Dataz
Encyclopedia
Dataz is a Tanzanian rapper. She was born in 1984 on the shores of Lake Nyasa in Mbamba Bay
. Later she moved with her parents to Morogoro
where she began her primary education. When Dataz was attending her secondary school, Ifunda, her talent for music became apparent.
Dataz first started performing with fellow female rapper Bad G, while they performed together for a period of time the two are now pursuing solo careers. Dataz first single “Kitimtim” topped the charts of several radio stations in Tanzania
Dataz blames the lack of female rappers in Tanzania for the fact that MCing and DJing are associated with hooliganism and masculinity, most popularly through the mimicking of American gangsta rap
, a genre that has a large lyrical base in the subjugation of women. While American hip hop is full of references that subjugate woman, Swahili
rap doesn’t have the same language use towards women. Because religion plays a large role in most rappers lives, they come to a crossroads when they attempt to imitate gangsta rap with the subjugation of women. This leaves both a gap in artists authenticity which is just as important in Swahili rap as it is in American rap, but also leaves open a larger place in the hip hop scene for women to enter.
Fellow female rap artist Tuni of the Nubian Motown Crew says that “many girls shy away from engaging in rap due to the attitude that rap is a male thing and is associated with gangs, violence and all manner of evil.” Something that is lacking in Swahili rap, but is dominant in its influence, American hip hop.
Mbamba Bay
Mbamba Bay is a town in western Tanzania, lying on the eastern shore of Lake Malawi. Elevation 471m.- Port :Mbamba Bay has an indentation in the otherwise straight profile of the lake and may be a potential port.- Transport :...
. Later she moved with her parents to Morogoro
Morogoro
Morogoro is a city with an urban population of 206,868 in the southern highlands of Tanzania, 190 km west of Dar es Salaam. It is the capital of the Morogoro Region...
where she began her primary education. When Dataz was attending her secondary school, Ifunda, her talent for music became apparent.
Dataz first started performing with fellow female rapper Bad G, while they performed together for a period of time the two are now pursuing solo careers. Dataz first single “Kitimtim” topped the charts of several radio stations in Tanzania
Dataz blames the lack of female rappers in Tanzania for the fact that MCing and DJing are associated with hooliganism and masculinity, most popularly through the mimicking of American gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
, a genre that has a large lyrical base in the subjugation of women. While American hip hop is full of references that subjugate woman, Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
rap doesn’t have the same language use towards women. Because religion plays a large role in most rappers lives, they come to a crossroads when they attempt to imitate gangsta rap with the subjugation of women. This leaves both a gap in artists authenticity which is just as important in Swahili rap as it is in American rap, but also leaves open a larger place in the hip hop scene for women to enter.
Fellow female rap artist Tuni of the Nubian Motown Crew says that “many girls shy away from engaging in rap due to the attitude that rap is a male thing and is associated with gangs, violence and all manner of evil.” Something that is lacking in Swahili rap, but is dominant in its influence, American hip hop.