Church & AP Are Redefining New Zealand Hip-Hop With New Debut Record ‘TEETH’

Meet the Aussie duo

Photo: Courtesy of Kartel Music Group

Australian duo Church & AP have released their debut record TEETH, a hip-hop record where they share their own experiences growing up in Auckland. The album bites into all the topics of coming-of-age, but what makes TEETH distinguishable is the mellow vibes that they transmit through blood-kicking rhythms. It delivers a sweet midpoint between groovy and chill:

“Personally, I took a lot of inspiration from early Neptunes, Kelis, N.E.R.D, Clipse, etc. Also more modern voices like Kah-Lo, XanMan and Shiraz. Track 8 is actually named after Shiraz. There’s myriad influences for TEETH. So I think each individual will find something unique in it. Releasing a debut album is like buying your girlfriend a birthday present. You think she’ll like it…I mean you hope to God she’ll like it. But at the end of the day all you can is hope. BUT the more effort you put into it, the better your chances are. And I know we put a lot of effort into this,” shared Church.

TEETH is out now via YKK. For the past year, Church & AP have been making buzz in the hip-hop scene by racking up more than million streams, playing their first international gigs and perfroming at major festivals. “As it is with any first album, there’s a lot of emotion attached,” said the duo. “We’re equal parts nervous and excited. A tremendous amount of work has been put into this project in an effort to create something fresh. Something that will be remembered after its time,” said Church. “There’s a clear development for us as artists since we first popped up. And that goes for our live shows as well. We’ve upped the ante with this one.”