Bishop BWW

Writing positive music is like riding a unicycle - it’s hard to pull off and even when you do no one’s really that impressed. So the fact that Usual Suspects members Bishop and Saia not only make catchy music with a message but manage to steer clear of Will Smith territory is no small feat. Their sound is a mix of traditional hip hop with a distinctly Pacific Island brand of humour. On tracks like Op Shop Models we find them lamenting a life of second hand clothes and living at home, while new single Put it in the Air displays perfectly their uncanny knack for making hip hop that makes you want to move.But it was the track Profile which featured on the Breakin’ Wreckwordz compilation that made people take notice. With Saia on production and featuring former member Quest, the song was a chaotic mix of samples and braggadocio rhymes; all held together by a Middle Eastern style beat. It was play listed on mainstream radio and the b nets, gaining the number one spot on the New Zealand alternative charts for several weeks. With Chris Graham (video director of Scribes Stand Up and Not Many) offering to make them a video, success looked assured. Unfortunately a family tragedy led to Quest leaving the crew, plunging them into musical uncertainty. But like a modern day New Order the duo emerged refocused and with a more polished sound.Usual Suspects live shows are often hilarious with Saia dancing up a storm in his patterned socks and jandals, while Bishop plays the straight man. Both being men of god, the crew add a touch of clean living to the Breakin’ Wreck roster of low lives and weirdoes in their own eccentric way. Currently working on their debut album “Hire Learning”, the Usual Suspects are set to bring a much needed touch of humility and humour to New Zealand’s often grandiose hip hop scene. .