Aotearoa Hip Hop: The Music, The People, The History · rova | Original

EP8- Deceptikonz

·1 hr 8 min·5 clips

Dawn Raid aimed for 'the biggest,' dreaming from no dollars to hundreds of thousands.

This episode traces the rise of the Decepticons, a seminal South Auckland hip-hop crew, and their label Dawn Raid Entertainment in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It explores how members like Mareko and Savage developed their skills, the crew's unique fusion of styles, and how Dawn Raid built a mini-empire through hustle, community focus, and events like the Christchurch Hip Hop Summit.

As heard by us

A brisk, scene-level history of Mareko and the underground that shaped him.

The episode centers Mareko's rise and places it inside the wider Aotearoa hip-hop underground with unusual clarity. It moves from an early Run DMC spark and Public Enemy influence into the battle MC energy that shaped his first steps, then widens to the South Island and Auckland…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

For when you want Aotearoa hip-hop history with battle-rap bite.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Aotearoa Hip Hop: The Music, The People, The History