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Hip hop music is a musical genre invented by African Americans in New York City in the 1970s. The genre has grown increasingly popular in Tanzania over the last ten years. Though the first generation of Tanzanian hip hop performers were modelled closely on American rappers, more recently some have begun to mix hip hop with native dance music, muziki wa dansi, taarab, Indian filmi and other styles; this fusion is sometimes called Bongo Flava. The first Tanzanian crew was Kwanza Unit, while the first mainstream hit was 2-Proud's "Ni Mimi" (1995). Other early rappers include Sugu and Mr. Tim. Modern groups like X Plastaz ("Bamiza", 1998) have led the way for Bongo Flava by using unique styles derived from popular music and Masai vocals, as well as Swahili lyrics. Other modern performers include Lady Jaydee and Juma Nature.
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