Some of the big names set to take the stage at the annual reggae and hip hop festival Raggamuffin have touched down in Auckland.
Most were given a traditional Kiwi welcome tonight, including headline act Wu-Tang Clan, who are here for their first ever New Zealand show.
An underground night club isn't your typical backdrop for a traditional powhiri, but club lights and culture was the set-up for tonight's welcome.
It was a far more intimate gathering for the artists set to perform at tomorrow's Raggamuffin festival, which is expected to draw in a crowd of thousands.
Among the artists is American hiphop group Wu-Tang Clan.
The Clan hit headlines recently for selling a one-off album to Martin Shkreli for $3 million -- the pharmaceutical executive who controversially raised the price of an anti-parasitic infection drug.
"He paid for it like any other person who obtains art, and we can't discriminate art from anybody," says Wu-Tang member RZA.
But as long as it's in Mr Shkreli's hands, it's a mystery as to if we'll ever get to hear it.
"We don't know what the future holds for it," RZA says. "Maybe he'll let it tour museums. I hear [member] Ghostface may run up in there and take it back."
Macy Gray, UB40 and The Game are some of the other acts taking to the stage tomorrow.
As for the Clan's performance:
"I think we'll put a few of the classics in there," RZA says. "The Wu likes to feel the energy that's around us, and my motto is the energy you give to us is the energy we give back to you."
Newshub.
