Coco Solid
{{Short description|New Zealand rapper}}
{{Distinguish|Cocoa solids}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=February 2012}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Coco Solid
| image =
| birth_name = Jessica Hansell
| origin = Auckland, New Zealand
| genre = Electroclash, electronica, hip hop
| occupations = Singer, songwriter, director, producer, rapper
| instruments = Vocals, keyboard
| years_active = 2003–present
| label = [Independent]
| associated_acts = Robin Hannibal, Parallel Dance Ensemble, Badd Energy, Jizmatron, Lorenz Rhode, Erik Ultimate
| website = {{URL|http://www.cocosolid.com}}
}}
Coco Solid (born Jessica Hansell in Auckland, New Zealand) is a singer, songwriter, director and producer. She is of Māori, Pacific and German heritage.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/apr/03/coco-solid-meet-the-hip-hop-artist-and-protege-of-taika-waititi|title=Coco Solid: meet the hip-hop artist – and protege of Taika Waititi|last=Lewis|first=Maria|date=2018-04-02|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-09-11|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}} Her musical style is a mixture of hip hop, disco and electronica.{{Cite web |url=http://www.amplifier.co.nz/artist/14612/coco_solid.html |title=COCO SOLID | Amplifier NZ Music |access-date=3 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090317193844/http://www.amplifier.co.nz/artist/14612/coco_solid.html |archive-date=17 March 2009 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} She created the animated television series Aroha Bridge.{{Cite web|url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/atea/25-07-2019/coco-solid-on-the-return-of-aroha-bridge-and-the-fight-for-ihumatao/|title=Coco Solid on the return of Aroha Bridge and the fight for Ihumātao|last=Hayden|first=Leonie|date=2019-07-25|website=The Spinoff|access-date=2019-09-11}}
History
Solid has a master's degree from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington. Her thesis was titled Chaos Theory is for Lovers.{{cite thesis |last=Hansell |first=Jessica |year=2013 |type=Masters thesis |title=Chaos Theory Is For Lovers |publisher=Open Access Repository Victoria University of Wellington, Victoria University of Wellington |doi=10.26686/wgtn.17003695 |url=https://openaccess.wgtn.ac.nz/articles/thesis/Chaos_Theory_Is_For_Lovers/17003695/1|doi-access=free }} Solid worked with Erik Ultimate (Benjamin Buchanan) over her first five albums, touring to the US and Europe and attending SXSW.
Solid's work was named in the top 10 albums of 2005, 2006 and 2007 in The Sunday Star-Times, The Listener and on Radio New Zealand National.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nzmusic.org.nz/artists/hip-hop/coco-solid/|title=Coco Solid {{!}} NZ Artist Directory {{!}} NZ Music Commission|website=www.nzmusic.org.nz|access-date=2019-09-11}} New York rapper Princess Superstar covered the hook of "Denim & Leather" in her song "Monday Morning".
Solid's single "Crimefighters" received the New Zealand college radio BNet Award for "Best Hip Hop Track" award in 2007. It also reached No. 1 on the BNet charts.{{Cite web |url=http://www.amplifier.co.nz/news/33258/bnet-awards-winners.html |title=BNet Awards Winners | Amplifier NZ Music |access-date=3 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120809160048/http://www.amplifier.co.nz/news/33258/bnet-awards-winners.html |archive-date=9 August 2012 |url-status=dead }} Solid and Erik Ultimate rapped with Kiwi group Flight of the Conchords at SXSW 2006. The performance was posted on YouTube and had received over 500,000 views by 2019.{{Citation|title=Coco Solid - Rap n Roll with Flight of the Conchords| date=12 February 2007 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=225XEtns33A|language=en|access-date=2019-09-11}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}}
Solid and Erik Ultimate have supported Girl Talk, Avenue D, The 5.6.7.8's and King Brothers in NZ. Overseas, Solid has rapped alongside Sway, TTC, O'mmas Keith from Sa-Ra, Spankrock and The Rogers Sisters.
