OmPuff (kwaito)
Encyclopedia
Belmiro Hosi better known by his stage name
as OmPuff is an Angola
n-Namibia
n kwaito
and hip hop
musician
who rose to widespread fame in 2005. He is one of the liveliest performers on the Namibian local scene. OmPuff signed to Mshasho Productions
in 2006. He nicknamed himself Puffy after childhood hero Puff Daddy, (now Diddy
). After doing more and more kwaito
Puffy eventually became OmPuff, making it sound more African. OmPuff speaks fluent Oshiwambo, Afrikaans
, Portuguese
, and English
.
, Angola
. He moved to Namibia
at an early age in the late 90's. He has lived most of his childhood in Katutura
, Windhoek
. As a teenager, he would mimic rap songs by famous American
rappers. In the early 2000s he founded and joined an underground hip hop group known as Zero Degrees. OmPuff left the group in 2003 after feeling discourage by the lack of support within the local hip hop industry to pursue a solo career in kwaito.
His first shot of exposure was when he became a close associate of Gazza
and his label GMP Records. Gazza signed the rapper to his GMP label. The pair recorded a song called "Kwaito Party" which got a lot of air play and made OmPuff one of the most exposed underground artists. Gazza wold later boycott the song from radio due to Puff's decision to join rival label Mshasho Records. However it leaked via bluetooth
.
. The Dogg immediately signed him to Mshasho Records. Celebrating his success, OmPuff released his first professional single "We Taking Over" which featured then-Sunny Boy's kwaito group Y.B.G., composed of Sunny, Chippo and Richie. OmPuff started touring with The Dogg and became his main back-up performer. He was later featured on The Dogg's 2006 album Introducing TeeDee
. He also appeared on Sunny Boy's album Elai Lineendunge
.
OmPuff released his debut album Phone Call
on under Mshasho Records in December 2007. In mid 2008, he performed in his native country Angola
promoting his album.
In 2009 he appeared on The Dogg
's album This Is My Time.
In 2010 he appeared on two songs by The Dogg from his album The Power of 7 - Elevating Elevators
In 2011 he released a successful single for his up coming album expected to be released in 2011. He also appeared on the song "End of Time" with Sunny Boy
and Zambian singer JK for The Dogg's album The Deception
.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
as OmPuff is an Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
n-Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
n kwaito
Kwaito
Kwaito is a music genre that emerged in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the 1990s. It is a variant of house music featuring the use of African sounds and samples. Typically at a slower tempo range than other styles of house music, Kwaito often contains catchy melodic and percussive loop samples,...
and hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
who rose to widespread fame in 2005. He is one of the liveliest performers on the Namibian local scene. OmPuff signed to Mshasho Productions
Mshasho Productions
Mshasho Productions, also referred to as, Mshasho Music Productions, and, Mshasho Records is an Namibian record label founded by Namibian musician and producer, Martin "The Dogg" Morocky in 2003. The company is a subsidiary of The Dogg's company Mshasho closed cooperation...
in 2006. He nicknamed himself Puffy after childhood hero Puff Daddy, (now Diddy
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
). After doing more and more kwaito
Kwaito
Kwaito is a music genre that emerged in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the 1990s. It is a variant of house music featuring the use of African sounds and samples. Typically at a slower tempo range than other styles of house music, Kwaito often contains catchy melodic and percussive loop samples,...
Puffy eventually became OmPuff, making it sound more African. OmPuff speaks fluent Oshiwambo, Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
, Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Early career
OmPuff was born in Namibe CityNamibe
Namibe is the capital city of Namibe Province in Angola. It is a coastal desert city located in southwestern Angola and was founded in 1840 by the Portuguese rulers of the territory. The city's current population is 132,900...
, Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
. He moved to Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
at an early age in the late 90's. He has lived most of his childhood in Katutura
Katutura
Katutura is a township of Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia. Katutura was created in 1961 following the forced removal of Windhoek's black population from the Old Location, which afterwards was developed into the suburb Hochland Park. Sam Nujoma Stadium, built in 2005, is located within Katutura...
