Ko Coco toku ingoa me Jessica Hansell ranei. He wahine Maori au i te taha o toku mama, no nga whanau a Muriwai me a Kingi hoki. Ko Ngapuhi toku iwi, ko Ngati Popoto toku Hapu, ko Mokonuiarangi toku marae, ko Whakarongorua te maunga, ko Utakura te awa. No Hamoa ahau no Germany hoki i te taha o toku papa. E toru oku mahi, he kaitaurima ahau, he kaituhi me he kaiwhakatangitangi hoki. Kei konei ka taea e koe panui e pa ana ki toku mahi me oku pakiwaitara. Mauri ora!
Coco Solid is the acclaimed musician, writer and artist Jessica Hansell hailing from New Zealand. Award-winning on her home-turf the outspoken Maori/Samoan/German Aucklander is both the cult and international artist.
Recently she has teamed up with Danish producer Robin Hannibal (of Owusu & Hannibal fame) to create wild disco-rap anthems as THE PARALLEL DANCE ENSEMBLE (Coco Solid vs Bobbi Soxx). The pair have released their debut ‘Possessions & Obsessions’ through pioneering German label Permanent Vacation.
A passionate collaborator, Coco is also a member of “swamp-punk grunge-electro” outfit BADD ENERGY. With underground axeman/producer Sam Moore, the pair released a limited edition ‘Tropic of Scorpio’ to critical praise and even a few fans. The duo then recruited their friends Trixie Darko and Jeremy ‘Jsuave’ Sauvao, and this summer B.E will be releasing their upcoming album ‘Underwater Pyramids’ on the legendary Flying Nun Records.
On the solo front, Coco dropped her online mixtape PACIFIC RIMS this June, only available on casette, free Bandcamp download or at Red Bull Music Academy Radio. This 2012 she and long-time collaborator Tim ‘Jizmatron’ Checkley start work on Coco’s next studio album, her first in almost four busy years.
HISTORY
Coco first released an underground mix cassette tape RAP N ROLL in 2003 recruiting MCs and friends, among them the DJ come deep-voiced cameo Erik Ultimate , one of Coco’s many partners in crime. With the game-changing guidance of her dear friend – the late punk producer ALC5 – the pair went on to release three more cult efforts: Denim & Leather, Denim & Leisure (Remixes) and Gentlemen Prefer Bombz. Then in 2008 Coco released her groundbreaking double album The Radical Bad Attack, half part MC and half part riot girl.
Since then Coco has attended the Red Bull Music Academy in Barcelona, South by Southwest in Texas, she has been sampled by Princess Superstar, rapped with Flight of the Conchords, wrapped up her epic 2009 world tour (Mexico, New York, Berlin, Portugal, London and Tokyo) and released 3 limited edition vinyl recordings.
Coco is also a recognised writer and zine/comic artist.
Her comic with artist Pritika Lal THIS IS NOT A COMIC was nominated for Best Debut Comic in 2007 at the national Eric Awards. SInce then she edited the political paper FIGHT THE FIGHT and was featured in the 2008 Festival Documentary ‘The Comics Show’ (covering the history of comic-artists in New Zealand). After spending 2010 living in South Korea she finally completed and sold out of her first solo zine-book ‘PHILOSOFLYGIRL: Brain Map of a Pacific Misfit’. This year Coco also became the resident comic-strip artist for the weekly music rag Volume with her new cartoon Hook Ups.
“Her magnificent mongrel beats and eloquent satirising of sex, materialism and pop culture will have you thinking, laughing and dancing, all at the same time.”
Grant Smithies – Sunday Star Times
“Ludicrously brilliant… the creativity is rampant”
Jim Pinckney – The Listener
“Far more clever and has a cheeky exuberance that most hip-hop of any flavour lacks. This shit is cool”
Michael Bertin, Austin Chronicle (US)
“Like any truly original record it rewards with multiple listens and gradually gets under your skin. This is hip-hop with a difference and its kicking”
TNT (UK).
Top 10 record of the year in 2007, 2008 and 2009 – The Listener
2009 Top 10 NZ album of the decade in The Sunday Star Times
Handle the Jandal 2009 Best Video, Best Concept, People’s Choice (Parallel Dance Ensemble)
Red Bull Music Academy Barcelona 2008
Best NZ Hip Hop Artist 2007 (as voted by Bnet student radio stations)
SXSW 2006 -Austin Chronicle ‘Lyricist of the Festival’
