HIGH CLASS A.K.A UNDERGROUND SOULS

tAbbas Maunda, member of Kwanza Unit and also the leader of High Class - The Underground Souls, formed in 1997. The other members are Baraka Kongwa and Steven Mbowe. They do something they call rap-jazz or hip-hop jazz. And by "jazz" they mean the Tanzanian "Swahili Jazz", not the U.S. jazz.
We combine it by playing jazz instruments live while we are rhyming. But now we don't have any instruments. But this uncle of mine he's a jazz player. I go to the the rehearsals and put my lyrics in: I definitely feel the rhythm of jazz when I put my words in.
Abbas started to rap when his family lived in England. He sees himsef as an educator:
In Tanzania hip-hop is not that big. It's big in terms of number of crews, but not in terms of knowledge of the art. The art in their mind is so low. What we are trying in our songs is to educate them, kids and other crews, that although you're in the game you should do this and this. So our big thing is to educate. We talk about 'first educate yourself, then come into the game'. We create hip-hop by educating. At the same time we talk about not to loose your tradition. To keep the tradition in your hands, not to loose it.
We Tanzanians are supposed to be in a specific way. We should follow our culture so when anybody sees you they say: "This is a Tanzanian".
- - - -
You can represent hip-hop culture in a Tanzanian way. Most of the hip-hoppers in America they talk about violence. Me personally, violence, I don't take it. So I talk the way we live in Tanzania. Hip-hop the way we live in Tanzania. This hip-hop can change by the way you're living. In America they live in violence. But we live in an African way, hip-hop in and African way. Just because Americans live in that kind of way it should mean that we should live in that kind of way. No. We can live the same hip-hop, but in an African way.

THA DE-PLOW-MATZ crew

DPT is short for Tha De-Plow-Matz. The crew is made up of Saigon (real name Saleeh Mzee), Dolasoul (real name Ahmed Dola), Trip Dogg (real name Philip Mwinmanji) and Storm (real name Amour Shamte). In the DPT family we also find manager/organiser Nkwessa.
The origin of DPT can be traced back to 1992 when Saigon and Tripp Dog met in school and started to rap just for fun. Since then a number of guys have been involved with DPT shorter or longer periods.

In the mid-90's Saigon and Stigo teamed up with Dola Soul who had just come back from living in Lagos (Nigeria) where he grew up. They started recording and after a few singles they went into the studio with P-Funk and Master Jay, this resulted in the De-Plow-Matz album. Their style and topics were refreshing, and a new audience was addressed. With Saigon leaving for UK in 1999 and Dola getting onto his solo carreer, the crew sort of fell apart without officially disbanding. In 2002 Saigon returned to Tanzania, meeting up with Trip Dog and Dola for a possible come-back.

G.W.M GANGSTERS WITH MATATIZO

GWM is short for Gangstas With Matatisu. The last word is Swahili and means problems. And it sure means problems if you try to be a gangsta rapper U.S. style in Dar. Nethertheless, GWM tries to stick to reality rap, strictly in Swahili. They deal with the daily hardships in the streets of Bongo, i.e. the slang name for Dar hinting at the fact that you have to be smart to survive in the city ("bongo" means smart, clever in Swahili
 One of the most well-respected crews from the new school which came up around 1997. They were instantly known all over Tanzania for their lyrical genius, first seeing the light in radio hits like 'Cheza mbali na kasheshe' ('stay out of trouble') and other songs which showcased a high degree of urban slang. Their first album should have been out at that time, but due to business deals gone sour it only came out in 2000, a bit after the buzz. KR has since also joined the group Wachuja Nafaka.

 

K.R. (real name Rashid Ziada)

D CHIEF (real name Robert E. Makala)

GWM has three members:
D CHIEF (real name Robert E. Makala)
EASY DOPE (real name Richard Makala) D Chief's older brother 
K.R. (real name Rashid Ziada)


The Makal Brothers started to rap in 1993 while still in secondary school. Their father Edward Makala was an eminent expert on traditional music in Tanzania. K.R. joined them in 1995. In that year they won a talent contest arranged by Don Bosco, a Dar studio owner. This gave them a chance to record some songs backed by a wellknown band. The songs became quite popular.
GWM performed at paid gigs more than 20 times during 1997, which is quite a good track record for a Dar rap crew. Their fans are mainly secondary school, college and university students. That's also the case is with most other Dar rap groups.
 Their song Yemeni Kuta was a hit in November 1997. The song is about things they see in the streets of Dar and that bothers them. "Yameni Kuta" means "It bothers me".

