Velociraptor

Signed to P-Money’s Dirty Records, Auckland via Palmerston North rapper PNC (Sam Hansen) is headed across the pond otherwise known as the Tasman Sea later this week for a show in Brisbane.Your MySpace page says you have the “best flow in New Zealand”. How did you earn this rep? That's an aspect of my music that people have always seemed to enjoy. All the artists I listened to growing up had exceptional timing, so it's something that I pride myself in exceeding at.

What’s the most important thing in a rap song to you; lyrics, flow or a maaad beat?

Production is probably the most important part if I'm being honest. I think a weaker MC with top notch production is going to succeed a lot more than vice versa. The combination of all of three is the mark of a great artist. I call it the triple threat!

You had some really cool influences on your MySpace page. One of them was Kanye West – tell us, what did you think of his ‘808s and Heartbreak’ album?

It grew on me. At first I found it strange. It was like Michael Jordan playing baseball. I really enjoyed the songwriting, and I wished he'd just given the songs to an actual singer to do. But the more I listened to it and got over the weirdness of him singing, I respected what he achieved with it and I think it was good record.

How did you first get involved with hip hop?

In my bedroom, trying to make demos. I wasn't the type of guy that grew up around a lot of people doing it, and got into ‘cause it was what my friends were doing. I have just been obsessed with music ever since I can remember, and I just got into trying to make it the more I listened and discovered great music.

Do you have any influences outside hip hop/ R&B?

Definitely. I'm inspired by all music. My last album, ‘Bazooka Kid’, had a very strong 80's synth pop influence. My Mum played a lot of classic rock artists like The Band and Rolling Stones when I was growing up. I think it’s good to broaden your horizons, and I like to listen to all types of genres to sort of clean the hip hop palette now and then.

So why name yourself after a city? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a rapper doing that before, except for maybe Flo Rida. How much do you love Palmerston North?

It was never a name I actually sat down and chose. Maybe the first rhyme I ever wrote said "new chapter/ it’s the PNC Raptor..." at the start. I just I always thought the velociraptors in ‘Jurassic Park’ were ill, and I was the Palmerston North version haha! I kicked that verse on student radio once and the DJ started calling me that, and I used it as a screen name on the net so when people listened to me post audio on forums that was the name they knew me as. I later dropped the Raptor part.

If you could do a project with any rapper, dead or alive, who would it be?

If I could pick anyone it would have to be Jay-Z. He's definitely the artist that influenced me the most and made me want to start MCing myself. Other favourites would be Eminem, Andre 3000 and Nas.

If you never got into the rap game, what would you be doing right now?

Man, good question! I think that's the main reason I've been able to succeed thus far in the music industry, because I can't see myself doing anything else. I guess it’s a ‘do or die’ mentality. I'd probably be back in Palmy working at KFC, which was the last job I had before doing music.

Is there anything you dislike about hip hop culture?

Plenty of things. The biggest problems with the music today is the lack of artistic integrity and diversity. It's disheartening when you hear people NOT wanting to be noted as lyricists because that isn't what sells, so they just carbon copy the next man. I enjoyed the days where everyone had their own lane, and the landscape of hip hop was really varied.

Catch PNC at Shooters Nightclub on Tuesday March 23.