long process recording each section, so we’re vibing the new V Refresh so we keep them on hand in our session to keep things fresh.

What has been your biggest career highlight so far? 

Matt: Performing at Rhythm and Vines in 2020 was a massive highlight for us because it was a great experience to play to a big crowd and have the best time doing it. Everyone was super amped leading up to it, and what we learnt up there was super helpful further down the line. It made us up the ante a bit, and we all enjoyed putting on one of our best performances. We always think about the live performance aspect when we work on music because that's really what we do it for. In the same way, touring was a major experience for us, it's a great feeling to see your work fleshed out and where it ends up.

When you're playing a gig, what's your secret when bringing them to life? What's your secret to getting gig-ready?

Josh: We start rehearsals months before a show to get it sounding as tight as possible then we start working on the arrangement and visuals. The lyrics and vocal performance are like muscle memory, so we can focus on having fun and giving it energy. There's nothing better than being prepared and getting in actual experience, so with every show, we are making changes and refining it. We want everyone at the show to have a good time and take home a memory with them, so filling it with little moments that keep people engaged is a big thought for us.

What's next for you—anything exciting in the works? 

Tino: We are currently finishing our next EP which we are very excited about, this next EP shows more of our characters on the tracks whilst still bringing that unique 0800 sound which we can't wait to show you.

Any final thoughts or insights into your creative world that you'd love to share?

Johan: Take care of yourself mentally and physically where you can. Life gets busy, and I feel like I don't make the best music when I stay in bed doing nothing productive all week. I have to go out and see family and friends ground me and hear what they have going on or are listening to. Having the 0800 fellas bounce ideas off week by week is like therapy to me, it helps to be in the booth since I don't write a diary.  

Want to catch the latest from 0800 Collective? Keep an eye out on their Instagram be first to know about upcoming gigs and singles. While you're at it, be sure to wrap your hands around a can of V Refresh at your crews next get together. 

Editor's note: this article was produced in partnership with V Refresh. Thank you for supporting the partners who make Urban List possible. To read our editorial policy, click here.

Image credit: 0800 Collective via Instagram

Get our top stories direct to your inbox.

Get our top stories direct to your inbox.