Sunny Boy
Encyclopedia
Sunday Shipushu well known as Sunny Boy is a Namibia
n 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. He increased his buzz with his hit single "Balance" in 2005 when he signed with Mshasho Productions
.
He is known for his socially conscious lyrics, story telling abilities and a complex flow. He has to date released three albums from which he gained critical acclaim as a lyricist. He plans to release his forth album in 2011. Sunny runs his own record label Yaziza Entertainment
. He is the former Ambassador
of the Namibia
Red Cross Society
's for the youth.
, a town in northern Namibia
, and grow up in Ongwediva
. Since he was a small boy, he has always wanted to make music that touches people's hearts. He used to sing and dance at school concerts. While at primary school, he and three other friends formed a dancing group called The Converse Boys, and with their kwaito
inspired moves, they entertained fellow students at social events. Even then, they dreamed of one day making it big in the music industry. However that dream was cut short by the untimely death of one of their group members.
, Sunny befriended The Dogg
, a fellow student and up-coming artist at the time who then introduced him to Gazza
. Gazza was impressed when he heard him Sunny rap
on a hip hop
track. Gazza then decided to do a collaboration with him on a song "Koko". The song became a huge hit in Namibia
and through that Sunny Boy started to hang out with The Dogg and Gazza. He would travel with them for performance. After Gazza launched his record label, Gazza Music Productions
he immediately offered Sunny Boy a record deal. Sunny Boy refused the deal to sign with The Dogg's Mshasho Productions
. An act that latter became the centre point of the conflict between Gazza and The Dogg.
Before he had a single, he would tour with The Dogg and Gazza to variouse towns as a back up artist. His first single "Ballance" brought a new vibe to the Namibian kwaito, with multiple of language use, the song became a huge hit. With its lay back beat, Sunny proved that kwaito is not only about singing and repeating words. He approached the song in a hip hop fashion with multiple catchy rhymes. The song was produced by DJ Kboz. Sunny called the style he used on "Balance" Hikwa which he describe as a fusion of hip hop
and kwaito
. This style would later become popular among Namibian hip hop and kwaito artist.
, through Mshasho Productions
, in December, 2005. The album was very successful with hits songs such as "Balance", "Serious" and "Oshaikengaho". Around the same time, he was featured on The Dogg's Channel O Music Video Awards
winning song "Baby Don't Go". Production on the album was handled mainly by The Dogg, Elvo and DJ Kboz. Guest features includes The Dogg, Chipolopolo, Luvy, TeQuila and Kboz. The album was well received making it one of the best albums to be released under Mshasho Records. It was well crafted with lyrical structure which focus mostly on feel good and party themes. The song "Serious" is a motivational song. Videos were released for "Balance" and "Serious".
The song "Best of Both Worlds" performed by Faizel MC featuring The Dogg and Sunny Boy was added to the album as a bonus track.
His lyrical ability on the other hand placed him above all, and has influenced a lot of upcoming artists at the time, including Qonja
. Qonja would later pay homage to Sunny with the Afrikaans
line; "ek spit, ek spit soos Sunny"; translated "I spit - I spit like Sunny" from his hit sing "Koek n Jan". The two would later collaborated on "Fashion" from Qonja's Mdakadaka
and "Yamkwanekamba" from Sunny's The Sleeping Giant
.
). After financial issues and disappointments from his former manager Isak Nyambali, Sunny felt it was better to establish his own record label and be his own boss. An agreement was reached between him and The Dogg to revise his contract. He established GreenHouse Entertainment in 2006 (renamed; Yaziza Entertainment in 2008) which brought into the industry more of his hikwa style.
Upon its creation Sunny immediately started working on his second album, Elai Lineendunge
. The album was released in December 2006 under GreenHouse Entertainment. The album is more darker than his first, and feature more of his hikwa style music. It was approached with a different style from his last release. While Young, Black en Gifted
focused more on feel good and party music, Elai Lineendunge focused more on story telling and wordplay. The album showcased Sunny Boy's lyrical ability distinguishing him from his colleagues in the industry.
The album feature guest appearance from The Dogg, OmPuff
, Chipolopo, Tequila, and Kamasutra. While production was handled by The Dogg, Elvo and Morgan.
