These days living in Auckland, producer/rapper JosiahXVI (Josiah Ioane) grew up in Timaru, later heading north to Wellington in order to have a crack at Massey University’s Commercial Music course.

Even now the 23-year old artist isn’t sure if he ever thought he’d see the music degree through, the goal was really more about networking. In the event he gave up on studies after the first year, and has since balanced music making with 9-5 employment.

Josiah has been making music since he was 11, first learning electronic music production by watching YouTube videos, and even though he didn’t actually study music at high school he submitted songs for NCEA credits. With a couple of mates they formed drum’n’bass group Suune, taking the MC role, along with being a producer. 

“It was a really cool experience, good for the live playing nerves.”

The band continued gigging, mostly at festivals through his Wellington years, but since moving to Auckland near the start of 2024 his focus has been more on producing and mixing for friends. More lately he’s been developing his own low key hip hop artist persona as JosiahXVI. 

He came up with the name id back when he was 16, having determined that music was going to be his life – at least until he was twice that young age. 

“A few years later I decided to use it as an artist name. It’s pronounced as x-v-i – some people say, ‘Josiah 16, what’s that?’, but most seem to understand and like it!” 

Deciding 2025 was his time to step into the spotlight, in September he dropped his first fully self-produced single after a three-year gap. Anything That I Do is a mellow rap track with lo-fi, boom bap vibe.

“I think that the first verse and instrumental gave me the feeling that it was worth completing for release as a single.”
Josiah followed that up in November with More Bad News again mellow tempoed, but this time he’s sing-rapping for the first time, over a jazz-toned band backing.

“I’m not the best singer, so it was just like doing my best, knowing that I’m good enough behind the tools to be able to make it sound good! Again I liked the lyrical content, it’s something well different for me. It is really odd ball.”

2026 will see him releasing and performing more, including with George VILLA, a friend and regular collaborator who he co-produced the successful Time Gon’ Trickle Down single for.