Kirk Harding


Kirk Harding has worked with some of the biggest names in New Zealand music during his career. He signed DLT, Che Fu, and Urban Pacifika to BMG in the 1990s and ran his own label MTC in the 2000s, which placed Smashproof at the top of the charts. He has spent the past two decades in New York working with some of the hottest acts in US hip hop and other genres.

Harding’s first job in the music industry was far from glamorous. He was a record store sales clerk at a retail chain. Harding had left Mangere College at 15 years old to take up an automotive machinist apprenticeship (learning to recondition engines), but he spent all his spare money buying records at the Sounds store on Queen Street. Here he made friends with one of the staff, Mike Morgan, and eventually asked him whether he might be able to get a job.

Jesse Rutherford from The Neighbourhood with Kirk Harding.
Photo credit: Justin Bettman
Backstage photo of Jesse Rutherford from The Neighbourhood with Kirk Harding.
Photo credit: Justin Bettman
Kirk Harding (centre) with Thurston Moore and Steve Shelley from Sonic Youth at Auckland radio station 95bFM, early 90s.
Photo credit: Kirk Harding collection
Kirk Harding with a backdrop of Bad Habit artists.
Photo credit: Jessie English
Kirk Harding.
Kirk Harding in 2018 with Chris Mack from Loud Records.
Photo credit: Kirk Harding collection
Kirk Harding with rap artist IDK and Jason Kpana from music service Tidal.
Photo credit: Kirk Harding collection
Andy Murnane from Dawn Raid and Kirk Harding (in sunglasses) with their families in New York.
Photo credit: Kirk Harding collection
Kirk Harding’s first day in New York City, with Sol Guy and Tex Lacroix.
Photo credit: Kirk Harding collection
The trio at the heart of SRC: Gaby Acevedo, Steve Rifkind and Kirk Harding.
Photo credit: Kirk Harding collection
Kirk Harding (right) with Virgin EMI president Ted Cockle and recording artist Erykah Badu.
Photo credit: Kirk Harding collection
Sounds manager Mike Morgan with Kirk Harding. 
Photo credit: Kirk Harding collection
Kirk Harding with a backdrop of Bad Habit artists.
Photo credit: Jessie English
Kirk Harding and Move the Crowd at the CMJ festival.
Photo credit: Kirk Harding collection
Kirk Harding (centre) at a Sounds store signing with Jim Martin and Mike Patton from Faith No More.
Photo credit: Kirk Harding collection
1994 platinum award time - Supergroove with BMG staffers at the back, Dave Jordan, Stuart Broughton (Supergroove manager), Diana Schnauer, Kirk Harding.
Photo credit: Stuart Broughton Collection
Rapper-producer Yeek, Mathew Baus (Harding’s partner in Bad Habit), Kirk Harding and Kish Kash.
Photo credit: Kirk Harding collection
Kirk Harding with DJ Set Free and Lyor Cohen, a music industry veteran with leadership roles at Def Jam and Warner Music Group.
Photo credit: Kirk Harding collection
Kirk Harding running a signing session by Skid Row at a Sounds store.
Photo credit: Kirk Harding collection
Sir-Vere (Phil Bell) photographed on the day his son was born, enjoying a cigar with Kirk Harding.
Photo credit: Kirk Harding collection
Kirk Harding and Grammy award winning producer Rick Rubin.
Photo credit: Kirk Harding collection
Labels:

BMG


Loud Records


SRC


Move the Crowd


Universal-Motown

Trivia:

When the Urban Pacifika Records label excerpted Phil Fuemana’s chapter from the book Hip Hop Music In Aotearoa on their website in 2006, it included a special message Phil had typed at the bottom of the document: “Kirk has always been 100% supportive and he’s still pulling favors for the d-raid clique today ... u the man Kirk ... love u dude!!”

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