The album holds the record of being the only, in Namibia to be nominated more than five times for seven categories at the 2007 Sanlam-NBC Music Awards. The Video of the album's most successful song "Summertime" was nominated for the 2008 Channel O Music Video Awards
.
award after The Dogg and Gazza
. He was nominated in August 2008 in the category of "best kwaito video" where he competed with South Africa's Kabelo
, Arthur
, Big Nuz and Namibia
's The Dogg.
Sunny Boy released his third studio album, The Sleeping Giant
in December 2008. The first single "Oseike Naave" was released in October, and debuted at number one on various local radio stations. The album features Production from Elvo, The Dogg, Kboz, and Morgan among others, and appearance by TeQuila, Jericho, Hedek, Qonja
Luvy, Chipolopolo and Tre Van Die Kasie
. The album scooped hits such as "Touch Me Tease Me" which features Lady May and "Heat It Up" which won song of the year at the 2009 Sanlam-NBC Music Awards.
hit song "Koko" in 2004, which developed the duo into a good relationship. He refused to sign to Gazza's G.M.P. Records
. He then signed with The Dogg's Mshasho label same months later. Gazza explain the refusal as unfair and labelled Sunny a betrayal. Because he brought him into the game. As a protégé of The Dogg and member of the Mshasho label, Sunny Boy got more and more involved in the beef between The Dogg and Gazza, ironically known as "Mshasho vs. G.M.P.". He also exchanged verses with Gazza. He challenged Gazza on many of his songs. In 2008 he released a hip hop track titled "Intro" off his third album, were he called Gazza out. The song "Oyetu" also diss Gazza indirecetly. In 2009, Gazza's crew StreetKids dissed Sunny on their song "Who's Fooling Who". Sunny replied through Chipolopolo's single titled "Mr She-Me" in which they make fun of Gazza and his girlfriend. The title of the song is also a mock of Gazza's surname Shiimi.
and kwaito
to create a sound he calls hikwa. Hikwa is compused of elemnts of both genres, although vocally it reflects more into hip hop.
Sunny Boy's music is heavily influenced by hip hop
. He named American
rappers The Notorious B.I.G.
, Tupac Shakur
, Jay-Z
and Nas
as one of his main influences. His voice and rhyme delivery is compared to that of New York
rapper Nas
.
Through his work, Sunny Boy has become renowned for his artistic and musical abilities. He's blessed with a combination of song writing skills and talent, and the raw energy he brings to the microphone and thought-provoking and socially conscious lyrics that have earned him respect amongst his peers as a lyrical artist.
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 rapper from Ongwediva
Ongwediva
Ongwediva is a town in the Oshana Region in the north of Namibia. It is the district capital of the Ongwediva electoral constituency. it had 27,000 inhabitants and covered 4,102 hectares of land. Ongwediva has seven churches, two private schools and 13 government-run schools...
. Sunny Boy performs a brand of music known as hikwa, which he engineered by fusing 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...
and 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,...
. He rose to fame after collaborating with 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...
on his song "Koko" in 2004. He increased his buzz with his hit single "Balance" in 2005 when he signed with 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...
.
He is known for his socially conscious lyrics, story telling abilities and a complex flow. He has to date released three albums from which he gained critical acclaim as a lyricist. He plans to release his forth album in 2011. Sunny runs his own record label Yaziza Entertainment
Yaziza Entertainment
Yaziza Entertainment is an Namibian record label founded by Namibian rapper Sunny Boy in 2006....
. He is the former Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
of the 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...
Red Cross Society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
's for the youth.
Early life
Sunday was born in OshakatiOshakati
Oshakati is a town of 30,000 inhabitants in the Oshana Region of Namibia. It is the regional capital and was officially founded in July 1966. The city was used as a base of operations by the South African Defence Force during the South African Border War and Namibian War of Independence...
, a town in northern Namibia
Ovamboland
Ovamboland was the name given by English-speaking visitors to the land occupied by the Ovambo people in what is now northern Namibia and southern Angola...
, and grow up in Ongwediva
Ongwediva
Ongwediva is a town in the Oshana Region in the north of Namibia. It is the district capital of the Ongwediva electoral constituency. it had 27,000 inhabitants and covered 4,102 hectares of land. Ongwediva has seven churches, two private schools and 13 government-run schools...
