Samuel Bazawule (born 19 April 1982), known professionally as Blitz Bazawule and Blitz the Ambassador, is a Ghanaian filmmaker, author, visual artist, rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He started his career in the late 2000s, publishing four

studio albums An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century a ...

and being awarded the

Vilcek Prize The Vilcek Foundation is an American nonprofit organization. The foundation's programs include the Vilcek Foundation Prizes. The Foundation was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, immigrants from the former Czechoslovakia. The missio ...

for Creative Promise in Contemporary Music. Blitz made his debut as a film director debut with '' The Burial of Kojo'' (2018), and co-directed the

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serv ...

Black Is King ''Black Is King'' is a 2020 American musical film co-written, executive produced, and directed by Beyoncé. It is a visual companion to the 2019 album '' The Lion King: The Gift'', curated by Beyoncé for the film ''The Lion King'' (2019). Th ...

'' (2020) alongside

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

, receiving his first

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

nomination. He directed the musical film adaptation ''

Early life

Samuel Bazawule was born in

Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population of ...

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

, on 19 April 1982. He is the third of four children and attended

Achimota School Achimota School (Help:IPA/English, /ɑːtʃimoʊtɑː/ ), formerly Prince of Wales College and School at Achimota, later Achimota College, now nicknamed Motown, is a co-educational boarding school located at Achimota in Accra, Greater Accra Reg ...

. While in school, he amassed awards for his visual art, but later developed an obsession with hip-hop music after hearing his older brother play the

Public Enemy Public Enemy is an American Hip-hop, hip hop group formed in Roosevelt, New York, in 1985 by Chuck D and Flavor Flav. The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as Racism in the United States, American r ...

album ''

It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back ''It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back'' is the second studio album by American Hip hop music, hip hop group Public Enemy, released on June 28, 1988, by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. It was recorded from 1987 to 1988 in sessio ...

''. Drawing on his love for history and social observation, Bazawule began to research and write historically loaded rhymes for which he became famous in school.

Career

After graduation from Achimota School in 2000, Bazawule was first recognized by Ghanaian Ace producer Hammer of The Last Two. Blitz was asked to come to the studio the next day after impressing Hammer with his skills. He recorded a verse on the song "Deeba" and received an award for Best New Artist at the 2000 Ghana Music Awards. In 2001, Blitz moved to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

to study at

Kent State University Kent State University (KSU) is a Public university, public research university in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio located in Kent State University at Ashtabula, Ashtabula, Kent State ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, where he graduated with a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

in Business Administration. In those years he performed at several live shows and opening for rappers such as

Rakim William Michael Griffin Jr. (born January 28, 1968), better known by his stage name Rakim (), is an American rapper. He is one half of Golden age hip-hop, golden age hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, with whom he released four albums: ''Paid in Full ...

. In 2004 he self-released the album ''Soul Rebel'', under the moniker Blitz. After graduation, Blitz moved to New York City. There, he recorded another album, ''Double Consciousness'' (2005), and more recently he released ''Stereotype''. The album draws from his diverse musical background. In order to achieve the live sound he was looking for, he formed a band, The Embassy Ensemble, and brushed off his own djembe skills. He established a label, Embassy MVMT, and is now connected to

The Roots The Roots are an American Hip-hop, hip hop band formed in 1987 by singer Black Thought, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Questlove, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''T ...

community initiative

Okayplayer Okayplayer is an online hip-hop and alternative music website and community, described by ''Rolling Stone'' as a "tastemaker" and "an antidote to dull promotional Web sites used by most artists". The community was founded by The Roots' drummer ...

. In late 2009, Blitz the Ambassador was chosen as of one ''

Beyond Race ''Beyond Race Magazine'' (often abbreviated to ''Beyond Race'' or ''BRM'') is a quarterly magazine based in New York City, founded in 2005 by David Terra, and dedicated to "groundbreaking music and culture". The first issue of ''Beyond Race'' w ...

'' magazine's "50 Emerging Artists". In 2015, Blitz received the

for Creative Promise in Contemporary Music. In 2011, he released "Feelin' High" with the French singer Ben Mazue, and in 2012, he was featured on the album ''Tetra'' by the French electronic crew

C2C Trenitalia c2c, trading as c2c, is a British train operating company that operates commuter services from its London terminus at to parts of East London and south Essex along the London, Tilbury and Southend line, as part of the Essex Thame ...

. Blitz has also frequently collaborated with Professor A.L.I. featuring on "Things Fall Apart" along with

Raekwon Corey Woods (born January 12, 1970), better known by his stage name Raekwon ( ), is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as a founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which achieved mainstream success following the release of the ...

in 2011, on the remix "Things Still Fall Apart" in 2012, and on his song "The Mic Shall Inherit The Earth" off of the "XFactor" album in 2015. In 2016 he published his fourth studio album ''Diasporadical'' and the related short film ''Diasporadical Trilogia'', a triptych with installments set in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and

Salvador, Bahia Salvador () is a Municipalities of Brazil, Brazilian municipality and capital city of the Federative units of Brazil, state of Bahia. Situated in the Zona da Mata in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of Brazil, Salvador is recognize ...

In 2018, Blitz directed and wrote his debut film '' The Burial of Kojo'', which featured actors Ama K. Abebrese, Joseph Otsiman, Joyce Anima Misa Amoah and Cynthia Dankwa. The film was acquired by

Ava DuVernay Ava Marie DuVernay (; born August 24, 1972) is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer. She is a recipient of two Primetime Emmy Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, NAACP Image Awards, a British Academy Film Awards, ...

