Smashproof

Hailing from South Auckland, New Zealand, the rap trio Smashproof consists of Tyree, Young Sid, and Deach. Their first release under the group name arrived in 2005 as a featured appearance on the track "Ride Till I Die" from Juse's album Global Casino. Tyree followed with his own project Now or Never in 2006, which included the popular single "Ladies and Gentleman" alongside Kardinal Offishall and Deach, then continued with "I Need a Girl" and "Would You Mind." Young Sid soon pursued his own path as well, issuing The Truth in 2007; the album earned a nomination for Hip-Hop Album of the Year at the 2008 New Zealand Music Awards and placed inside the national Top 30. After inking a deal with Universal Music Group, Smashproof returned in 2009 under that imprint with the single "Brother," which featured New Zealand singer/songwriter Gin Wigmore. The track reached number one on the New Zealand singles chart in February 2009 and held the summit for eleven straight weeks, establishing an enduring record for domestic acts. Their full-length debut The Weekend appeared while "Brother" dominated airwaves and peaked inside the Top Five. A subsequent release, "It's Friday," also performed solidly by reaching the Top 20.