Framed around a timeline of the seafaring Māori first discovering Aotearoa, Tipene’s second album sees the Flaxmere-born rapper proudly blend his traditional culture with punchy modern arrangements. Raised in a surrounding of high unemployment levels and gang violence, Tipene now works with youth offenders to set them on a better course. A similar mission informs Heritage Trail, which speaks to the power of tribes both past and present. On “Turangawaewae”—named for a sense of identity based around home—Tipene raps about true belonging while Maisey Rika sings in traditional Māori language and Troy Kingi reflects on honoring the legacy of ancestors, no matter where in the world one might travel. Meanwhile, dusty drum breaks and 808 bass throbs combine with Tipene’s smooth, rapid-fire flow to evoke socially aware American rappers like Talib Kweli. “I’m walkin’ with the Āriki,” he repeats on the especially empowering single “Āriki,” referring to a Māori chief or high priest. After several nominations for the country’s prestigious Silver Scroll songwriting award and collaborations with New Zealand hip-hop icons Scribe and Che-Fu, Tipene officially joins their ranks with this soulful, far-reaching concept album.