Sheelahroc

Sheelahroc, meaning, ‘Women are the Strength’, was formed in Christchurch in May 1999 with the aim of providing support and encouragement for females in the traditionally male dominated arena of Hip-Hop. Originally consisting of 8 members of various ethnicities; Japanese, Maori, Samoan and Niuean the initial performances reflected the full spectrum of Hip-Hop; i.e. break dancing, MCing, graffiti art and Turntablisim. Due to time constraints and prior commitments of several of the original members as well as the considerable task in coordinating practices and performances, it became necessary to concentrate on one area of Hip-Hop culture (MCing). The responsibility of continuing the dream then fell on the shoulders of the two principal vocalists/lyricists. The addition of the youngest member, after being discovered at a local talent quest in August 2000, completed the powerhouse trinity that was Sheelahroc. They went on to perform alongside the cream of Aotearoa’s Hip-Hop community including Che-Fu, DLT, king Kapisi, P-Money and the Dawn Raid Collective. Their track 'If I Gave You The Mic' is featured on Kiwi Hit Disc #49