In this new collaborative series between Rolling Stone AU/NZ and NZ On Air, we get to know the lives and music of some local Aotearoa artists.
Jujulipps is always unreservedly herself. The Tāmaki Makaurau-based artist only released her debut single, the dynamic “Hilary Banks”, in 2021, but she’s been making waves in the city’s hip hop scene ever since.
Delivering briskly confident lyrics with a feverish flow, there’s a reason Jujulipps named her first song after the self-serving Fresh Prince of Bel-Air character: the rapper wants all her fans to know that they are the main characters in their own stories.
“Know you’re that bitch!” Jujulipps recently told NZ On Air. “Understand who you are, because I feel like if you do that, you can just go everywhere in life.” It’s this self-assuredness that earned Jujulipps stellar supporting slots for international names like NYC rap icon Cakes da Killa.
The rising rapper is a global artist in everything but locale, with roots stretching across the African continent (she was born in South Africa and has ancestral ties to Burundi and the Congo) and a varied sound that possesses hints of everything from Amapiano to Afrobeat. “I am a child of the diaspora, and my music is a celebration of the richness and vibrancy of my motherland,” as she explains.
And with influences ranging from Leikeli47 to Nicki Minaj, Rico Nasty to Burna Boy, Jujulipps clearly doesn’t limit herself to one genre. “My ultimate goal is to empower my listeners to feel good about themselves, recognise their worth, and to be proud of who they are, especially my fellow immigrants who now call Aoteara home,” she adds.
You can watch the rest of Jujulipps’ NZ On Air introduction above, while she’ll also be performing at Cross Street Music Festival in Auckland this Saturday, March 11th alongside the likes of Proteins of Magic, Paul the Kid, and Grecco Romank (more information here).
