The extraordinary untold story of acclaimed New Zealand music label Dawn Raid Entertainment and its two founders, Andy Murnane and Brotha D.
Don’t be fooled by the title. Oscar Kightley’s “Dawn Raid” may sound like a generic action blockbuster, but is in fact an underdog story and a compelling glimpse into a relatively obscure subculture. The music documentary, like its titular record label, does not quite qualify as revolutionary. It follows all the familiar beats (that includes most of its frankly unexceptional hip-hop and R’n’B tunes) but does so with so much heart and vivacity that it’s nigh-impossible to not be charmed. The doc’s two protagonists — the disarmingly honest and self-aware Andy Murnane and Brotha D — form its beating, bleeding heart.
Founded in 2008 in South Oakland, Dawn Raid boasts the claim of being New Zealand’s first hip-hop label. It all started when Danny (aka Brotha D), “a gang leader,” and Andy, “a high-school drop-out,” met in business school. Guided by their dreams of worldwide success, the two young men were eager to represent their native culture. (“We had the American stuff on the radio… but we’re Polynesian…”) They branched out quickly, opening a nightclub, a studio, a barbershop, and even developing a clothing line, along with hiring a slew of up-and-coming young artists.
Hosting popular stars like Snoop Dogg led to a deal with Universal, New York sessions with Wu-Tang, a number one single (and album) domestically, an 18-city tour… Just when it truly seemed like the sky was the limit, the inevitable collapse came, involving unpaid taxes and half-assed business plans. The fact that folks started to download music didn’t help. Yet one hit song, that took off and went platinum in America (thanks, primarily, to a Judd Apatow hit film), may have just pulled Dawn Raid out of the muck.
Despite the familiar structure, Andy and Danny’s sense of humor and earnestness, their palpable nostalgia for the good ol’ days, ignite the screen — as do little anecdotes and tidbits, insights into a world about which most people know next-to-nothing. Ever wondered what the racial term for islanders is in South Oakland? How about the fact that what’s popularly perceived as a laid-back, idyllic Land of the Hobbits contains ghettos, just like in the US, as well as corrupt cops, just like in the US? Our two not-quite-hit-makers comment on the six (!) times they got robbed: “The police didn’t care… They blamed it on the music.” As for their Russian engineer — that’s a whole subplot screaming for more attention, or perhaps a spin-off.
Perhaps the doc works best as a cautionary tale about the perils of blindly pursuing the American Dream. Its scenes, set in a New York as dreary as it is idealized, say more than a dozen lyrics ever could. Whether you’re a hip-hop connoisseur or a fan of everything Kiwi — or just looking to spend an engaging few hours — “Dawn Raid” won’t disappoint.
Available on Digital and On-Demand January 11th
