Announcing Moana SongHubs 2025 curated by David Dallas

David Dallas occupies a rare space in New Zealand music. Introduced to us via his prodigious guest verse on the classic ‘Not Many Remix’ - few could have foreseen a career that would have him still selling out shows and garnering award nominations two decades later.

Over the years we’ve seen everything from chart topping albums, video game placements, a partnership with legendary NY label DuckDown, a WWE theme, a hat tip from Kanye West, features from Freddie Gibbs, and huge placements in Hollywood films such as Adam Sandler’s “Hustle”. He even founded Red Bull’s ‘64 Bars’ which is now a worldwide series showcasing MCs around the globe.

More importantly songs like “Runnin” have become legitimate anthems in this country. Ubiquitous at sporting events - a local rap song being the unofficial sound of NZ’s 2017 America’s Cup campaign would not have been on anyone’s bingo card, yet it happened.

Most recently Dallas released VITA, an 8-track EP, written back in his childhood home in South Auckland. VITA captures a pivotal moment of reflection and connection after the passing of his brother. In between renovating a house and clearing out 30 years of family memories, Dallas found release in creating music, reuniting with his original producer and close friend, 41.

In a truly full circle moment, this EP has seen him nominated for best rap artist at the 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards, 19 years after winning his first.