Che Fu
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Che Kuo Eruera Ness (born 1974), better known by his stage name Che Fu, is a New Zealand hip hop, R&B and
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
artist, songwriter and producer. A founding member of the band
Supergroove Supergroove is a New Zealand funk rock music group. Their debut album ''Traction (album), Traction'' was released in 1994. The group disbanded in 1997 but reformed in 2007. History The band was founded on New Year's Eve 1989/1990, having pre ...
, as a solo artist he has gone on to sell thousands of albums both in New Zealand and internationally. Che Fu is considered a pioneer of Hip hop and Pasifika music in New Zealand.


Early life

Che Fu was born Che Ness in
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
. His mother, Miriama Rauhihi Ness is of
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
descent and his father
Tigilau Ness Tigilau Ness (born c. 1954) is a Niuean New Zealand activist and reggae artist, and performs as Unity Pacific. Ness is a political activist and first generation Pacific Island New Zealander. Lifetime achievement award In May 2009, Ness was presen ...
is
Niue Niue (, ; niu, Niuē) is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Zealand. Niue's land area is about and its population, predominantly Polynesian, was about 1,600 in 2016. Niue is located in a triangle between Tong ...
an. Fu's parents are well-known political activists, notably as members of the Polynesian-rights group, the
Polynesian Panthers The Polynesian Panther Party (PPP) was a revolutionary social justice movement formed to target racial inequalities carried out against indigenous Māori and Pacific Islanders in Auckland, New Zealand. Founded by a group of young Polynesians on 16 ...
, and founding members of Rastafarian movement '' 12 Tribes of Israel''. Tigilau is a musician and part of the band
Unity Pacific Tigilau Ness (born c. 1954) is a Niuean New Zealand activist and reggae artist, and performs as Unity Pacific. Ness is a political activist and first generation Pacific Island New Zealander. Lifetime achievement award In May 2009, Ness was presen ...
as well as his son's band, ''The Krates''. The Ness family are
Rastafarian Rastafari, sometimes called Rastafarianism, is a religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central authority in control ...
s.


Career


Supergroove (1994–1996)

While a student at
Western Springs College Western Springs College ( mi, Nga Puna O Waiorea) is a state co-educational secondary school located in Western Springs (Auckland suburb), Western Springs, an inner suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand. The school educates appr ...
, Fu and a group of friends formed the Low Down Dirty Blues Band, who later became Supergroove. Supergroove released their debut album '' Traction'' in 1994. The album went triple platinum in New Zealand and won five Tuis. Before finishing their second album, ''
Backspacer ''Backspacer'' is the ninth studio album by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on September 20, 2009. The band members started writing instrumental and demo tracks in 2007, and got together the following year to work on an album. It w ...
'', Fu left Supergroove to pursue a solo career.


Solo career (1996–1997)

Fu was invited to record a single with well-known New Zealand DJ DLT. The song "
Chains A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A c ...
" protested French nuclear testing in the Pacific and was released in July 1996, within weeks of Fu leaving Supergroove. "Chains" was a Number One hit on the New Zealand Singles Charts and won three Tuis, namely Single of the year, Best male vocalist, and Best songwriter. This marked the beginning of Fu's solo career and brought prominence to Hip Hop in New Zealand.


''2b S.Pacific'' (1998–2000)

In 1998 Fu released his debut album '' 2b S.Pacific''. The album went double platinum and spawned four top-ten hits, which was unheard-of for a local hip hop artist at the time. The following year, he received the Single of the year award for ''Scene III''. Fu subsequently formed a band named ''The Krates'' for studio work and live performances. Paul Russell, previous drummer for Supergroove, is part of The Krates line-up.


''Navigator'' (2001–2003)

Fu released his follow-up album ''Navigator'' in 2001, debuting at number one and generating triple platinum sales. At the 2002 New Zealand Music Awards, Fu took home five tuis: Single of the year for "Fade Away", Album of the year, Top male vocalist, Best R&B / Hip hop album, and Best music video. That same year, Fu received the APRA Silver Scroll for his single "Misty Frequencies". He went on to win Best male vocalist in 2003 for "Misty Frequencies".