BANTU POUND GANGSTERS!

Bantu Pound Gangster has three members,soggy doggy anta a.k.a chief rumanyika,Nigger Pure (real name Faustine Joseph Mwakalinga) and Kassie (real name Castory Marcelin Komba). The group started in 1993.Bantu Pound Gangster rap exclusively in Swahili:They had an album with eight songs at Master J's studio. The album is called Ilala, which is a township in Dar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

soggy doggy

caz t

soggy

BALOZI DOLA SOUL

Balozi began his career while attending school in Nigeria. Balozi grew up with the support of his family who put education first. Seeing education as the key to an improved life, rapping began as something that was fun, and was not initially seen as a career. After studying in the UK, Balozi returned to Tanzania and “got married to the rap game”.

Upon returning to Tanzania, Balozi joined the rap group the Deplowmatz, whose other members were both sons of Tanzanian diplomats. The group was named the best rap group in Tanzania in 1999 and had a song at the top of the music charts in Holland. Balozi’s music focuses on the political, economic, social, and cultural problems facing the people of Tanzania.

DEPLOWMATZ 
After most of Deplowmatz left Dar es Salaam to study upcountry or abroad, Dola Soul was left to protect the flag. He set up a succesful solo carreer and has been an example to many younger emcees. Being very serious about improving the state of music business in Dar, he went to seek more fair deals between distributors, studio people and emcees. A first result was his album Balozi wenu which sold well, and which he promoted himself. Dola Soul also worked together with Mr II whom he joined on tour all over Tanzania.

He has released two albums and has performed in many venues throughout Europe, Africa, and North America. BALOZI WENU AND BALOZI UBALOZINI

BALOZI

BALOZI

X-PLASTAZ

X Plastaz is a Tanzanian hip hop musical group based in Arusha and founded in 1996. They are one of the most popular acts in the Tanzanian hip hop scene. Their style mixes elements from international hip hop and traditional Maasai music, represented by Maasai singer Merege. While Merege sings in maa (Maasai language), the other members of the group rap in swahili and haya.^[1] Merege is also well known to perform in traditional Maasai clothings.^[2]
X Plastaz hip hop is slower paced that most African hip hop and strongly characterized by Maasai deep chanting.^[3] X Plastaz songs such as Aha!, Dunia dudumizi, Bamiza and, most notably, Msimu kwa msimu are among the most popular hits in the bongo flava genre.^[4]

The first lineup of X Plastaz consisted in the Ruff and Gsann brothers from Arusha, together with their colleague and roommate Ziggy from the Tanga Region. They began singing hip hop in 1995, while earning their living in a haircutting saloon.^[5] In 1996 they were noticed by Bonnie Luv, a record producer from Dar es Salaam, who had them record some single. Their first hit was Bamiza (1998), that was one of the most played songs by Tanzanian radios for several weeks. Another hit soon followed, Wachaga piga chata.
In 1997 X Plastaz visited a traditional Maasai village west of Arusha and met Yamat Ole Meipuko, also known as Merege,^[6] who was the local "singing champion" in his age class. They thus invited Merege to join them when they were performing in the surroundings of Arusha and Moshi. Their new "Maasai hip hop" style was an instant success, as Merege became a stable member of the lineup. Over time, the group also acquired new members, including Ruff and Gsann's two younger brothers and younger sister.^[5]
X Plastaz' Maasai hip hop caught the attention of Jay Rutledge, editor of the Rough Guides ethnic music CD series. Thanks to the inclusion of their songs in the Rough Guides compilations dedicated to Tanzania and African hip hop, X Plastaz received international acclaim and eventually began touring Europe as well as Latin America.^[5] In 2002, they also participated in the World AIDS Day international event.
In 2004, German recording label Out Here Records published X Plastaz' first full-length album, Maasai Hip Hop, which included the hit songs previously published in the Rough Guides.
In 2006, X Plastaz suffered the sudden death of Nelly, died of injuries on March 29 after being stabbed. Born in 1976, he was the oldest member of the group and his sympathetic attitude towards the poor and needy was one of X Plastaz' trademarks.^[5] The video of Nelly's last song, Nini dhambi kwa mwenye dhiki, shot on the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano, is one of the most popular Africa music videos on YouTube.^[5] Despite this dramatic loss, X Plastaz did not disband, and are still active today. In 2009, they published Furaha, the first single of their upcoming second album. In the same, Gsan participated in BET Cypher, the annual gathering of America's top MCs, in Brooklyn, New York City.^[7] In 2010, they presented another new single, Afrika, at the Sauti za Busara festival in Stone Town, Zanzibar.