. Since he was a small boy, he has always wanted to make music that touches people's hearts. He used to sing and dance at school concerts. While at primary school, he and three other friends formed a dancing group called The Converse Boys, and with their 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,...
inspired moves, they entertained fellow students at social events. Even then, they dreamed of one day making it big in the music industry. However that dream was cut short by the untimely death of one of their group members.
Early career
While a student at the University of NamibiaUniversity of Namibia
The University of Namibia is the national university of Namibia, located in the Pioneers Park district of Windhoek. Established by an act of National Assembly on 31 August 1992, UNAM includes Colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Economics & Management Science Education, Humanities and...
, Sunny befriended 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...
, a fellow student and up-coming artist at the time who then introduced him to 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...
. Gazza was impressed when he heard him Sunny rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
on a 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...
track. Gazza then decided to do a collaboration with him on a song "Koko". The song became a huge hit in 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...
and through that Sunny Boy started to hang out with The Dogg and Gazza. He would travel with them for performance. After Gazza launched his record label, Gazza Music Productions
Gazza Music Productions
Gazza Music Productions, also referred to as GMP Records, simply known as G.M.P., is an Namibian music production label founded by Gazza in 2004. GMP is one of the most successful music labels in Namibia....
he immediately offered Sunny Boy a record deal. Sunny Boy refused the deal to sign with The Dogg's 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...
. An act that latter became the centre point of the conflict between Gazza and The Dogg.
Before he had a single, he would tour with The Dogg and Gazza to variouse towns as a back up artist. His first single "Ballance" brought a new vibe to the Namibian kwaito, with multiple of language use, the song became a huge hit. With its lay back beat, Sunny proved that kwaito is not only about singing and repeating words. He approached the song in a hip hop fashion with multiple catchy rhymes. The song was produced by DJ Kboz. Sunny called the style he used on "Balance" Hikwa which he describe as a fusion of 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...
and 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,...
. This style would later become popular among Namibian hip hop and kwaito artist.
(2005) Young, Black en Gifted
Sunny Boy released his much anticipated debut album, Young, Black en GiftedYoung, Black en Gifted
Young, Black en Gifted, commonly referred to as Y.B.G., is Sunny Boy's debut album, released in December 2005 after Sunny was signed to Mshasho Records in 2004. Young, Black en Gifted boosted Sunny's commercial popularity, thus making him a common household name among mainstream music fans. The...
, through 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 December, 2005. The album was very successful with hits songs such as "Balance", "Serious" and "Oshaikengaho". Around the same time, he was featured on The Dogg's Channel O Music Video Awards
Channel O Music Video Awards
Channel O Music Video Awards, also known as Spirit of Africa Music Video Awards are Pan-African music awards organised by South Africa -based Channel O television channel. The awards were first held in 2003 under the name Reel Music Video Awards. Since 2005 the awards have been held annually...
winning song "Baby Don't Go". Production on the album was handled mainly by The Dogg, Elvo and DJ Kboz. Guest features includes The Dogg, Chipolopolo, Luvy, TeQuila and Kboz. The album was well received making it one of the best albums to be released under Mshasho Records. It was well crafted with lyrical structure which focus mostly on feel good and party themes. The song "Serious" is a motivational song. Videos were released for "Balance" and "Serious".
The song "Best of Both Worlds" performed by Faizel MC featuring The Dogg and Sunny Boy was added to the album as a bonus track.
His lyrical ability on the other hand placed him above all, and has influenced a lot of upcoming artists at the time, including Qonja
Qonja
Tukonjela Haiyambo Ngodji , better know by his stage name as Qonja is a Namibian kwaito star and rapper. He rose to fame following his hit songs 54321 and Koek n Jam which he recorded with his friend Mappz. His work has been admired and praised by Namibia's top kwaito artists such as The Dogg,...
. Qonja would later pay homage to Sunny with the 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...
line; "ek spit, ek spit soos Sunny"; translated "I spit - I spit like Sunny" from his hit sing "Koek n Jan". The two would later collaborated on "Fashion" from Qonja's Mdakadaka
Mdakadaka
Mdakadaka is the second studio album by Namibian musician Qonja. It was released on Lowkey Records in December 2008. The first single The Good Life, became a big come back hit for Qonja prior to the album's release. The album features production from Namibia's biggest producers like Fredro, Elvo,...
and "Yamkwanekamba" from Sunny's The Sleeping Giant
The Sleeping Giant
The Sleeping Giant is the third studio album by Namibian rapper Sunny Boy. It was released on Sunny's new label Yaziza Entertainment in December 2008. The album features production from Namibia's top producers such as Elvo, The Dogg, Kboz, Morgan, and B-Phill...
