DLT | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Darryl Leigh Thomson |
| Origin | Wellington, New Zealand |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, producer, visual artist |
| Instrument | Turntables |
| Years active | 1983–2011 |
| Labels | BMG |
| Formerly of | Upper Hutt Posse |
DLT orDarryl Leigh Thomson, is a New Zealand hip hop DJ, music producer and composer as well as a visual artist. He was a founding member ofUpper Hutt Posse (UHP). As a solo artist DLT issued two albums,The True School (1996) andAltruism (2000) – both peaked on theNew Zealand albums chart top 20. His most successful single, "Chains" (1996), featuring vocals byChe Fu, reached number one on the New Zealand singles chart.
Darryl Leigh Thomson,[1] was born inMaraenui, New Zealand. DLT was inspired by an article about rap and break dancing inLife magazine when he was 16 years of age; he moved toWellington in the early 1980s and established himself as agraffiti artist known as Slick (1983)[2] before co-foundinghip hop groupUpper Hutt Posse (UHP).[3] UHP released New Zealand's first hip hop recording, "E Tū", in 1988, with DLT "the first ever DJ to scratch on a locally produced record."[4] UHP relocated toAuckland. Upper Hutt Posse signed toMurray Cammick's label,Southside Records, and released the albumAgainst the Flow in 1989.
Leaving the Upper Hutt Posse in 1992, DLT released two solo albums. The first,The True School, which reached number12 on theNew Zealand charts.[4][5] It provided the single "Chains" (1996), which was thenumber one single in New Zealand for five weeks in 1996 and featured the vocals ofChe Fu.[5] In the 1997 New Zealand Music Awards[6] "Chains" was named Single of the Year and won the Best Songwriting award. Che Fu was named Best Male Vocalist. It was number 22 in the 2001APRA listing of theGreatest New Zealand Songs of the previous 75 years.
DLT's production work in the 1980s and 1990s was a pointer to and influential on thereggae-flavoureddownbeat styles that have found favour in New Zealand in recent years.
His radio and TV work in New Zealand, especiallyThe True School Show on Radio95bFM, has been important in the development of hip hop in New Zealand. DLT hosted 'Trueschool TV' on Max TV in 1996 with DJ Sir-Vere – they were later poached for MTV's 'Wreckognise' show, which gave them nationwide coverage.[7]
DLT is often described as theGodfather of New Zealand Hip Hop.
DLT is an accomplishedsculptor,graffiti artist,graphic artist andpainter.
| Date | Title | Label | Charted | Country | Catalog Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | The True School | BMG | New Zealand | - | |
| 2000 | Altruism | BMG | - | New Zealand | - |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
