3KiiNgZ

PNG’s underground hip-hop movement is taking on a different approach.

3KiiNgZ is one of the early hip-hop groups in the country, establishing the concept of “conscious music”.

Along with other artists like Sprigga Mek, they set the movement with songs like One Sound and Kanaka Walk.

And years on, emerging hip-hop groups, like the Kanaka OutlawZ, have taken on this trend.

“They are also doing conscious music. Talking about things that are happening, things that matter. They display a sense of intelligence, no small talk,” says Kamako of 3KiiNgZ.

Nakanation 2 – sounds from the underground, will be held at the Cosmopolitan on January 19.

Nakanation is an incorporation of the words naka (from kanaka) and nation.

According to Kamako of 3KiiNgZ, Nakanation is an umbrella term to signify all PNG hip-hop artists.

The event is the second of its kind. The first was held in 2017.

This event brings all hip-hop artists under one roof – both the old and new. 

Infinite by 3Kiingz reminds us that hip-hop is in PNG and is here to stay.

Kamako of 3Kiingz had a chat with Loop PNG to reveal the message behind this hit, released late last year.

“Infinite is basically about progression, something that never stops. And in this case, it reflects hip-hop.

It is basically music from the streets, with origins dating back to the 1970s, emerging from the United States.

Over the years, hip hop/rap has developed and branched into further sub-groups and has been accepted by other communities.

At least 5 years or so back, a movement began in PNG as more young Papua New Guineans started getting a liking to the stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping - a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted.

That’s the question as the hour hand nears 10pm, commencing the grand finale of Rap’ture 2016, the first ever mainstream rap battle in PNG.

Six contestants will enter the battle grounds, armed with tongue-twisting creativity to impress the crowd and the judges tonight at the Cosmopolitan club.

With the heat settling in, one of Rap’ture 2016’s judge brings us back to the audition stages of the competition.

“When they came in, I wasn’t really impressed,” says Kamako of 3KiiNgZ.

But he is expecting something different for tonight: