This year, the PUMA Suede celebrates its fiftieth anniversary—a singular achievement in the sneaker world. As PUMA looks forward, we’re inviting young artists thriving in their field to meet and celebrate the established artists they admire, paying respect to the idols who shaped their journey today.
Twenty-year-old singer-songwriter Kaiit is shaking up soul. For the uninitiated, ‘OG Luv Kush p.2’ and ‘2000 n SOMETHIN’ are must-hear tracks, typifying the timeless sound that earned her a co-sign from Jill Scott (likening Kaiit to her love child with Erykah Badu). MoMO is a producer, writer, community leader, and one half of seminal Australian hip-hop group Diafrix. He’s also Kaiit’s manager, and while might have made his name a decade before his protégé, they couldn’t be more aligned. Or, as Kaiit puts it, “Mo just sees the vision.”
We visited Kaiit’s home to talk through her songwriting process and the importance of nature, and caught MoMO in the studio to hear about his own musical beginnings.
Although Melbourne producer Billy Davis is more than 10 years Andrew De Silva’s junior, the pair share the same passion for R&B. We asked the pair to come together to represent two generations of Australian music, but this isn’t the first time they’ve connected. Davis is a part of Melbourne’s blossoming bedroom soul scene, and had the opportunity to play keys for De Silva’s 90s R&B outfit CDB on their reunion tour. Since then, De Silva has acted as a mentor to Davis, sharing first-hand insights into the days of old soul; which Davis is infatuated by. While both occupy different places in the soul landscape, they share a deep love and passion for their craft.
Soul artists Teeks and Hollie Smith made their names during two very different eras in New Zealand. Hollie Smith boasts two decades in the game. Teeks is a 24-year-old singer with aspirations for a RIANZ number one of his own. His latest release Grapefruit Skies proves that he’s well on his way. We’ve teamed up with our friend in NZ Sniffers, to bring the artists together in the legendary Auckland Town Hall, to talk inspirations and ambitions, before heading to Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae.
