Bow Wow snubs Maori welcome at Auckland Airport

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Bow Wow snubs Maori welcome

3News NZ

Bow Wow walked straight past a powhiri welcome by a local kapa haka group

Bow Wow walked straight past a powhiri welcome by a local kapa haka group

By 3 News online staff

Bow Wow may be in New Zealand for the first time but he may need to brush up on local customs.

A promoter had arranged for the American rapper to receive a powhiri welcome on arrival at Auckland International Airport last night, however all did not go to plan.

Bow Wow was so busy talking to his entourage he completely missed the group, in traditional Maori dress, and walked straight into a local Vodafone store to buy a new phone.

The group – who stopped their performance – packed up their gear and promptly left the airport.

The 25-year-old rapper is travelling down under to promote his new album Underrated, his seventh studio album.

He will perform at Auckland’s Studio bar on Wednesday evening.

Watch the video to see Bow Wow's arrival at Auckland Airport.

3 News

Comments

19/09/2012 7:16:07 p.m.

lahnz wrote:

What's the big deal?if he didn't want to watch them then he didn't want to watch them but there's no need to hate on him for that. Because since everyones making this a crazy matter now its official that hes already had a bad start to his stay in NZ. We should actually be happy a star like him is even here . This kinda stuff pisses me off when people wont justshuttfu. Don't be talking about things like this coz then he might have it down as a negative on our country.

19/09/2012 6:17:50 p.m.

joanne wrote:

OMG, I cannot believe some of you people defending this guy. I few minutes of his time would not have hurt!!! Yeah! ok you say he probably had 1000s flights ra ra and famous piff. What about Bob Marley or Elvis Presley or the Beatles! they would of had 1000s of flights, concerts and fans cheering them and they had time for our traditional welcoming, that they all had and they loved and inspired them. What makes this the singer different?

19/09/2012 4:09:31 p.m.

American Expat in NZ wrote:

This rapper has probably been on 1000's of flights and this is probably the first where a Traditional Welcome was to be performed. This was probably the longest flight he's been on and the most evasive customs he's ever witnessed. So yeah give him a break. Besides as a rapper he suppose to be a bad ass and dis protocol. As far as his PA's and managers filling him in, they probably didn't know either and were more concerned with keeping him safe and getting him to a mobile store where he instructed them would be his first stop.

19/09/2012 3:52:25 p.m.

Dee wrote:

my god i think we are blowing things out of proportion as usual just to form some kind of story..who knows maybe if he was actually informed before he landed, he would not have acted the way he did..i think this has just been made a big deal over nothing and he did not mean so much disrespect.. oooh and @TB you're an idiot.

19/09/2012 3:33:54 p.m.

Geoff wrote:

Is he even worth all this fuss???

19/09/2012 2:48:20 p.m.

smash wrote:

i don't think it was Bow wow fault and yes he dose need to research about new zealand before coming here. but who wants to watch a welcoming dance after a long flight. They shouldn't leave it to an appropriate time. Or they should of did it as he was walking down and he might even noticing it and actually taking a chance to watch it. i know maori's are a big part of new zealand but i think it was a misunderstanding, and if people did a haka or something at his concert it would be a disgrace to the country.. As for he/she promoter would of tell him there was going to be performance, then did would of not happened... So i don't think it was his fault at all..

19/09/2012 1:57:34 p.m.

Kyla wrote:

So you werent informed ahead of time..and...as a celeb you must b use to spontaneous moments and if you were professional about it you would have been able to accept the powhiri regardless! Its called respect. Are you seriously going to tell me u are unfamiliar with the All Blacks??? lol..My bad if you are,hahaha

19/09/2012 1:18:13 p.m.

William wrote:

I am a Maori myself, and to be honest it is a lack of cultural respect and understanding the part of Bow wow and his team. However I also understand where he is coming from. I dont condone what hes done but I understand. As a foreigner, unfamiliar with local customs its understandable. also TB get it through your mind, Maori will and is always going to be apart of the New Zealand Culture whether you like it or not. Maori were trying to show Bow wow respect by inviting him into the country in a Respctful Maori way, which is an honour. Just like it would be an honur to be invited by the Queen of Engalnd to dine with her. So Get it into your Mind this is a Traditional Maori country!

19/09/2012 1:12:02 p.m.

msseniar wrote:

It looks like he had no idea the welcoming was for him? I feel for the Kapa Haka group, someone should've told Bow Wow. Nevermind.

19/09/2012 1:01:02 p.m.

TtronLegacy wrote:

Have you ever tried coming off a 12 hour flight from the states and being forced to show care for something you know nothing about? He is getting paid to perform a concert here, he isn't here for a cultural benefit, so if he doesn't want to stand there while a bunch of guys dressed in Maori war costumes yell at him in a language or culture that he knows nothing about, who are we to judge him?