Besides including Maasai vocal lines in their songs, X Plastaz base much of their image on the appeal of Maasai culture on both Tanzanian and international audiences. One of their more famous songs, Aha!, is about life in a traditional Maasai village, and the music video of this song was shot in a traditional village, displaying the lifestyle and customs of the Maasai people. The song's rap is in swahili and haya, while the chorus is actually a traditional Maasai chant. The song was also included in the HBO documentary This Is My Africa.^[5]
In their musical and stylistic embrace of both traditional Maasai culture and American hip hop, X Plastaz were faced with a common issue in African contemporary and pop music, i.e., adapting what could be seen as a colonialist tradition to their own culture, while contributing to the development of the national and cultural identity of their country and their people.^[9] Their attitude is the result of the conscious and explicit intent of pursuing "African hip hop" rather than mimicking American black music and, more in general, expressing subjection towards Western culture. For example, their website makes reference to the American magazine National Geographic, which published an article on their music, but is also careful to explain what the magazine is.^[10]
As is often the case for hip hop acts, X Plastaz' lyrics often deal with social and political issues. Through their songs, X Plastaz bring the audience's attention to dramatic problems of Tanzania and Africa in general, including poverty, AIDS, and war.

xplastaz

r.i.p nelly

xplastaz

xplastaz

xplastaz in brazil

xplastaz in brazil

xplastaz

dj premier,g san and krs one

xplastaz

R.i.P Father nelly

KWANZA UNIT CREW

Kwanza Unit (KU) was an early Tanzanian hip hop group. Its name means "First Unit" and it was formed in 1993 by a merger of several groups and solo artists. They started rapping in English, but later used Swahili as well.
Founding members of Kwanza Unit included three of the main hip-hop crews at the time - Villain Gangsters, Raiders Posse, and Tribe-X. According to Rhymson, the founding member of Villain Gangsters, the goal of creating Kwanza Unit was to establish Tanzania as a "hip hop nation." Kwanza Unit's plan was to follow in the footsteps of Afrika Bambaataa, the African-American hip-hop innovator who built the Universal Zulu Nation. Just as Afrika Bambaataa had done, Kwanza Unit wanted to promote "Kwanzanian Nation" and ideals. The group created their own ethnic group they called Kwanzania which was supposed to be made up of artists, fans, and anyone else who were supporters of their ideas within and outside of Tanzania. Hip-hop was supposed to be the binding force of the Kwanzanian nation in which they had their own way of life, their own values, their own culture, and their own goals. Kwanza unit represented a form of hip-hop nationalism. Just as Afrika Bambaataa tried to inspire efforts to respond to racism and class oppression in the United States, Kwanza Unit wanted to become "heroic warriors resisting oppression". They placed their emphasis not so much on fighting racism but more on recognizing and resisting working-class oppression.^[1]
During its popularity in the 1990s, Kwanza Unit spoke out against class oppression (specifically working-class oppression), instead of focusing their music solely on fighting racism, as was the common trend (.^[2] Kwanza Unit tried to develop their music without stories of violence, vulgar language, and images of excessive fame, even though these themes are prominent in the rap music from the United States from which they drew their influences. The language they develop in their rap reflects their particular social and ideological position within Tanzania.^[3]
