"[2] Today the song maintains its status as a cult classic in non-Māori New Zealand, as the group behind it, Patea Maori Club, was a one-hit wonder.

[2] The song was written by Māori linguist Ngoi Pewhairangi; the music was scored by Dalvanius Prime.

Its popularity that same year grew further when it was well received by British listeners as the Pātea Māori Club toured the United Kingdom, playing at the London Palladium and the Edinburgh Festival, as well as giving a Royal Command Performance.

"Poi E" alongside "E Ipo" (1982) by Prince Tui Teka (similarly written by Pewhairangi and produced by Prime) were the first widely successful songs sung in Te Reo Māori in mainstream music, and had a great impact on the promotion of Te Reo and Māori culture in New Zealand.

Among the most obvious are rapping and breakdancing, and the song itself "combined traditional Māori vocals and show-band and concert-party idioms with gospel and funk", two of hip-hop's own influences as major African-American musical genres.