''Beneath the Radar'' and ''Hi-Score: The Best of Che Fu'' (2005–2007)

Fu's next album '' Beneath the Radar'' was released in 2005, led out by singles "2D" and "Lightwork". However, the record was not as successful as previous works. The following year Fu released ''
Hi-Score – The Best of Che Fu Che Kuo Eruera Ness (born 1974), better known by his stage name Che Fu, is a New Zealand hip hop, R&B and reggae artist, songwriter and producer. A founding member of the band Supergroove, as a solo artist he has gone on to sell thousands of ...
'', a compilation of hit singles from his previous three albums including "Fade Away", "Waka" and "Without a Doubt", as well as four new singles.


Collaborations (2008)

Fu teamed up with the ''Glass Packaging Forum'' to promote glass recycling with youth. The Forum hosted a competition for 9- to 15-year-olds to write rap lyrics encouraging recycling. The winners recorded their lyrics with Fu in a single called "Do the krusher". Fu also collaborated with
Kimbra Kimbra Lee Johnson (born 27 March 1990), known mononymously as Kimbra, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. Known for mixing pop with R&B, jazz and rock musical elements, her accolades include four ARIA Music Awards, two Grammy Awards and se ...
and hip hop group
Nesian Mystik Nesian Mystik was a New Zealand Hip hop music, hip-hop/Contemporary R&B, R&B group which formed in 1999. The cultural backgrounds of its members united a remarkable diversity of Polynesia by bringing together Cook Islands, Cook Island, Tongans, ...
on their top-ten single "Mr Mista".


Hedlok (2010–2013)

Che Fu & The Krates continued to tour New Zealand and Australia. As well, Fu performs alongside another hip hop legend, Samoan rapper
King Kapisi Bill Rangi Urale is a New Zealand-Samoan hip-hop artist. Music career He was signed up as an artist with Festival Mushroom Records (NZ). In 2000 he released his critically acclaimed debut album ''Savage Thoughts'', followed by a second album, ...
as one-half of the group Hedlok.


Lifetime Achievement Award (2014)

Fu's contribution to New Zealand music was recognised when he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2014 Pacific Music Awards.


Personal life

In 2011, Fu and his father Tigilau were featured in a documentary for
Māori TV Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
in which they travelled to their homeland of
Mutalau Mutalau is one of the fourteen villages of Niue. Its population at the 2017 census was 100, up from 97 in 2011. History Overview It was previously known as Ululauta and Matahefonua. ''Ululauta'' and ''Matahefonua'' both mean "head of the land". ...
, Niue for the first time together. While in Niue, Fu married his long-time partner Angela McDonald. Fu and his wife have four sons, Loxmyn, Marley, Jeru, and Kaselle, whom they are raising in the Rastafarian faith. Fu is also a serious sneaker collector. Fu developed his love for sneakers in 1989 when he purchased his first pair of Air Jordan IV. Along with a few of his friends, including Dj Sir-vere, they created the PacHeat Crew and regularly organises the biggest sneaker swap meet events in New Zealand. One of his favourite sneakers is Air Jordan IV Retro Black Laser which he stated in ''New Zealand Sneakerhead Documentary 2021.''


Discography


Studio albums


With Supergroove

* ''Traction'' (1994) BMG * ''Backspacer'' (1996) BMG * ''Postage'' (2003) BMG


Singles


Honours and awards

* 2002 – APRA Silver Scroll Awards: Che Ness (Che Fu) and Godfrey de Grut, "Misty Frequencies" * 2009 – Appointed a
Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have ren ...
, for services to music, in the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours * 2014 – Pacific Music Awards Lifetime Achievement Award


RIANZ Awards


References


External links


AudioCulture profile

Che Fu The Musician

Che Fu Instagram
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fu, Che 1974 births APRA Award winners New Zealand people of Niuean descent New Zealand Māori musicians New Zealand hip hop musicians Hip hop record producers New Zealand singer-songwriters New Zealand rappers Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit Living people Musicians from Auckland Pacific reggae Māori-language singers