By BEATRICE MATERU

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It’s been 20 years since the release of Ni Raha Tu, by Tanzanian rapper Ambwene Yessayah, aka AY, then just 17 years old. Today, he is a respected musician in the region and on the continent, with several awards and nominations under his belt.

AY is one of the first Bongo Flava artistes to commercialise Tanzanian hip hop hence the nickname "Mzee wa Commercial".

“Back in the day P Funk only charged Tsh8,000 ($3.5) to produce a song, which my mother gave me,” AY said at an interview in Dar es Salaam.

P Funk, real name Paul Matthysse, is the founder and owner of Bongo Records.

“Fifteen years ago many did not see Bongo Flava (Tanzanian hip hop) as a commercial commodity that could be put out there in the market,” AY said. For many, music was more of a hobby than a business.

After the success of Ni Raha Tu, AY joined the East Coast team featuring King Crazy GK, Mwana FA, Pauline Zongo, Buff G, Snare, OTEN and Iman Abbas. One of their hits was Ama zangu ama zao, featuring Lady Jaydee. When East Coast disbanded in 2005, AY went solo.

He won the Tanzania Music Awards for best Hip Hop single and collaboration of the year in 2007 and 2008. In 2012, he became the first Tanzanian to win the Channel O Award for Best East African artiste.

“What stands out for me in the past 20 years is seeing the industry go international and hip hop more commercial than a hobby and production of good quality music videos,” he said.

“We are not at the peak yet, but we are on the right path. Now that there is talent and zeal, we are on the path to where we will have only one African music industry. I am seeing it taking shape. It is the vision I've had for about 10 years now,” he said.

His recently released single titled, Dan’hela is about money. To mark two decades in music, AY plans to start community projects as his way of giving back.