When you mention the top artists dominating the East African Music scene, Diamond Platnumz is sure to pop up on that list.
Just Like Nigeria has artists like Wizkid, Davido and Burna Boy as its leading artists, Diamond Platnumz is the vanguard for the TanzaniaMusic industry. genius
Diamond fuses hip-hop, reggae, R&B, Afro-beat, dancehall, and African traditions such as Taarab and Dansi into a dance-ready blend of explosive floor-fillers.
He released “Kamwambie,” the first major song from his debut album of the same name, in 2010. Following that accomplishment, he released Lala Salama, his sophomore album.
He is one of Tanzania’s highest-paid musicians, as well as one of the most decorated: at the 2014 Tanzania Music Awards, he became the award’s winningest artist, with seven wins in categories such as Best Male Writer, Best Male Artist, Best Song Writer, and Male Entertainer of the Year.
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Background
Diamond Platnumz, born Nasibu Abdul Juma Issack on October 2, 1989, is a Tanzanian bongo flava recording artist, actor, dancer, philanthropist, and businessman from Tandale, Dar es Salaam.
He is the founder and CEO of the WCB Wasafi Record Label, as well as Zoom Extra, a film production company. He also owns Wasafi Tv and Wasafi Fm, a television and radio station.
Music Career
Diamond met Msafiri Peter nicknamed Papaa Misifa in 2009, and he decided to help Diamond develop his talent financially. They recorded his debut track, “Nenda Kamwambie,” as a tribute to his ex-girlfriend who abandoned him while he was broke. Diamond’s career in the music industry began with the song.
Diamond Platnumz’s debut album, Kamwambie was released in 2010 and featured a total of 12 tracks.
In 2012, Diamond Platnumz released his top-selling second album, Lala Salama, which featured ten songs, then he released his third album A Boy From Tandale on March 14, 2018, with a total of 18 songs.
Often referred to as “Simba” (meaning Lion in Swahili) or “The King of Bongo-Flava“, Diamond is one of East Africa’s most influential artists.
The Singer is the first Africa-based artist to exceed a combined total of 900 million YouTube views, although he currently has about 1,443,844,738 views on the streaming platform.
He is the best-selling Tanzanian artist, as well as one of the highest-paid musicians in the African Great Lakes region’s music industry.
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Sound
Diamond Platnumz is a Bongo Flava artist and hip-hop, reggae, R&B, Afro-beat, dancehall into the creation of his songs.
Bongo Flava (or Bongoflava) is the nickname for Tanzanian music. The genre emerged in the 1990s as a hybrid of American hip hop and traditional Tanzanian styles like Taarab and Dansi, with additional influences from reggae, R&B, and afrobeat, resulting in a unique musical sound.
Diamond is one of the artists who have been able to gain a successful career with this genre. Although as of late, the singer has started swinging to Afrobeats thanks to influences from the Nigerian Music Scene.
Impacts and Awards
Considered by music pundits and the media as one of the most influential and successful music stars in East and Central Africa music history, Diamond has performed in sold-out stadiums across the continent as well as packed music venues in Europe, Asia, and America.
He was the best-selling ringtone artist in Tanzania in 2013, according to mobile phone carriers.
Diamond Platnumz has won several of the local and international awards (over 21) and is still going strong. Diamond Platnumz broke a record by winning seven categories at the Tanzania Music Awards on May 3, 2014, including Best Male Writer, Best Male Artist, Best Song Writer, and Best Male Entertainer of the Year.
He also won awards like Channel O Music Vidoe Awards, HiPipo Music Awards, The Future Africa Awards, MTV Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, People’s Choice Awards, e.t.c
Although the singer has been nominated for a BET twice, he is yet to win any.
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International Collaborations
Diamond Platnumz has a ton of international collaborations to his credit. The singer has collaborated with artists like Ne-Yo on “Marry You“, Rick Ross on “Waka“, Omarion on “African Beauty” and Jamaican reggae band, Morgan Heritage on “Halleluyah”
He was also featured on Alicia Keys’s 2020 album, “Alicia” on the song “Wasted Energy.”