Auckland// Friday July 9, 2010 PRESENTED BY SIR-VERE BROUGHT TO YOU IN ASSOCIATION WITH notourfuture.co.nz
Thursday 27 May, 2010 marks the long awaited Aotearoa release of Kiwi MC & Hip Hop artist, maitreya's debut album Close To Home.
Close To Home, released in Europe & The UK in 2008 is described as "....soulful melodies punctuated by tight, head nodding beats and rhymes" and "....powerful storytelling combined with Maori & English rhymes make for a flow that's banana's & 100% original". The MC himself is described as "An artist with rare and unmistakable honesty" ..."His LP Close To Home takes U on a journey thru sound into the life of an everyday hero who's taken his craft from NZ to stages across the globe". But back to how it all began ....
Jamie Greenslade burst on the scene in the summer of 1999-2000 with the singles "Baggy Trousers" and "The New Outlook" ft Dave Dobbyn as part of Christchurch crew Dark Tower. In 2001 he began recording under the guidance of DLT who then gave him the moniker maitreya meaning a 'Future Teacher'.
In 2003 maitreya left Christchurch to seek fame and fortune in New York, neither eventuated in his self imposed 90 day timeframe so he set about securing an internship at Roc-a-Fella Records (Jay-Z). For the next two years, he worked for Roc-a-Fella and immersed himself in New York's open mic scene, eventually getting his own show Illegal in and around the Lower East Side.
In 2006 he released the mixtape Illegal Alien with The Games DJ, DJ Kris-Sytlez, selling 500 copies on the streets of New York.
In late 2006 maitreya signed up to the online music site SellaBand.com, a revolutionary social media music site that linked unsigned artists with top-notch recording facilities; he became an immediate sensation.
By mid 2007 maitreya had become the first ever Hip Hop artist and 6th artist in the world to raise US $50,000 from 917 fans around the world to record his debut solo album Close To Home.
maitreya toured extensively through Europe and Hong Kong and returned to New Zealand in 2008. Since he has been home he has released three singles from the album - Waitaha, Lotaluv and most recently Sin City ft Awa. He has performed with King Kapisi, Che Fu, DLT, Teremoana Rapley, Dam Native, Whirimako Black, Tama Waipara, Nesian Mystik, and Jason Kerrison.
The first single, Waitaha, combining the power of Maori vocals with NZ Drum n Bass masters Kilotone's driving and damaging beats was a finalist at the 2008 Silver Scrolls for the APRA Maioha Award for Contemporary Maori Song Writing.
In 2009 the second single Lotaluv ft Hera, a celebration of unity and positivity with lashings of South Pacific pride was a finalist in the APRA Sliver Scroll Awards. That same year he was also nominated Best Male and Best Urban artist at the Maori Music Awards.
The third and current single Sin City (ft Awanui Reeder from Nesian Mystik) has been well received by radio and is set to be a huge success with the video shot by Marcus Ringrose also proving popular. Check out the video on at HYPERLINK "http://www.maitreya.co.nz" www.maitreya.co.nz.
Close To Home was produced by maitreya & The Silence (UK) and mastered at Universal Mastering Studios New York by legendary Vlado Meller (Kanye West, Public Enemy, Run DMC...). The album was recorded in the US, Asia, UK and NZ including The Bunker, Brooklyn, NYC; 143rd & Broadway, NYC; Brooklyn Noise Studios, NYC; The Silence Studios, London; Kilotone Studios, London/Auckland; Montage Studios, Auckland and has featured artists including Awa from Nesian Mystik, Tama Waipara, Hera and Francis Rodino.
Close To Home will be available for purchase on iTunes from Thursday 27 May.
