| Nā mele paleoleo | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Hawaiian rap |
| Stylistic origins | Hip hop,American hip hop,Reggae,Punk rock,Alternative rock,Hawaiian music |
| Cultural origins | Late 1980s–early 1990s,Hawaii,United States |
| Typical instruments | Vocals,Turntable,Sampler (musical instrument),Drum machine |
| Regional scenes | |
| Hawaii | |
| Other topics | |
| Hawaiian sovereignty movement,Hawaiian language,Hawaiian Pidgin | |
Nā mele paleoleo (sg.mele pāleoleo lit. "song that speaks loudly and angrily") is a Hawaiianhip hop genre that fusesrap with lyrics in theHawaiian language,Hawaiian Pidgin, or both. It emerged in Hawaii in the late 1980s as an expression of land struggles, cultural survival, social justice, and distrust of institutional power. Through protest performances it evolved into a recorded form in the 1990s tied strongly to theHawaiian sovereignty movement. The term itself gained wider public use in that era and is associated with sovereignty-era advocacy. Recognized as a form of Hawaiianperformance poetry, nā mele paleoleo continues to serve as both artistic expression and political statement.[1][2][3]
Nā mele paleoleo first emerged in the late 1980s withHonolulu-based hip hop artists Charlotte "MC Frumpy" Kaluna and herhānai-brother Joseph "DJ ELITE" Netherland (also known as Joe Venom™ or The WarLord™).[note 1] Netherland is active as part of theDJ/turntablist and production super-groupCrossFade Disciples (CFD) and the rap and production super-group808 Natives, where he collaborated with lyricist and producer Daniel "Danny R" Rose, who contributed to music production and songwriting.[4][5][6] Frumpy and ELITE were later joined by Frumpy's protege Jason "BUZ 1" Tavares, described in aPBS Hawaiʻi profile as an underground freestyle lyricist active with groups such asHi-State Family,VM, andMoʻilla Pillaz.[7] Tavares's high-energy lyricism and performances complemented the protest orientation of Frumpy and ELITE.[7][note 1]
Their work drew on the confrontational edge ofconscious hip hop acts such asPublic Enemy,Boogie Down Productions (particularlyKRS-One),Queen Latifah, and earlyIce Cube solo releases. They were also shaped by early 1990s punk and alternative groups includingBikini Kill andRage Against the Machine.[note 1]
Alongside these global influences, their artistic base remained grounded inHawaiian culture andtraditional spirituality. They often drew on imagery associated withkoa, traditional warriors.[4]MC Frumpy andDJ ELITE performed at publicprotest rallies. They also opened for touring politically engaged acts while those artists were inHawaii.[8][5][6][note 1]
Their lyrics critiqued issues such asdispossession,police brutality,political corruption, and the suppression and revival of theHawaiian language.[4] They also echoed broader themes common in conscious hip hop, includingracism,poverty,social inequality, andwar.[1][9]
Through this fusion,MC Frumpy,DJ ELITE, and proteges such asBUZ 1 helped establish a hip hop scene rooted inactivism and protest culture. Their performances were confrontational and agitational. The genre functioned as a tool of resistance in public demonstrations rather than a recorded, commercial style at this stage.[4]
They also drew explicit historical parallels. Their lyrics criticized the planter and merchant elite tied to the 1893Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, including figures associated with theCommittee of Safety (Hawaii) and the laterNā Hui Nui ʻElima companies.[10]
By the mid-1990s the genre reached broader visibility in the recorded music scene through the Hilo-based groupSudden Rush. Their 1995 debut albumNation on the Rise helped focus recognition on the style and its themes of land, sovereignty, and cultural survival.[1][11][12] Sudden Rush’s blend of rap,reggae, and Hawaiian chanting, especially the rapid-firekepakepa style, helped define the genre.[13][14]
Scholars credit Sudden Rush with carrying the labelnā mele paleoleo into recorded music and wider public discourse in the 1990s, linking it explicitly to sovereignty politics.[1][2]
Their later albums and singles continued this emphasis.[9][15][16]
Sudden Rush’s work marked a transition from underground protest performance to album-based advocacy, shaping nā mele paleoleo into a recognized genre of Hawaiian music and formalizing its identity in the popular imagination.[4][2]
Nā mele paleoleo differs from much commercial U.S. hip hop by avoiding themes ofviolence,materialism, andsexual objectification, instead foregroundinglanguage revitalization,indigenous pride, and political awareness.[4] Songs often incorporatePidgin Creole English alongside Hawaiian, serving as both artistic expression and political statement.[1][17][18] Code-switching and multilingual delivery are noted features in studies of language use in Hawaiʻi.[19][20]
Scholars describe the style as both a response to cultural suppression during and after colonization and a vehicle for community healing and reclaiming indigenous voice.[1][21] Performing rap in Hawaiian is framed as an act ofdecolonization and language revitalization.[1][9][22][23]
Nā mele paleoleo continues to influence Hawaiian, Pacific, and indigenous musicians and is a subject of academic study in indigenous and popular music.[4][2] It remains a medium for Native Hawaiian musicians to express cultural pride, resistance, and contemporary social realities.[1][21]
Donald Keʻala Kawaʻauhau Jr. (April 9, 1971 – August 27, 2018), a founding member of Sudden Rush, is remembered for his broadcasting career and for his statements about the naming of the style. In a 1998 interview cited by Halifu Osumare, Kawaʻauhau said he worked with language authorities to have the phrasenā mele paleoleo recognized as the Hawaiian term for rap.[24][25]
State ofHawaii | |
|---|---|
Honolulu (capital) | |
| Topics | |
| Society | |
| Main islands | |
| Northwestern Islands | |
| Notable communities | |
| Counties | |
| Pre-statehood history | |