.
(2006) Departing from Mshasho - Elai Lineendunge
In September 2006, Sunny Boy left Mshasho Records, and launched his own record label, GreenHouse Entertainment (now Yaziza EntertainmentYaziza Entertainment
Yaziza Entertainment is an Namibian record label founded by Namibian rapper Sunny Boy in 2006....
). After financial issues and disappointments from his former manager Isak Nyambali, Sunny felt it was better to establish his own record label and be his own boss. An agreement was reached between him and The Dogg to revise his contract. He established GreenHouse Entertainment in 2006 (renamed; Yaziza Entertainment in 2008) which brought into the industry more of his hikwa style.
Upon its creation Sunny immediately started working on his second 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...
. The album was released in December 2006 under GreenHouse Entertainment. The album is more darker than his first, and feature more of his hikwa style music. It was approached with a different style from his last release. While Young, Black en Gifted
Young, Black en Gifted
Young, Black en Gifted, commonly referred to as Y.B.G., is Sunny Boy's debut album, released in December 2005 after Sunny was signed to Mshasho Records in 2004. Young, Black en Gifted boosted Sunny's commercial popularity, thus making him a common household name among mainstream music fans. The...
focused more on feel good and party music, Elai Lineendunge focused more on story telling and wordplay. The album showcased Sunny Boy's lyrical ability distinguishing him from his colleagues in the industry.
The album feature guest appearance from The Dogg, OmPuff
OmPuff (kwaito)
Belmiro Hosi better known by his stage name as OmPuff is an Angolan-Namibian 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...
, Chipolopo, Tequila, and Kamasutra. While production was handled by The Dogg, Elvo and Morgan.
The album holds the record of being the only, in Namibia to be nominated more than five times for seven categories at the 2007 Sanlam-NBC Music Awards. The Video of the album's most successful song "Summertime" was nominated for the 2008 Channel O Music Video Awards
Channel O Music Video Awards
Channel O Music Video Awards, also known as Spirit of Africa Music Video Awards are Pan-African music awards organised by South Africa -based Channel O television channel. The awards were first held in 2003 under the name Reel Music Video Awards. Since 2005 the awards have been held annually...
.
(2008) Channel-O nomination - The Sleeping Giant
Sunny Boy became the third Namibian kwaito artist to be nominated for a Channel-OChannel O
Channel O is a South African-based music channel which first started transmission in the early nineties. Its main concept is African music in Africa and the diaspora. Over the years, this music channel has made household names of its presenters such as Mimi, Nonhle, KB, Miss Candy.Channel O can be...
award after The Dogg and 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...
. He was nominated in August 2008 in the category of "best kwaito video" where he competed with South Africa's Kabelo
Kabelo Mabalane
Kabelo Mabalane known by his stage name as Kabelo or Bouga Luv is a South African kwaito musician, songwriter and actor. He was a member of the kwaito trio TKZee...
, Arthur
Arthur Mafokate
Arthur Mafokate is a South African kwaito musician and producer. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of the Kwaito music genre.- Early life :...
, Big Nuz and 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...
's The Dogg.
Sunny Boy released his third studio album, The Sleeping Giant
The Sleeping Giant
The Sleeping Giant is the third studio album by Namibian rapper Sunny Boy. It was released on Sunny's new label Yaziza Entertainment in December 2008. The album features production from Namibia's top producers such as Elvo, The Dogg, Kboz, Morgan, and B-Phill...
in December 2008. The first single "Oseike Naave" was released in October, and debuted at number one on various local radio stations. The album features Production from Elvo, The Dogg, Kboz, and Morgan among others, and appearance by TeQuila, Jericho, Hedek, Qonja
Qonja
Tukonjela Haiyambo Ngodji , better know by his stage name as Qonja is a Namibian kwaito star and rapper. He rose to fame following his hit songs 54321 and Koek n Jam which he recorded with his friend Mappz. His work has been admired and praised by Namibia's top kwaito artists such as The Dogg,...