Kwanza Unit was able to achieve international status. They performed twice in Nairobi, Kenya and in 1998 they were invited to Nigeria but couldn't make it because of some problems.^[4]
Kwanza Unit's self-titled debut album was released in 1994 and second tape, Tropical techniques followed next year. Third album, Kwanzanians was released in 1999, both tape and CD. The single Msafiri, from Kwanza Unit's third album, Kwanzanians, along with other Tanzanian hip-hop, can be listened to on the website SwahiliRemix.com [1].
Like members of many other international hip-hop scenes, Kwanza Unit struggled with the complications that came along with American music. Although American hip-hop provided inspiration for the movement in Tanzania, it created cultural tensions as well. One of the members of Kwanza Unit recalled that "while we were recording our album we made a pact that non[e] of us would die before we release[d] our project ..." but then revealed that "[t]hree months later [Nigga One] died in a car crash."^[5] This implies an allusion to great figures of American hip-hop, such as Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., who died at young ages. Although Nigga One was not murdered, the fact that a pact to stay alive was even necessary suggests a dangerous element to hip-hop. Furthermore, the dominance of the English language in hip-hop created a conundrum for Kwanza Unit. At first, rapping was done in English, but slowly hip-hop transitioned into Swahili, as Kwanza Unit and other Tanzanian musicians began to take more ownership over their work.^[6]
The roots of Kwanza Unit's mission grew from one of the idolized figures from the United States, Afrika Bambaataa. "Not unlike the Afrika Bambaataa model in the U.S., which had introduced youth to both rap music and hip-hop culture in the ghettoes and barrios of New York, KU wanted to promote, 'Kwanza Unit has moved from a family to a tribe or rather an ethnic group called Kwanzania. Kwanzania is not made up of performing artists only but also fans, supporters and everyone who ids down with KU ideas, within and outside Tanzania." ('Ni Wapi Tunakwenda': Hip-Hop Culture and the Children of Arusha by Sidney J. Lemelle) Rhymson the founding member of the group, works to get out the good word about rap in most of his interviews. It is not just for "hooligans" and there is a deeper message to listen for. "A big difficulty is that the society at large thinks that rap is for hooligans. This also makes it hard to get airplay. The media wants positive messages. The thing that is positive to me may not necessarily be positive to you. If the police mistreated me I could curse to ease my tension after having been disturbed by a policeman. If I say that in rhyme, in a poetic way, not necessarily the radio announcer should say this is positive or not. They can always say it's negative to their opinion, cause everybody has a right to their own opinion. In hip hop I can express my views by giving you a challenge, so you come to me the next day and say: What do you mean when you say that?" [2]

The group has since been disbanded, but some of its members continue doing solo music. Kwanza Unit had several members and line-up changes. Among their members were:

• Chief Rhymson(Ramadhan A. Mponjika)
• KBC aka K-Singo (Kiba Cha Singo)
• Adili "Nigga One" Kumbuka - died 1993
• D-Rob(Robert Mwingira) - died 2002
• Eazy-B (Bernard Luanda)
• Papa Sav(Makanga Lugoe)
• Abbas Maunda
• Balbo
• Baraka
• Fresh-G
• Y-Thang
• Gaddy Groove

There is also a wider circle of affiliated members referred to as Kwanza Unit Foundation or Kwanzanians'.
Kwanza Unit Foundation:

• Bugzy Malone (Edward Margat)
• Ndoti Mwingira
• Richard Mwingira
• Totoo
• Base One aka KK (Khalid Kumbuka)
• Lenana
• Sundeo

