Tanzania’s rap legend shares secret of his success

By Kizito Makoye

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AA) - A Tanzanian rap legend has launched a new book chronicling the struggles and triumphs of his troubled music career and urging artists never to lose hope in their quest to shine in the volatile musical business.

Joseph Mubilinyi, nicknamed Sugu (Stubborn), is a musician, businessman and politician.

“My only advice to young singers is to be focused and move on despite challenges,” he told Anadolu Agency.

As a pioneer of “Bongo Flava” -- a music genre heavily influenced by hip-hop, Sugu, who has released more than 20 albums, owes his success to hard work.

Growing up in poverty, Sugu struggled to break into the music business. And it was not easy.

Although he faced hurdles, he fought all the odds to spread his musical influence. “I was motivated by the phrase, ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,’” he said.

The rapper has worked hands-on to put Bongo Flava on a global map. That was not an overnight sensation. Sugu has laid the groundwork since the early 1990s.

- Telling the truth

Although the rapper played down his fame, his fans hailed him for telling the truth without mincing words.

Dressed in a gleaming black suit, Sugu stormed the “Dream Concert,” organized by the rapper to celebrate his 30 years in the music industry. His fans erupted as he spat politically charged rhymes into the microphone. His soulful melodies and lyrical style captivated the audience, including guest of honor President Samia Hassan, who smiled as disco light filtered through scented smoke at the Serena Hotel.

The concert was colored with live performances from artists including Lady JD and rekindled fond memories and touched the hearts of the guests in attendance.

Speaking at the festival in the port city of Dar es Salaam, Sugu said he has paved the way for young musicians to succeed even though he did not enjoy the fruits of his labor.

“We built the road for others to use it. I am happy to see a lot of success in the music game today,” he said. But he lamented about middlemen who unscrupulously benefited from his album sales.

“The people around you can make or break you,” he said.

In his autobiography, Music and life from the streets to parliament, Sugu narrated his ordeal as a street boy before he was elected a legislator.

He explained his music debut from humble beginnings and encourages young musicians to preserve as they develop their careers.

“Life is about choices, no one can decide for you other than yourself,” he wrote.

- Challenging the status quo

As an opposition politician, Sugu openly challenged the policies of the late President John Magufuli. He irritated him and was jailed in 2018 for insulting the president before his release after 73 days.

“I did not insult the president, the accusations were false,” he said.

The rapper’s tangle with law enforcement has given him street credibility and arguably promoted his resolve to condemn oppression.

Born in the southern township of Mtwara, Sugu, the oldest of four siblings, has faced many struggles throughout his life. He was nicknamed “May,” ostensibly to symbolize hard work, as he was born on Tanzania’s workers’ day. He learned to be a hustler growing up in Mbeya, a city he describes as “the garden of Eden.”

His musical talent started to evolve in his early teens, as Sugu spent a lot of time composing lyrics. He never went to high school, instead moving to Dar es Salaam when he was barely 17 to study how to clear cargo from the port -- a course he never completed.

After his father died when Sugu was 20, he had to earn for the family, so he worked as a security guard for two years. He put some of his earnings aside to record “Siku Yangu,” or “My Day” and his first album, Ni Mimi, or It’s Me”, came three years later.

Influenced by Tupac Shakur, Sugu has tackled tough subjects in the manner of the legendary American rapper -- just in Swahili.

Sugu spits rhymes on police brutality, prostitution, HIV/AIDS and the plight of street children.

- Debate on social justice

Mike Mhagama, a former radio presenter and friend of Sugu, said his music provoked debates about human rights and social justice.

“He was a politician with no official title,” Mhagama told Anadolu Agency.

Mhagama said Sugu is a living testimony for skeptics who believed Bongo Flava was for hooligans when it began.

“He’s not only a rapper, but also an activist whose message had won so many hearts,” he said.

But many radio DJs were “careful not to cross the line” by playing his politically charged songs, said Mhagama.

Still, Sugu found success with hits such as “Ndani ya Bongo” and “Coming of Age.” He is among the most famous artists in Tanzania and his international tours have taken him to the US and Europe.

His songs also chart his own life’s arc, such as the 2016 song “Freedom,” in which Sugu says: “I never chose to be a politician; politics chose me.” Disillusioned by selfish political elites, Sugu joined the opposition party, Chadema, in June 2010 and was made its parliamentary candidate for the Mbeya constituency. On the backs of his legions of fans, he won the election.

But he has not governed as a swaggering rapper. Instead, it is Sugu’s self-effacing modesty that has earned him an unusual measure of respect. He won reelection in 2015 with nearly 70% of the vote.

Armed with oratory power, Sugu has always advocated for economic freedom and social justice. In parliament, he often uses street slang to make his point, prompting laughter from legislators.

Sugu’s critics said he has not effectively used his political influence to promote the interests of fellow artists.

“I supported him and had a lot of expectations because I knew he would be our mouthpiece; he has disappointed us,” said Selemani Msindi, aka Afande Sele, a veteran hip-hop artist.

Msindi accused Sugu of betraying artists and the people who elected him by amassing his wealth.

“If you go to Mbeya, you will realize that he hasn’t done anything to his people,” said Msindi.