Tanzanian hip hop star Young Lunya joins Sony Music Africa
By Hilary KimuyuTanzanian hip hop artiste Young Lunya has officially joined the Sony Music Entertainment Africa family, the label has announced.
The deal makes Young Lunya the first hip hop artiste from Tanzania to be signed by the label which has its headquarters in Johannesburg.
Young Lunya has termed the deal as a dream come true from him.
“I come from a place where even talking about major labels was a myth and a dream. But I have always kept this dream and hope alive. To see one of my biggest dreams come true has been such a blessing and an honour,” he said.
“I am excited to have signed for Sony Music Entertainment because they represent some of the biggest artistes that I admire like ASAP Rocky, Future, Travis Scott and many others. I promise my old, new and soon to be fans that Young Lunya is about to become a global star.”
The head of Sony Music East Africa Christine ‘Seven’ Mosha said they are happy to welcome an artiste of Young Lunya’s caliber.
“Young Lunya is without a doubt one of the most gifted, versatile and an exciting contemporary hip-hop artistes to emerge from East Africa. It is an exciting moment for us to be fully invested in the hip hop and rap music genre and provide a ground breaking platform for Young Lunya,” Mosha said.
Young Lunya grew up covering songs of the likes of Professor Jay, Chidi Benz and Nikki Mbishi. He was a member of the popular group OMG before embarking on a solo career in 2019.
Since then, he has been consistently releasing freestyles that have earned him street credibility and eventually a spot as a rapper to watch in East Africa and beyond.
Young Lunya is set to release his first single on the label titled Vitu Vingi on June 10, 2022.
The Vitu Vingi track showcases his talent and how he curates rap music using Kiswahili in a way that keeps his fans captivated.