Rah P - East African Hip Hop First Lady

A cigarrette once almost brought her trouble at the entrance of club silk.This after a confrotation with an obsessed fan that wanted to share the “stick”with her.She's much light skinned,dons a baby face yet with such stern looks between her dark brown eyes. Meet eastafrican hiphop's First lady Rah p.
Born in Mwanza-Tanzania nineteen(19) years ago on 28.june 1986, rah p grew up loving hiphop music. Blame this on MC Lyte and Queen Pen that she grew up listening to and watching. “I remember rehearsing my rhymes infront of the mirror. My mother once found me in action and burst out crying. This was in 1995 and that's when she knew that i had always been serious with hiphop music”says the form 6 MEG(mathematics,Economics and goegraphy) student.Rah p apparently attends St.Lawrence london college school. “my parents always wanted me to attain quality education and that's why they took ages to accept my musical side.”However rap music hasnot brought her any trouble at school so far. “i respect my teachers and they respect me back.I try to lead as normal a life asany other ordinary student and that's why even my peers respect me.”
Back in Mwanza where she was “germinating” she landed a radio presentation slot at Kiss 89.8fm where she did host the AFRICAN BEAT show.

However her first confrotation with a recording studio mic' came in January 2004. “I just walked into Bongo records (dar-salam) where i spoke to the resident producer P-funk about what i could do. He offered me the opportunity and was impressed.And that's how my first record HAYA-KUSU was born” explains the rapper whose star sign is cancer .

In december of that same year(2004) Rah P completed the video for her first record. Adam Gile and a one Anua from 2 eyes production directed the escapede. The video featured Tanzanian Big brother africa representative Mwisho Mwampamba, which fact had rumours doing rounds around eastafrica that the two were dating and yet mwisho wasseeing Ray-c at the time. “We are just close buddies and RayC knew this too well plus she didn't find a problem with this-this wasonly idle rumour circulating.”Rah chips in.(Ray-c and Mwisho are now married). Haya kusu continued to make rounds around eastafrican radio stations like the regional Eastafrica radio,Sanyu fm and Clouds fm in Dar salam.It's highlight came when it settled on eastafrica television's highly competitive number one spot for a fortnight.She also continued to perfom in Shinyanga,mwanza,Arusha and Dar salam plus at numerous Hiv/Aids concerts back home.

The T-shirt and jeans, flat shoe fanatic artist is apparently working on her ten track album to be ready by march 2006.With five(5) tracks already complete Rah has employed tactics being pursued by many of today's best eastafrican artists. Different producers has Rah p employed on her latest project. Haya kusu was produced P-funk, Ma fans Ssteve Jean, Boys (original and remix) by Uncle Deno From No-endentertainment and Loony love by David Mukalazi from maestro sounds. It also features Nairobi 's Nazizi and Dar's Professor j, Ngwaire,Fid-Q and Daz Baba. “My music is all about society.I sing about what goes on around me daily” goes p with hands swinging in the air.She plans to embark on an eastafrican tour once her album is done early next year and still hopes to work with Eve(Ruff ryders first lady) becauseshe respects her music and capabilities.

Rah P, the girl rapper

Some may say she’s lucky but I think she’s very hardworking and gifted. Rah P has had the rare opportunity of being produced by two East African studio icons, P-Funk, the famous initiator of Bongo Flavas and Steve Jean, Uganda’s contemporary music maestro.
She has the aggressiveness on stage that helps her to assert herself as a hardcore female artist in a predominantly male game and had one of the most vividly remembered acts at the second annual Hip-hop summit on October 23rd 2004.

From what we have heard, P-Funk, like Steve Jean, doesn’t produce anyone because they have the dough to pay for studio time. She did a demonstration for him and he took her on, and that was when she came through with her debut track, ‘Hayakuhusu’ (don’t ask me what that means, my Swahili stinks!). Meanwhile, you can click here to listen to 'Mafanz' (dedicated to her fans) produced by Steve Jean.
So anyhow, Rah P, who is Tanzanian, has been in and out of Uganda for 8 years or so and can understand Luganda, and probably speak it.. She goes to school here in Uganda and this gave her the opportunity to hook up with Steve Jean who graced her music with his skillful fingers on the boards to produce her second track.
She also at times features at the Utake night at Steak Out on Lumumba Avenue where she does freestyles on the microphone. The Utake night features the latest Bongo Flavas from Tanzania and the hottest Ogopa and Genge music from Kenya every last Saturday of the month. Usually, the night is manned by Dj Bush Baby from East Africa Radio and at times Amo Blaze or Rico in the Dj Booth and Rah fits in well there.
When she’s in town, she also makes it a point to pay homage to the Uganda Hip-hop foundation on Tuesday nights, Sabrina’s Pub. The fact that Swahili is catching on well in Uganda these days is an added advantage to her.
Keep watching this space for a Rah P exclusive. We’ll find out how she got the name ‘Rah P’ and how she views the Uganda music scene.