Solid received the APRA Professional Development Award for song-writing in March 2009.{{Cite web|last=|last2=|first2=|last3=|first3=|title=Coco Solid Releases New Track On Eve Of 2009 Tour|url=https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0903/S00334/coco-solid-releases-new-track-on-eve-of-2009-tour.htm|access-date=2022-02-04|website=Scoop News}}
She completed a ten-date tour to Mexico, New York, Berlin, Cologne, Lisbon, Porto and Tokyo in March and April 2009.
Solid released a mix tape on cassette called Pacific Rims, which includes the singles "I'll see you inside" (with Pepepe from Mexico) and "Architecture" (with longtime collaborator Jizmatron), which stayed on the benet{{clarify|date=November 2018}} charts for months.
Solid released her debut novel, How to Loiter In a Turf War, in May 2022.{{Cite web |date=2022-05-13 |title=Book review: How to Loiter In a Turf War Jessica Hansell a.k.a.Coco Solidok |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018841812/book-review-how-to-loiter-in-a-turf-war-jessica-hansell-a-k-a-coco-solidok |access-date=2022-05-15 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}}
Artistic projects
Solid is in a duo called Parallel Dance Ensemble with Denmark hip-hop producer Robin Hannibal (from Owusu & Hannibal) after meeting him at the 2008 Red Bull Music Academy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/nat-music/audio/2532476/parallel-dance-ensemble|title=Parallel Dance Ensemble|date=2012-09-17|website=RNZ |language=en-nz|access-date=2019-09-11}} The duo released a 12" and digital EP on 25 March 2011 on German label Permanent Vacation. The first single, "Shopping Cart", was No. 1 on Radio Active for four weeks and was tweeted by Gilles Peterson. "Juices" also hit the charts in 2011.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}
Solid is part of four piece grunge band Badd Energy, which was signed to Flying Nun Records in 2011.{{Cite web|title=Third Eye, by Badd Energy|url=https://flyingnun.bandcamp.com/track/third-eye|access-date=2022-02-12|website=Flying Nun Records|language=en}}
Solid features on other producers' tracks, most recently with Lorenz Rhode on German Label Exploited Records.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}
Solid is part of Piki Films Māori Pasifika film collective, which she describes as "a bunch of writers who cross-contaminate each other's work".{{Cite web|url=https://www.thearts.co.nz/articles/an-interview-with-coco-solid?token=ipa0w7zdwhi3tog70nmp70ggwo6idt7s|title=An interview with Coco Solid|website=Arts Foundation|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-11}}
She leads Kuini Qontrol, which is an artistic online project about political topics with a focus on the South Pacific.{{Cite web |title=Coco Solid über Paradigmenwechsel {{!}} Ableton |url=https://www.ableton.com/de/blog/coco-solid-changing-the-paradigm/ |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=www.ableton.com |language=de}}{{Cite web |date=2020-01-10 |title=ABOUT |url=https://kuiniqontrol.com/about/ |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=Kuini Qontrol |language=en-NZ}}
= Aroha Bridge =
Discography
=Albums=
- Rap N Roll (2003)
- Denim & Leather (2004)
- Erik Ultimate presents Denim & Leisure (2005)
- Gentlemen Prefer Bombz (2006)
- The Radical Bad Attack (2008)
- Parallel Dance Ensemble (2009)
- Possessions & Obsessions (2011)
- Pacific Rims (2011)
- Possessions & Obsessions Remixed (2012)
- Underwater Pyramids by Badd Energy (2013)
=Records=
- Graffiti Girls 4 Life (2008){{cite web |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10533097 |title=Making tracks |author=Kara, Scott |date=20 September 2008 |work=The New Zealand Herald |accessdate=25 September 2011}}
- Parallel Dance Ensemble (2009)
- Run (2010)
- Possessions & Obsessions (2011)
- Possessions & Obsessions Remixed (2012)
- Underwater Pyramids by Badd Energy (2013)
Awards
2019 New Zealand Arts Foundation Laureate
2018 Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer's Residency{{Cite web|url=https://www.fulbright.org.nz/news/jessica-hansell-a-k-a-coco-solid-named-2018-recipient-of-the-fulbright-creative-new-zealand-pacific-writers-residency/|title=Jessica Hansell a.k.a Coco Solid named 2018 recipient of the Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer's Residency|last=fulbright|website=www.fulbright.org.nz|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-11}}
References
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Category:New Zealand hip-hop musicians
Category:New Zealand women rappers