The producer nurturing south Auckland’s next hip-hop moguls

As Savage’s DJ, Toko Manuel plays to thousands every summer, but mentoring South Auckland’s next generation of hip-hop artists is what brings him the most satisfaction, The Spinoff reveals. Over a 15-year career, South Auckland hip-hop producer Toko Manuel has held most roles in the music industry. Now, Manuel takes on a group of 10 young people each year teaching them how to hone their craft and “turn this music thing into a job”. The Māngere East resident says, “If I can give some young kid a template for how to make it in music and stop them selling drugs or doing burglaries, then I’m all for that.”