Chief Rhymson a.k.a Zavara

JOSEPH MBILINYI a.k.a SUGU a.k.a 2proud

Joseph Mbilinyi (born May 1, 1972), known for his stage names Mr. II and Sugu and 2-proud, is one of the founders of the hip hop music scene in Tanzania. He was also elected to the Tanzanian Parliament in 2010.
Mr. II was stems from Songea in Southern Tanzania, started to rap in 1990, in his youth when he was still in school. His inspirations were Ice Cube, Niggaz With Attitude and above all Tupak Shakur. Mr. II was the first Tanzanian rap artist to have major success with his music. Through his music and language he express and addresses politics, social inequalities and other problems that affected Tanzanians. Most would consider his music as a voice for the voiceless, his brand of rap is soulful, lyrical, rhythmical and from the heart. This is because Mr. II is not afraid to tell it like it is, undertaking sensitive issues of concern to many Tanzanians such as democracy, child prostitution, police brutality and corruption.^[1]
He became so popular that his music reached audiences even in rural areas where rap had not been heard before. Due to the quality of his music and the message in his music, older people were more acceptance to his music and contributed to making him the first Tanzanian rapper to have a mainstream hit. Also making Mr II the M-Net Best Male Artist Grammy Award Winner for Tanzania in 2001. Mr. II is East Africa’s most popular Bongo Flava icon, and through this genre he was able to make a difference and create opportunities for the youth.

SUGU & BEENIE MAN

Sugu, which loosely translates to 'Stubborn' or 'Hard', has been just that in terms of his popular longevity. With over a decade of success, Sugu has maintained his rebellious persona as a social outcast. Performing in Swahili, Sugu addresses social issues that plague both urban and rural East Africans. His socially conscious lyrics touch on issues ranging from prostitution to immigration to the plight of street children.^[3] Examples of his politically charged music is apparent in the songs Hali Halisi,[1] (real situation) in which he depicts the struggles of street life, and the oppressive conditions of the government, prisons, and judicial system.
"Everyday is us against the police and the police against us
The judge at the court is waiting for us
The prison officer is waiting for us^[4] "
His lyrical style which is methodic yet quick has been mimicked by many of the genre’s newcomers. His peers view “his observant narratives, canny wordplay and flamboyant delivery” ^[5] as a trademark of their genre.
Mr. II is an outspoken advocate of Tanzanian hiphop or Bongo Flava.
Sugu has seen success in various realms of the African Hip Hop scene. He is the primary organizer of the annual Tanzania Hip-Hop Summit, a yearly convention of East Africa’s most prominent and up-and-coming music stakeholders. The summit is held in Dar es Salaam in December and brings together everyone from artists to producers to TV representatives.^[3] He was also the publisher of Deiwaka, a music and arts magazine that is no longer in print. Sugu is one of the most recognizable artists in the world of East African Hip-hop, has won numerous Pan-African music awards and has performed at a number of international festivals.^[6] Regardless of his efforts to differentiate himself and his genre, Mr. II continues to be compared to the many great Hip-Hop artists from the U.S such as Nas, Jay-Z or Run DMC.^[2][5]
Mr. II's song "Haki" has been hailed as the "definitive bongoflava anthem" In Swahili Haki means freedom and justice^[7] Mr. II's lyrics address themes that are typical of Bongoflava. Bongoflava "tackle[s] subjects faced by the continent and the world over: poverty, ambition, success, money, HIV/AIDS"^[8]
Sugu is also the Founder and Director of Deiwaka Entertainment, A company that has dedicated itself in promoting and developing Tanzanian hiphop/Bongoflava as part of helping in the fight against poverty and unemployment problems among youths in Tanzania. This company now has a website: Deiwakaworld
At the 2005 Tanzania Music Awards his album Moto Chini was nominated in the best Hip Hop Album category.^[9]

Mr II is the most productive Tanzanian hip hop musician, given the number of released albums:

• Ni Mimi (1995)
• Ndani ya Bongo (1996)
• Niite Mister II (1998)
• Nje ya Bongo (1999)
• Millennium (2000)
• Muziki na Maisha (2001)
• Itikadi (2002)
• Sugu (2004)
• Coming of Age-Ujio Wa Umri (2006)
• VETO (2009)
• Ant virus

At the 2010 Tanzanian general elections, he successfully vied for Mbeya Urban constituency parliamentary seat for CHADEMA

WAASISI NA WANAHARAKATI HALISI WA HIPHOP KUTOKA BONGO!!