Luvy, Chipolopolo and Tre Van Die Kasie
Tre Van Die Kasie
Tretius Kauhangengo , better known as Tre Van Die Kasie, most commonly referred to as Tre is a Namibian kwaito musician and rapper. Tre rose to fame after signing with Mshasho Productions in 2005. He is the half brother of fellow kwaito musician, Kavax.-Biography:Tre was born and raised in Omaruru...
. The album scooped hits such as "Touch Me Tease Me" which features Lady May and "Heat It Up" which won song of the year at the 2009 Sanlam-NBC Music Awards.
Y.B.G.
Y.B.G. (Young, Black and Gifted) was a kwaito group that consisted of Sunny Boy, TeQuila, Chipolopolo, Kamasutra and Richie Rich. Sunny Boy was the head of the group, and while signed with Mshasho his aim was to create a label and manage his group. Mshasho being a big label the group tied itself to the label and Sunny lost control of the group. Sunny than left Mshasho and create GreenHouse Entertainment, now Yaziza Entertainment, with hopes of getting his group to sign solo contracts. Due to unknown circumstances the group no longer exist and GreenHouse only have three original group members, Sunny, Chipo and Kama. The group has appeared on several songs together.Controversies with Gazza
Sunny Boy was first heard on Gazza'sGazza (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...
hit song "Koko" in 2004, which developed the duo into a good relationship. He refused to sign to Gazza's G.M.P. Records
Gazza Music Productions
Gazza Music Productions, also referred to as GMP Records, simply known as G.M.P., is an Namibian music production label founded by Gazza in 2004. GMP is one of the most successful music labels in Namibia....
. He then signed with The Dogg's Mshasho label same months later. Gazza explain the refusal as unfair and labelled Sunny a betrayal. Because he brought him into the game. As a protégé of The Dogg and member of the Mshasho label, Sunny Boy got more and more involved in the beef between The Dogg and Gazza, ironically known as "Mshasho vs. G.M.P.". He also exchanged verses with Gazza. He challenged Gazza on many of his songs. In 2008 he released a hip hop track titled "Intro" off his third album, were he called Gazza out. The song "Oyetu" also diss Gazza indirecetly. In 2009, Gazza's crew StreetKids dissed Sunny on their song "Who's Fooling Who". Sunny replied through Chipolopolo's single titled "Mr She-Me" in which they make fun of Gazza and his girlfriend. The title of the song is also a mock of Gazza's surname Shiimi.
Musical style
Sunny Boy fused hip hop musicHip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and 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,...
to create a sound he calls hikwa. Hikwa is compused of elemnts of both genres, although vocally it reflects more into hip hop.
Sunny Boy's music is heavily influenced by 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...
. He named American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rappers The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
, Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
, Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
and Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
as one of his main influences. His voice and rhyme delivery is compared to that of New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
rapper Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
.
Through his work, Sunny Boy has become renowned for his artistic and musical abilities. He's blessed with a combination of song writing skills and talent, and the raw energy he brings to the microphone and thought-provoking and socially conscious lyrics that have earned him respect amongst his peers as a lyrical artist.
studio albums
- Young, Black en GiftedYoung, Black en GiftedYoung, Black en Gifted, commonly referred to as Y.B.G., is Sunny Boy's debut album, released in December 2005 after Sunny was signed to Mshasho Records in 2004. Young, Black en Gifted boosted Sunny's commercial popularity, thus making him a common household name among mainstream music fans. The...
, (2005), (Mshasho) - Elai LineendungeElai LineendungeElai 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...
, (2006), (GreenHouzeYaziza EntertainmentYaziza Entertainment is an Namibian record label founded by Namibian rapper Sunny Boy in 2006....
) - The Sleeping GiantThe Sleeping GiantThe Sleeping Giant is the third studio album by Namibian rapper Sunny Boy. It was released on Sunny's new label Yaziza Entertainment in December 2008. The album features production from Namibia's top producers such as Elvo, The Dogg, Kboz, Morgan, and B-Phill...
, (2008), (YazizaYaziza EntertainmentYaziza Entertainment is an Namibian record label founded by Namibian rapper Sunny Boy in 2006....
) - Business and Pleasure, (TBA), (Yaziza)