This week, Dave sits down with entertainer, freestyle rapper and autism advocate Tihei Harawera for a kōrero about identity, resilience, family and finding your own path.

Growing up as the son of Hōne Harawira and grandson of Titewhai Harawira came with plenty of expectation. But as a teenager, Tihei made a decision to go his own way, turning to freestyle rap and eventually building a life around his extraordinary memory, creativity and ability to turn almost anything into a rhyme.

Tihei opens up about growing up autistic, feeling different, learning to forgive, the people who believed in him, and why he refuses to let other people define who he should be. He also puts his talent on full display with two incredible freestyles during the episode.

Today, Tihei is still dreaming big, studying towards becoming a filmmaker and continuing to use his story to encourage others to embrace who they are.

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Let us know what you thought of the conversation in the comments!