NIMEANZISHA BLOG HII HASWA KWA LENGO LA KUKUMBUSHANA NA KUWAENZI WALE WALIOIWEZESHA TASNIA HII YA MZIKI WA WANAHARAKATI WA HIPHOP!!
KAMA INAVYOJULIKANA HIPHOP NI MZIKI WENYE HISTORIA KUBWA ULIMWENGUNI AMBAO ASILI YAKE NI HUKO AMERICA!!
SO KWA UCHACHE NA KWA YALE NILIYOJAALIWA KUWANAYO KTK AKILI YANGU !! NIMEONA SI VIBAYA NIKASHARE NA WENZANGU !!
NA UHAKIKA KUPITIA HARAKATI ZANGU NA ZENU PIA WADAU MZIKI WA HIP HOP DAIMA UTASIMAMA SHOKA!!
AMANI KWA WOTE!!

Joseph Haule (born December 29, 1975), popularly known as Professor Jay, is a Tanzanian hip hop artist. He is one of the prominent representants of the "Bongo Flava" Tanzanian hip hop subgenre, which mixes elements from both Western hip hop and the Tanzanian tradition (including swahili lyrics as well as an activist attitude towards Tanzanian social issues such as HIV/AIDS, wealth, inequality, and political corruption

He started rapping in 1994 as a member of the group Hard Blasters, best known for their hit "Chemsha Bongo" (then he used stage name Nigga J) from their first album, "Funga Kazi". Only one year later, they won the title of best hip-hop group in Tanzania.^[2]
During his solo career which he started in 2001, he has released number of hits, including "Nikusaidiaje" and "Zali la Mentali (feat Juma Nature)". Other songs released by Professor Jay include "Piga Makofi" and "Yataka Moyo".^[3] Just like Mr. II, he is a pioneering Tanzanian MC, who have remained some of the most popular hip hop musicians in Tanzania, despite influx of many new bidders. Also similar to Mr. II his lyrics often have political messages. In one of his songs he imitates an elder politician and ridicules the fake promises they all mindlessly spew as they are trying to get elected. The song continues with a chorus saying the words "Ndio Mzee" which means "Yes Elder". This represents the brain washing of the public as politicians make these false promises over and over. It is interesting to note however, that after this song was produced, the president of Tanzania referenced the lyrics in one of his speeches, which acknowledged the presence of Bongo Flava and the success of Professor Jay's political lyrics.^[4]
His first album, "Machozi, Jasho na Damu," gained instant recognition for which Professor Jay won several awards. He attained other awards such as the best hip-hop album in Tanzania with his second album, "Mapinduzi halisi".^[2]
Professor Jay's songs include Nikusaidiaje (featuring Ferooz), Nimeamini (featuring Lady Jaydee), Inatosha (featuring Sugu), Vuta raha (featuring Ferooz), Border kwa border (featuring Nazizi), Heka heka za star, Interlude, J.O.S.E.P.H., Nisamehe (featuring Banana), Wapi nimakosea, Una, Hakuna Noma, Jina Langu, Bongo Dar es Salaam, Piga Makofi, Msinitenge, Sio Mzee, Zali la Mentali, Nidivyo Sivyo, Mtazamo (featuring Afande Sele and Solo Thang), Hapo Sawa.^[5] Professor Jay is featured on Nonini's song "Kumekucha" ^[6]
His former group Hard Blasters is set for a comeback in 2009. The new lineup will consist of Professor Jay, Big Willy and Fanani. They will release a new album

Solo albums

• Machozi Jasho na Damu 2001
• Mapinduzi Halisi 2003
• J.O.S.E.P.H 2006
• Aluta Continua 2007

• 2004 Tanzania Music Awards (Kilimanjaro Music Awards)- Best Hip Hop Album ("Mapinduzi Halisi") ^[8]
• 2006 Tanzania Music Awards - Best Song (Nikusaidiaje) ^[9]
• 2006 Kisima Music Awards - Best Tanzanian Song (Nikusaidiaje)^[10]
• 2007 Kisima Music Awards - Best Ugandan Song (Sivyo Ndiviyo with Chameleone) ^[11]
• 2007 Pearl of Africa Music Awards (PAM Awards) - Best Male Artist (Tanzania) ^[12]
• 2009 Tanzania Music Awards - Best Songwriter ^[1