Ladi6 was born in Christchurch on 7 November 1982, and raised in that city.[3][16][10] She grew up in the eastern suburb of Aranui.[17] Her family moved to Africa for a year and a half when she was a teenager, where she says she first started to write songs and play guitar.[18] After she returned to Christchurch in the mid-1990s, she started her entertainment career as a break dancer. When she was 16 she formed her all-elements hip-hop crew which evolved into New Zealands first all-female hip-hop music group, Sheelahroc, with Sarah Tamaira (a.k.a. Voodoo Child) and Tyra Hammond in May 1998.[1][19] Sheelahroc released the hit single "If I Gave U Th' Mic" and won Most Promising New Act at the 2001 bNet Music Awards.
After Sheelahroc broke up, Ladi6 went on to form Verse Two with Parks (Brent Park-Tamati), Julien Dyne, Markus Vanilau, Elia Gaitau, Vanessa Mcgowan, DJ 4130, Matipi Turua, Redford Grenell, Vanessa Mcgowan, Nick Robertson (Shapeshifter) as well as a variety of guest musicians including MC Scribe.[19] They released the singles "Danger" and "Gold" (featuring her cousin Scribe and produced by Mu of Fat Freddy's Drop).[20][21] "Gold" went to Number 1 on the NZ Alternative charts in its first week of play on the bNet stations and was the 5th most played song on the bNet stations in 2003.[21] "Danger" was re-issued as a bonus track on Time Is Not Much.[2] and remixed by Manuel Bundy on Solephonics records. Ladi6 was nominated for Best Vocalist/MC at the 2003 bNet Awards[22] and Verse 2 won a bNet Award for Best New Act in 2003.[19] Verse Two supported international acts such as The Roots, De La Soul and 50 Cent.[23] Gil Scott Heron, Erykah Badu, Digable planets.
The current line-up of the wider Ladi6 group is Ladi6, her award-winning producer partner Parks (a.k.a. Brent Park), and Producer keyboardist Brandon Haru. Also, an important and vital member of the group is Steve Roberts, their sound technician.[7] Ladi6 has been called "New Zealand's answer to Erykah Badu".[7]
Ladi6 evolved with dance crew "The Sixxes", a group consisting of Pasifika and Māori women. They create an inclusive and representative female presence on every stage they perform on.
Ladi6 has advocated for many health campaigns and has helped to profile certain issues by speaking out on social media.
She appeared on Songs From the Inside in 2015 alongside Troy Kingi, MC Scribe and Anika Moa. Mentoring incarcerated women in Christchurch women's prison in songwriting.[24]
Also in December 2014 saw the release of her cousin Oscar Kightley's Redbull documentary Ladi6 – Return to Africa, which follows Ladi6 on a journey of musical rediscovery to where it all began for her, revisiting the times and places where she was inspired to become a musician in Tanzania, East Africa. The documentary captures an epic adventure for Ladi6, her partner and producer Parks, and their son, Philli Park-Tamati.[25]
Time Is Not Much
Ladi6's debut album Time Is Not Much was released independently in New Zealand in November 2008 and debuted at number 4 on the New Zealand Top 40 Album chart, staying in the top 40 albums for 10 weeks.[8] The album was mostly produced by Parks and was released throughout Europe by London label BBE Records in July 2010.[3][6]
The Liberation Of...
Ladi6's second album, The Liberation Of..., was released in New Zealand independently in November 2010, where it debuted at number six on the NZ Top 40 Album Chart. It spent 34 weeks in the top 40[9] and was certified gold in July 2011.[10][11] The single "Like Water" from this album peaked at number 9 on the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, spent 22 weeks on the charts[22] and was certified platinum in June 2011.[12]
It was co-produced by Parks and Sebastian Weiss (a.k.a. DJ Sepalot) of the German hip hop group Blumentopf and features Myele Manzanza of Electric Wire Hustle, Toby Laing of Fat Freddy's Drop and German singer Esther Adams.[7][6][26]
The Liberation of... was released in Europe on German label Eskapaden Records in May 2011.[4][5] In London, Metro Magazine said Ladi6 was "One to Watch". "She knows how to make an impression – including a recent wow-inducing support slot for Gil Scott-Heron at London's Southbank Centre".[7]
Automatic
Ladi6's third album, Automatic, was released in 2013. Ladi6 and Parks travelled to the U.S. to work with music producer Waajeed. The album was done at Studio A recording studios in Detroit, with Grammy award-winning engineer Todd Fairall. They also did some recording in New Zealand at Revolver Studios in Waiuku.
Automatic was produced by Parks and Waajeed and features Ladi6 band members Julien Dyne and B.Haru. The album has guest vocal appearances by Scribe, Parks and Tyra Hammond, and Detroit MC Invincible.[27]
Automatic debuted at number 3 on the New Zealand national charts and featured on many end-of-year (2013) 'best of' lists.[28]
Royal Blue 3000
In 2017, she released her fourth album, Royal Blue 3000, which saw her and her producer partner win three New Zealand Music Awards: Best Female Artist, Best Producer, and Best Album.[29]
As well as producing most of Ladi6's music, her partner Parks also provides backing vocals for many of her tracks. In 2004, Ladi6 and Parks had their first son. He is their only child.[26]
She is the cousin of other prominent Samoan New Zealand musicians Scribe and Tyra Hammond of The Opensouls,[19] and director-actor Oscar Kightley.
