Auckland ensemble, Nesian Mystik, ruled NZ hip-hop in the '00s, before splitting up to pursue individual projects. Combining their multicultural background with the influence of U.S. acts like Jurassic 5 and early Black Eyed Peas, Nesian Mystik's four albums thrived on full-band instrumentation, with guitarist David “Dmon” Atai anchoring tracks as much as Te Awanui “Awa” Reeder's ultra-smooth R&B vocals. But they also incorporated the round-robin bounce of backpacker rap and the club-glossed snap of dance music. The common thread was always positivity, with amiable humour a close second.