’s independent film studio Array for a theatrical and a

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

release, and premiered at the 2018 Urban World film festival in New York. It received nine nominations at the

15th Africa Movie Academy Awards The 2019 Africa Movie Academy Awards ceremony was held on Sunday 27 October 2019 at the Landmark Event Centre in Lagos, Nigeria. The ceremony recognized and honored excellence among directors, actors, and writers in the film industry. The awards ...

, winning for Best First Feature Film by a Director, and won the Grand Nile Prize at the

Luxor African Film Festival The Luxor African Film Festival (LAFF) is an annual film festival for African cinema in Luxor, Egypt. In October 2019 the Malmö Arab Film Festival recognized LAFF for having "made great strides and ecomeone of the most important festivals sp ...

. In 2019, Blitz was one of the directors featured in

visual album A visual album is a type of concept album in which the album is accompanied by a feature-length film or individual music videos for every song. Usually, the film, or "visuals", emphasize the album's overall theme and serve as the "visual vehicle" ...

'' The Lion King: The Gift'' and in the related

Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures is an American film Film production company, production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios (division), the Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. The st ...

's musical film ''

'', for which he was nominated for

Best Music Film The Grammy Award for Best Music Film is an annual accolade for performers, directors, and producers of quality videos or musical programs. It is presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony established in 1958 when it was called the Gramophone Aw ...

at the

63rd Annual Grammy Awards The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from September 1, 201 ...

. Blitz starred in the 2019

Whitney Biennial The Whitney Biennial is a biennial exhibition of contemporary American art organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. The event began as an annual exhibition in 1932; the first biennial was held in 1973. It is considered ...

curated by

Rujeko Hockley Rujeko Hockley is a New York–based US curator. Hockley is currently the Arnhold Associate Curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Life and education Born in Harare, Zimbabwe, Hockley relocated to Wa ...

and

Jane Panetta Jane Panetta is a New York City, New York-based curator and art historian. Panetta is currently an associate curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Career Curating Before working at the Whitney, Panetta spent five years in the Painting and ...

. Blitz is also a 2019 Senior

TED (conference) TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "Ideas Change Everything" (previously "Ideas Worth Sprea ...

Fellow, and founded the Africa Film Society, an organization focused on the preservation of classic African cinema. He was the recipient of one of the

Guggenheim Fellowships Guggenheim Fellowships are Grant (money), grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon Guggenheim, Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon indiv ...

for his influence of Ghana. In 2020, it was announced that Bazawule was set to direct ''The Color Purple'', a film adaptation of

Alice Walker Alice Malsenior Tallulah-Kate Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. In 1982, she became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which she was awa ...

's book of the same name and the

Broadway musical Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), many of the extant or closed Broadway venues use or used the spelling ''Theatr ...

produced by

Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954) is an American television presenter, talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show' ...

. Winfrey herself produced the film with

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...

, Scott Sanders and

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...

. The film starred

Fantasia Barrino Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor (born June 30, 1984), known professionally by her mononym Fantasia, is an American singer and actress. She rose to prominence in 2004 for her performance of the ''Porgy and Bess'' standard " Summertime" during th ...

Taraji P. Henson Taraji Penda Henson ( ; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. Her accolades include a Golden Globe Award, alongside nominations for an Academy Award, six Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. In 2016 and 2024, ''Time'' named Henson one of ...

Colman Domingo Colman Jason Domingo (born November 28, 1969) is an American actor, playwright, and director. Prominent Colman Domingo on screen and stage, on both screen and stage since the 2010s, Domingo has received List of awards and nominations received by ...

and

Danielle Brooks Danielle Brooks (born September 17, 1989) is an American actress. After studying drama at the Juilliard School she earned her breakthrough in television before expanding to theater and film. She has received a Grammy Award as well as nominations ...

. It was released in the United States on 25 December 2023 by

Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures is an American film studio and distribution arm of the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group division of Warner Bros., both of which are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex ...

. The film earned him nominations for the

Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Picture The Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Picture is one of the awards given to people working in the film industry by the Critics Choice Association at the annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards The Critics' Choice Awards (formerly known as the ...

and a Black Reel Award for Outstanding Director. Bazawule's first book, ''The Scent of Burnt Flowers'', was published on June 28, 2022. On 17 March 2022, it was announced that FX would produce a six-episode

miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...

based on the book, with Bazawule directing and producing as well as

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (; born July 15, 1986) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Black Manta in the superhero films ''Aquaman'' (2018) and '' Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom'' (2023), Bobby Seale in the Netflix historical legal d ...

starring. and ''Black Samurai''

Discography

Studio albums

*2009: ''Stereotype'' *2011: ''Native Sun'' *2014: ''Afropolitan Dreams'' *2016: ''Diasporadical''

Soundtrack albums

*2019: ''The Burial of Kojo''

EPs

*2004: ''Soul Rebel'' *2005: ''Double Consciousness'' *2009: ''StereoLive'' *2013: ''The Warm Up''

Filmography

Short film *2011: ''Native Sun'' *2016: ''Diasporadical Trilogia'' Feature film *2018: '' The Burial of Kojo'' *2020: ''

'' *2023: ''

The Color Purple ''The Color Purple'' is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker that won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction.Cherish the Day "Cherish the Day" is a song by English band Sade from their fourth studio album, ''Love Deluxe'' (1992). It was released as the album's fourth and final single in the United Kingdom on 19 July 1993. The music video was written and produced by ...

'' * TBA: ''The Scent of Burnt Flowers''

Awards and nominations

References

External links

*
Sam Blitz Bazawule - IMDb

Ghanaian rapper Blitz the Ambassador - PRI
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blitz The Ambassador 1982 births Living people Alumni of Achimota School Ghanaian film directors Ghanaian hip-hop musicians Ghanaian emigrants to the United States Kent State University alumni People from Accra