Artist Bio
There’s a lot to say about 99 A.D, the new album from New Zealand’s much loved hip-hop/R&B crew Nesian Mystik. The record is as welcoming as it is challenging, it’s uncompromisingly forward thinking rather than mired to the many successes of the group’s celebrated past and, in the words of rapper Feleti ‘Sabre’ Strickson-Pua, it is “completely fresh”.“99 A.D is our last album,” says Sabre. “This is the last studio album that we’re gonna do.” This is big news. Nesian Mystik is one of New Zealand’s most loved group’s, a fact endorsed by the sheer scale of their success.
We’re talking three Top 20 albums (including 2002’s Polysaturated which went 4 x Platinum and 2006’s Gold Freshmen release), 11 x Top 10 Singles (3 Gold and 2 Platinum, more than any other Kiwi act in history), two New Zealand Music Awards, two APRA awards, four Pacific Music Awards, a Juice TV Music Video Award, an MTV Australia Award and a whole host of others. So when Sabre says that 99 A.D is their final album you have to talk about it. And the question you have to ask is a simple one; why?
Sabre says “We’ve been together 10 years and things have to evolve, this was the logical next step for us, both creatively and professionally.”
In typical Nesian style, the boys aren’t afraid to do things their own way, “by announcing that 99 A.D is our final album, we want to give it the best, for it to be the best album we’ve ever made.”
99 A.D is jam-packed with the Nesians’ trademarked merging of their distinctive Polynesia sound with hip-hop and smooth R&B. ‘Sun Goes Down’ was the second official single from the album and has followed suit from previous releases – a platinum certified single, #3 on the NZ singles and reaching #11 on the airplay chart. You can’t help but be warmed by the band and the album’s celebratory mood. The third official single ‘No. 1’ encapsulates this and is shaping up to be another dance floor anthem.
The music of Nesian Mystik has always resonated innately with Kiwis and 99 A.D strengthens that bond. Sabre adds, “We try to keep things natural” and maybe that’s why Nesian Mystik is the soundtrack to our summers, and a sound that couldn’t come from anywhere else in the world. In essence, it sounds like home.
“We’re always going to be a crew. But by saying it’s our last album it’s given us that opportunity to connect with our fans, to be upfront with them and let them know that we want them as part of the journey.”
