After releasing over 20 mixtapes and albums as Dharmarat, South Auckland rapper and producer Adam Tukiri has dropped the alias and begun a new journey releasing music under his real name.

“Real” is right. The album, titled ‘Son’ in celebration of his newborn, is an incredibly dense, personal and openly honest record, characterised by rich sample-based production and unfiltered yet well-thought lyricism. From top to bottom, this 11-track walk through Tukiri’s life is profound and unguarded, as the multi-talented artist contemplates everything from finding immense joy in his new role as a father (Bundle of Joy), to his battles with depression and drug use (That Goodbye).

‘Son’ strikes a chord and sustains it, and there are several reasons why this might be, but all of them point to the one quality that this record is intricately laced with, authenticity. This album sounds like Adam Tukiri. It feels as if he’s opened his unrefined diary entries over the last few months, carefully poeticised them, and expertly delivered them atop some of his best production to date.

Making that more impressive is the fact that Tukiri has handled practically every element of the record himself – from the production to mixing and mastering, no small feat. The tracks are thoughtfully strung together and sequenced in such a way that provides a seamless and entertaining listen for the album’s half-hour runtime.

Drawing inspiration from the likes of Madlib, Hor Beats, Tom Scott and Rizván (who also features), Tukiri grabs a handful of his influences, mixes it up with a large scoop of his own flavour and in turn creates a refreshing musical fusion. Being the breath of fresh air that it is, ‘Son’ is an exciting start to Adam Tukiri’s discography and a strongly recommended listen.