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Fat Freddy's Drop are a dub/reggae band from Wellington, New Zealand, formed in 2001 and comprising DJ Fitchie, Joe Dukie, Toby Chang, HoPepa, Chopper Reedz, Jetlag Johnson, and Dobie Blaze. Their debut breakthrough came in 2001 with the live album Live at the Matterhorn. In 2005, their first studio album, Based on a True Story, reached gold status upon release, topping the New Zealand charts for an impressive 108 weeks and eventually achieving 11x platinum. The album's lead single, "Wandering Eye," spent 17 weeks on the RIANZ Top 40 Singles Chart, peaking at number six. That same year, Fat Freddy's Drop dominated the New Zealand Music Awards, winning Best Group, Best Album, Best New Zealand Roots Group, and the People's Choice Award, taking out the Highest Selling NZ Album award (for Based On A True Story), and Best Music Video for the single "Wandering Eye.” Their second album, Dr. Boondigga and the Big BW (2009), reached Number one, showcasing their growth and experimentation while maintaining their reggae-infused sound. It became the highest-selling album in New Zealand for five weeks, later receiving the Best Aotearoa Roots Album award. In 2013, Fat Freddy's Drop released their third studio album, Blackbird, topping the charts once again. The band toured Australia in late August/early September where they appeared at the Splendour in the Grass festival, before embarking on a European tour, releasing hit single “Slings and Arrows” followed by Live in Munich (2014) which captured the energy of their live performances. Bays (2015), their fourth studio album, was released to critical acclaim, venturing into electronic and experimental realms while preserving their reggae roots. Amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fat Freddy's Drop recorded two further live concert albums LOCK-IN (2020) and WAIRUNGA (2021) in Aotearoa during the lockdown period. These albums, charting at number 17 and 12, respectively, were created without a live audience. In 2022, the band resumed performing in various European countries, as well as headlining several sold-out shows at the Sydney Opera House and the Melbourne International Jazz Festival. In July 2023, they re-released their 2013 hit "Blackbird" featuring New Zealand rapper Kings, which climbed to number 11 on the New Zealand charts. In 2024, they released new album Slo Mo, which leaned more heavily into an Afro-soul sound with reggae features included.
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