, Windhoek
Windhoek
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529...
. As a teenager, he would mimic rap songs by famous American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rappers. In the early 2000s he founded and joined an underground hip hop group known as Zero Degrees. OmPuff left the group in 2003 after feeling discourage by the lack of support within the local hip hop industry to pursue a solo career in kwaito.
His first shot of exposure was when he became a close associate of Gazza
Gazza (artist)
Lazaruz Karandu Shiimi known by his stage name as Gazza, is a Namibian kwaito musician from Oshakati. As a soccer lover, he nicknamed himself Gazza after famous English soccer player Paul Gascoigne. He is one of the most commercially successful recording artists in Namibia...
and his label GMP Records. Gazza signed the rapper to his GMP label. The pair recorded a song called "Kwaito Party" which got a lot of air play and made OmPuff one of the most exposed underground artists. Gazza wold later boycott the song from radio due to Puff's decision to join rival label Mshasho Records. However it leaked via bluetooth
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
.
Joining Mshasho
After realizing he was wasting his time with GMP, he left the label and reconnected with an old friend Sunny Boy who then introduced him to The DoggThe Dogg
Martin Morocky , known by his stage name as The Dogg is a Namibian multi-award winning musician, producer and actor. He's one of the most outstanding artists in Namibia and is considered one of the pioneers of Namibia's kwaito genre. His debut album Shimaliw' Osatana, released in 2004, was...
. The Dogg immediately signed him to Mshasho Records. Celebrating his success, OmPuff released his first professional single "We Taking Over" which featured then-Sunny Boy's kwaito group Y.B.G., composed of Sunny, Chippo and Richie. OmPuff started touring with The Dogg and became his main back-up performer. He was later featured on The Dogg's 2006 album Introducing TeeDee
Introducing TeeDee
Introducing TeeDee is the third studio album by Namibian kwaito musician and producer The Dogg. It was released by Mshasho Productions in May 2006, and was the first to be managed by . The album introduced his alias TeeDee to his fans. This album is a replacing recording for his bootlegged album...
. He also appeared on Sunny Boy's album Elai Lineendunge
Elai Lineendunge
Elai Lineendunge is the second album by Sunny Boy, and the first to be released on his own label GreenHouse Entertainment. It was released in December 2006. The album features a much darker sound and much deeper subject matter than, Young, Black en Gifted...
.
OmPuff released his debut album Phone Call
Phone Call (OmPuff)
Phone Call is the debut album by kwaito musician OmPuff, that was released by Mshasho Productions in December 2007. The album was executive produced by The Dogg. It features appearance by Sunny Boy, Tre VDK, Chipo, Richie, and The Dogg. The album is a combination of hardcore kwaito and classical...
on under Mshasho Records in December 2007. In mid 2008, he performed in his native country Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
promoting his album.
In 2009 he appeared on The Dogg
The Dogg
Martin Morocky , known by his stage name as The Dogg is a Namibian multi-award winning musician, producer and actor. He's one of the most outstanding artists in Namibia and is considered one of the pioneers of Namibia's kwaito genre. His debut album Shimaliw' Osatana, released in 2004, was...
's album This Is My Time.
In 2010 he appeared on two songs by The Dogg from his album The Power of 7 - Elevating Elevators
In 2011 he released a successful single for his up coming album expected to be released in 2011. He also appeared on the song "End of Time" with Sunny Boy
Sunny Boy
Sunday Shipushu , well known as Sunny Boy is a Namibian rapper from Ongwediva. Sunny Boy performs a brand of music known as hikwa, which he engineered by fusing hip hop and kwaito. He rose to fame after collaborating with Gazza on his song "Koko" in 2004...
and Zambian singer JK for The Dogg's album The Deception
The Deception (album)
The Deception is the seventh studio album by Namibian kwaito star The Dogg. The album is released by The Dogg's Mshasho Productions on July 2, 2011...
.
Awards
- 2008: Sanlam-NBC Music Awards
- Best hip hop (nominated)
- Best Afro-pop (nominated)