Saleh J
Encyclopedia
Saleh J, prominent Tanzanian hip hop
pioneer, was born in Dar es Salaam
as Saleh Jaber.
Heavily influenced by the early 1980s rap artists such as LL Cool J
and Big Daddy Kane
, Jaber began to go by the name of Saleh J. He gained popularity after competing in the popular Tanzanian rap battle TV show, Yo Rap Bonanza. After winning this competition, Saleh J came out with an album which he says was "done in one day and just hours at continental hotel" and was just "distributed to all Indian shop owners." In 1992, Saleh J came out with what is considered his most commercially successful hit -- "Ice Ice Baby - King of Swahili Rap" by putting Swahili lyrics to the tune and rhythm of Vanilla Ice
's 1990s hit "Ice Ice Baby
".
He left the country of Tanzania
soon after to relocate in the United Arab Emirates
and by 2003 he had moved to the United Kingdom
, where he currently resides.
As Saleh J gained popularity and fame within the young Tanzanian population, he began to compete against other popular Swahili
hip hop artists such as Eazy-B and Nigga One. These associations opened many doors for Saleh J, as both these rappers had relationships with a prominent competition in Tanzania, Yo Rap Bonanza, an annual rap battle contest organized and sponsored by local Indian vendors in the marketplace of Dar es Salaam. The YRB contest was not only especially helpful to Saleh J, but also to other Tanzanian hip hop artists, as it included artists from outside the Dar es Salaam
region. This integration of other towns and people signified the spread of the hip hop movement throughout Tanzania, indicating a successful career for Saleh J.
Most rappers would rap in English; however, Saleh J was considered innovative as he created a new style by translating the English rhythms into a rough form of Swahili
.
As Saleh J was successful in the late 1980s to early 1990s, today he is considered to be "old school" by many Tanzanian hip hop followers, just as Run DMC is considered old school by young American hip hop fans. Today, many new hip hop artists are known to have been inspired by the early Tanzanian hip hop artists who dared to create a new genre of music, Saleh J being one of the most influential artists in Tanzania. Among the popular Tanzanian hip hop artists today are Professor Jay, Juma Nature, Fid Q, and internationally X Plastaz.
Tanzanian hip hop
The widest form of Tanzanian Hip-hop music is known as Bongo Flava. Bongo Flava encompasses a large variety of different sounds, but it is particularly known for heavy synth riffs and an incorporation of Tanzanian pop...
pioneer, was born in Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
as Saleh Jaber.
Heavily influenced by the early 1980s rap artists such as LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
and Big Daddy Kane
Big Daddy Kane
Antonio Hardy better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MC's in Hip Hop...
, Jaber began to go by the name of Saleh J. He gained popularity after competing in the popular Tanzanian rap battle TV show, Yo Rap Bonanza. After winning this competition, Saleh J came out with an album which he says was "done in one day and just hours at continental hotel" and was just "distributed to all Indian shop owners." In 1992, Saleh J came out with what is considered his most commercially successful hit -- "Ice Ice Baby - King of Swahili Rap" by putting Swahili lyrics to the tune and rhythm of Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
's 1990s hit "Ice Ice Baby
Ice Ice Baby
"Ice Ice Baby" is a hip hop song written by American rapper Vanilla Ice and DJ Earthquake. The song samples the bassline of "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie, who did not initially receive songwriting credit or royalties until after it had become a hit...
".
He left the country of Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
soon after to relocate in the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
and by 2003 he had moved to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where he currently resides.
As Saleh J gained popularity and fame within the young Tanzanian population, he began to compete against other popular Swahili
Swahili people
The Swahili people are a Bantu ethnic group and culture found in East Africa, mainly in the coastal regions and the islands of Kenya, Tanzania and north Mozambique. According to JoshuaProject, the Swahili number in at around 1,328,000. The name Swahili is derived from the Arabic word Sawahil,...
hip hop artists such as Eazy-B and Nigga One. These associations opened many doors for Saleh J, as both these rappers had relationships with a prominent competition in Tanzania, Yo Rap Bonanza, an annual rap battle contest organized and sponsored by local Indian vendors in the marketplace of Dar es Salaam. The YRB contest was not only especially helpful to Saleh J, but also to other Tanzanian hip hop artists, as it included artists from outside the Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
region. This integration of other towns and people signified the spread of the hip hop movement throughout Tanzania, indicating a successful career for Saleh J.
Most rappers would rap in English; however, Saleh J was considered innovative as he created a new style by translating the English rhythms into a rough form of 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...
.
As Saleh J was successful in the late 1980s to early 1990s, today he is considered to be "old school" by many Tanzanian hip hop followers, just as Run DMC is considered old school by young American hip hop fans. Today, many new hip hop artists are known to have been inspired by the early Tanzanian hip hop artists who dared to create a new genre of music, Saleh J being one of the most influential artists in Tanzania. Among the popular Tanzanian hip hop artists today are Professor Jay, Juma Nature, Fid Q, and internationally X Plastaz.