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. Merege is also well known to perform in traditional Maasai clothings.X Plastaz hip hop is slower paced that most African hip hop and strongly characterized by Maasai deep chanting. Their conscious Swahili lyrics strike a chord with the Tanzanian youth on the streets, who can relate to topics like Aids,unemployment, divorce or life in prison. The group has worked hard to raise the standards of Tanzanian hip hop which is evident from their releases, music videos and stage shows. They have a faithful fanbase worldwide and are embraced by the press.X Plastaz songs such as Aha!, Dunia dudumizi, Bamiza and, most notably, Msimu kwa msimu are among the most popular hits in the Tanzania hip hop genre.
History
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 started rapping in 1995, while earning their living in a haircutting saloon in Arusha, a city in the heart of Maasai land,initially joined by rapper OCG who later continued as a solo artist. In 1996 they were noticed by Bonnie Luv, a record producer from Dar es Salaam, who had them record some single.X Plastaz’ first single ‘Bamiza’ became a big hit in East Africa in 1998 and it was distributed across East Africa on a pirated compilation cassette.In 2001, X Plastaz added their 13 and 11 year old brother and sister to the group, as well as Yamat Ole Meipuko,also known as Merege, a Maasai singer who lives a traditional lifestyle in a remote village. Yamat had won various Maasai singing competitions, and immediately added a unique vocal element to the stew of Swahili rhymes and tough hip hop beats.
Between 1997 and 2001, the group had become the most popular rap group in their region Arusha and beyond. Their vocal styles inspired artists and fans all the way to Dar es Salaam, for example in the song ‘Haleluya’ with its chorus which would be the blueprint for a whole generation of Bongo Flava artists.
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.
In 2001 X Plastaz got a first chance to perform and record abroad in the Netherlands. This led to the release of their critically acclaimed first album 'Maasai Hip Hop', which included the hit songs previously published in the Rough Guides.on the German recording label Out Here Records . A string of performances, tv and radio gigs and shows in different countries followed.
In November 2002, X Plastaz performed in Holland again as the main act in a show on World AIDS Day international event in the Tropical Institute.In July 2003, their European tour led them to Couleur Cafe Festival (Brussels), Rita Ray’s the Shrine night (London) and the Respect Festival at the Millennium Dome (London). Both the audience as well as the press considered their performances to be highlights of the evening. Promo copies of X plastaz songs started to create a buzz among world music radio dj’s in Europe such as Russ Jones (Future World Funk) and Francis Gay (WDR) and their track ‘Msimu kwa Msimu’ was considered one of the highlights of Worldmusic Network’s compilation ‘Rough Guide to African Rap’. The music videos ‘Aha’ (filmed in a traditional Maasai village) and ‘Ushanta’ ended in the Tanzanian national video top 5, and were played frequently on Channel O (South Africa). In 2005, X Plastaz played at PercPan festival in Rio de Janeiro and Salvador (Brazil).
Faza Nelly
In March 2006, the saddest moment in the group’s history occurred when member Faza Nelly (born 1976 as Nelson Chrizostom Rutta) died after a stabbing incident as he was negotiating in an argument between neighbours. Click here to read more about the events surrounding his death. Faza Nelly was one of the founders of X Plastaz. His sympathy for the poor and needy in society translated into all X Plastaz songs. His positive, unlimited energy and good wit made people fall in love with the group wherever they went. Nelly’s last work was the song ‘Nini dhambi kwa mwenye dhiki’, dedicated to the poor and needy in Tanzania, whose video was shot on the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano,which had a major eruption on the day Nelly died. The video is one of the most popular African music videos on Youtube with currently 400.000 views.
X Plastaz have decided to keep the flame alive and continue on Nelly’s path of entertaining international crowds while sending out messages of peace and wisdom. X Plastaz now remains five rappers/singers. The group performs in variable live settings, from two vocalists and their dj Threesixty (known from his work with Outsidaz, Freestyle Felowship, Redman) to the ‘full set’ of five artists on stage. Yamat, Diney and Kamaa live in Tanzania, while Ziggy and Gsan currently reside in Sweden and USA. In 2009 they started recording new songs for the follow-up to their first album ‘Maasai hip hop’. A music video was recorded for the first single ‘Furaha’, and more is in the making, continuing on the refreshing musical path that the group have walked over the past decade. With a performance of group member Gsan at BET Cypher, the annual gathering of America's top MCs, in Brooklyn, New York City and a production of dj Threesixty for Def Jam artist Redman, the music of the group has entered a new domain.
In 2010, they presented another new single, Afrika, at the Sauti za Busara festival in Stone Town, Zanzibar.
X Plastaz and Tanzanian culture
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.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.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.
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.
www.facebook.com/xplastaz
the official Facebook fan page
www.twitter.com/xplastaz
XPS on Twitter
http://www.youtube.com/africanhiphop
Youtube account containing most of X Plastaz videos
http://www.xplastazmusic.com/archive
The old X Plastaz site, maintained for archival purposes (and because there’s a massive guestbook)
www.myspace.com/xplastaz
the official Myspace page (no longer updated because Myspace is dead!)
X Plastaz family:
Kemp
Facebook fan page of Kemp, the group consisting of Ziggy (KZZ) from X Plastaz and dj Emp.
Bamba Nazar
Homepage of Bamba Nazar (dj Threesixty), producer for X Plastaz also known for his productions for Redman, Daddy-O, Freestyle Fellowship and Outsidaz.
Africanhiphop.com
Platform for information and discussion on hip hop from the motherland Africa. News, biographies, pics, sound, a lively discussion forum and more.
