MAASAI HIP HOP - FIRST ALBUM BY X PLASTAZ NOW AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE Released by OutHere records, Germany, August 16, 2004 (OH 002) Only little music has found its way out of East Africa in the past years. Almost unnoticed from the rest of the world a new generation of musicians has created its own style. Their mix of hip hop with local melodies and Swahili lyrics, sometimes called Bongo Flava, has quickly become East Africa's number one selling pop music, rocking the airwaves through newly formed private radiostations in and around Tanzania. X Plastaz and their album Maasai hip hop set out to introduce their version of this new Tanzanian sound to the rest of the world. X Plastaz have taken the Bronx invented hip hop culture into their homes in Arusha ('A-Town'), a city in northern Tanzania. They have created a unique style that brings together local Maasai a cappella chants with rapping in Swahili and Haya languages. Although the Maasai people have become an internationally known symbol of rural lifestyle, in Tanzania they are often seen as backward and not fitting into modern urban society. X Plastaz proved that Tanzania's cultural heritage can be meaningful beyond the village level. Today X Plastaz is one of the big names on the Tanzanian hip hop scene. The group consists of three grown-up emcees, a rapping boy and girl and a Maasai singer. Having grown up in a poor area of Arusha town they talk about what it means to be young and African, looking for a perspective in a globalised world. The song Ushanta ('day job') tells the story of a man who tries everything to get by, from driving a minibus to preaching to mugging. Msimu kwa msimu ('season to season') adresses the topic of true and false friends who "are there as long as the sun is shining, but will drop you when times are rough". In Aha, X Plastaz rhyme about their relationship to Maasai culture: "...we would make fire under a tree, consuming meat and milk in the traditional way... Please don't laugh, even if it's funny." In Nini dhambi kwa mwenye dhiki?: "...when we die, on the day of judgement give us the chance to regret, because we know that we act evil, we use every possible method: magic, crime, anything so that we can get food and clothing… What's the crime of the poor, what's wrong, what is right..." X Plastaz are: Ruff-Nell (Nelson Buchard), Gsan (Godson Rutta), Ziggy-Lah (Abdalla Minja), Merege (Yamat ole Meibuko), Dineh (Diana Rutta), Steve (Steve Rutta)  AN EXCERPT FROM THE LINER NOTES From the steaming hip hop clubs in the 1970's Bronx, New York to the volcanic plains of the Rift Valley in today's northern Tanzania: it may seem a long distance for a cultural expression to travel. But X Plastaz have taken the Bronx invented hip hop culture into their homes in Arusha town and the Maasai village of Eluwai. While to Europeans the concept of modern rap fused with traditional music might sound promising, in Tanzania the merger of the two still has not been widely adopted. In the early years of Tanzanian hip hop, local artists were heavily influenced by American rappers, but gradually the Tanzanian scene developed its own unique sound. X Plastaz started out with American east coast hip hop, but have also been listening to Jamaican dancehall, Indian film music and most importantly to traditional Tanzanian music. Within the Tanzanian hip hop scene they have taken the influence of local traditions further than anyone else. Today they mix traditional Maasai a cappella chants, common in their home region of Arusha, with rapping in Swahili and Haya languages. Although the Maasai people have become an internationally known symbol of rural lifestyle, in Tanzania they are often seen as backward and not fitting into modern urban society. Their cultural pride and lack of experience with city life are the subject of many jokes. For a traditionally dressed, village-dwelling Maasai warrior to be a member of a rap group was weird to many people. X Plastaz proved that Tanzania's cultural heritage could be meaningful beyond the village level. The tracklist Click the speaker button next to each song to hear an mp3 sample (30 seconds): 1. Dunia dudumizi   2. Msimu kwa msimu   3. Wachaga piga chata   4. Ushanta   5. Kutesa kwa zamu   6. Aha!   7. Kusanyikeni   8. Haleluya   9. Not ready (feat. Ommy & Hashim Dogo)   10. Bamiza   11. Kitita (feat. Hashim Dogo)   12. Shika lako   13. Nini dhambi kwa mwenye dhiki   How to buy We received many e-mails from people wanting to buy the new X Plastaz cd, asking what is the best store to order from. At this moment you can buy the album at different spots in Europe and America, or order it trough the internet: USA Distributor Forced Exposure has started to stock the Maasai hip hop album! Check out this page to order directly. If you're in America, this works out cheaper than ordering from abroad because of shipping costs and the rate of the dollar! Check out this page to order directly. Germany In Germany, the album is available or can be ordered at most music stores. The distributor is Hausmusik/Indigo. If you speak German and want to order through the web, use one of the following links: Amazon.de Hausmusik.com Austria In Austria, the cd should be available for orders in stores. You can also place online orders with Soul Seduction store (English language website). Holland/Belgium In Holland and Belgium, distribution started in October through XMD (Xango). You can buy or order the cd from most specialized music stores. Xango also has a store in Utrecht, and you can order the cd directly from their website (in English). Fat Beats, the famous hip hop store in Amsterdam, also sells the cd (not through their website though). UK In UK, Stern's Music in London distributes the album and you can buy it in their store. They also have a very good and reliable web store, click here to go directly to the Maasai Hip Hop order page. Other countries (worldwide) We'll add distribution news as soon as we get it. Meanwhile you can easily order the cd from these web stores: Sterns Music in London (UK): www.sternsmusic.com and Xango in Holland: www.xangomusic.com Still not sure where to buy a copy? Mail us!