For those who don’t know, ‘Up2’ is kiwi slang for ‘What are you up to?’. Whether sorting out a plan for the night, or getting a mate to stop messing around, Up2 is a very useful phrase indeed.

In the track, Rei, with the help of Auckland rapper Lij, rap about the distractions of life. Whether from friends or family, we can all get stretched thin and get pulled many different ways. However, both Rei and Lij keep on their path of hardwork, resisting the temptation to muck around with friends. Instead, Rei continues ‘putting work in and that’s just true my bro’.

Also produced by Rei, this single crosses between trap, rap and grime, with artists such as G Eazy, Post Malone and Stormzy coming to mind. Rei also recently released a Trap remix of his single ‘Hāti’ which was posted on Trap Music HD, surpassing over 150,000 views on Youtube. Mixed and mastered by NZ dance music pioneer Chris Chetland, ‘Up2’ has that signature bass that will kick right through you.

Get ready for heaps of new music coming from Rei in 2018, with a Māori language EP and a new English language album in the works. With support from the New Zealand on Air projects funding, Rei will continue to release music of an international standard.