Dataz is a
Tanzanian
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
rap artist and she is among few earliest female
hip hop musicians in the country.
Earlier life
She was born in 1984 on the shores of
Lake Nyasa
Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa in Tanzania and Lago Niassa in Mozambique, is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the East African Rift system, located between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.
It is the fifth largest fre ...
in
Mbamba Bay
Mbamba Bay is a town in western Tanzania, lying on the eastern shore of Lake Malawi/Lake Nyasa.
Port
Mbamba Bay has an indentation in the otherwise straight profile of the lake and may be a potential port.
Transport
In October 2007, it was ...
. Later she moved with her parents to
Morogoro
Morogoro is a city in the eastern part of Tanzania west of Dar es Salaam. Morogoro is the capital of the Morogoro Region.
It is also known informally as "Mji kasoro bahari" which translates to “city short of an ocean/port." The Belgian based ...
where she began her primary education. When Dataz was attending her secondary school, Ifunda, her talent for music became apparent.
Music career
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.
Africanhiphop.com :: African Rap :: 10 years online
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References
*http://www.kafoi.co.tz/news/article.php?id=239
*Hip Hop Culture And The Children Of Arusha: ‘Ni wapi Tunakwenda’ Sidney J. Lemelle
*http://www.africanhiphop.com/index.php?module=subjects&func=viewpage&pageid=3
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dataz
1984 births
Living people
Tanzanian women rappers
21st-century Tanzanian women singers
Swahili-language singers
Tanzanian musicians
Tanzanian Bongo Flava musicians